Historic Districts
The city of Portland boasts historic buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes that reflect its heritage as a vital late 18th- and early 19th-century commercial center and seaport. Representing a variety of styles from the Georgian era through the Greek Revival and Italianate periods, through the present day, Portland’s building stock tells the story of the city’s evolution and its high aspirations. Portland, as many communities across the country, has designated historic districts in order to protect its authentic built environment and community identity.
In 1990, Portland passed a historic preservation ordinance to help protect over 1,500 properties as individual landmarks or as part of one of several designated historic districts. The city’s Historic Preservation Board, in conjunction with Planning Department staff, reviews projects within the local historic districts and at individually designated landmarks to ensure compliance with the historic preservation ordinance. The ordinance provides guidelines for rehabilitation, additions to historic properties, and new construction in historic contexts based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards of the National Park Service.
More information on Portland’s historic districts and preservation guidelines
More information on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards in general
The standards for rehabilitation
For more information about Portland’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, including how to apply for a review, contact:
City of Portland Planning Department
207-874-8721
Greater Portland Landmarks
207-774-5561 or info@portlandlandmarks.org
If you have questions about historic districts in other areas, contact the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, the local planning department or town council.