Portland Design Manual - feedback requested: Staff at the City’s Historic Preservation Office have revised the Historic Resources Design Manual, the first comprehensive update since 1992. This monumental effort, guided by feedback from the public and the Historic Preservation Board, is now ready for review. This manual provides guidance for property owners of designated landmarks and buildings in local historic districts. We have been actively engaged in this project through its initial drafts and are providing input to help ensure it is a successful, easy to use document that supports important preservation goals and an accessible review process. We also encourage you to review the draft and provide feedback or ask questions. Comments accepted through January 31, 2026.
Preservation and Public Health: Kate and Alison attended a panel discussion this week called The Importance of Maine’s Downtowns hosted by the Maine Public Health Association and moderated by the Maine Downtown Center. Two of the four panelists represented Portland: CJ Opperthauser from Friends of Congress Square Park and Teresa Valliere from Friends of Woodfords Corner. The discussion centered around the vital public health benefits of community, gathering spaces, and civic design that fosters connection. Whether utilizing a private hall like the VFW, where the event was held, a public park, or even a parking lot, all the panelists promoted the importance of place in healthy communities. As preservationists, we understand the power of place, and it was enlightening to hear the links to public health, vitality, and economic success described by the panelists.
Vernacular places, vulnerable history: The fire is out on Custom House Wharf in Portland, but the loss still burns. GPL offices are just two blocks from the wharf so Kate and Alison recently walked over to see the damage. Despite the complete and devastating destruction of several buildings, the wharf retains a strong sense of place and we are hoping full recovery and rebuilding efforts will be possible. Walking along the raised wooden sidewalk, with fishing boats tied up alongside, stacked pallets and traps teetering in the breeze, and the scent of fish weaving through the nooks and crannies of time-worn, clapboarded buildings, you feel the importance of the working waterfront to Portland’s heritage and character. This place, in many ways, is the heart of Portland and yet it is also the most vulnerable. You can read more about the history and challenges of our changing waterfront on our blog.
Not only are these buildings the first to succumb to rising seas, and particularly at risk for fire, they are also excluded from the abutting Portland Waterfront Historic District. As vernacular, utilitarian structures, that have often changed over time, buildings like these do not always fit standards for architectural significance and integrity to a period of significance. And yet, their authentic character and integrity to their purpose and the history of a working waterfront are without question. They have been the home of the fishing related activities and equipment that make this working waterfront a thriving and authentic Maine place for centuries.
To the heritage and hearts of locals, this place is Portland. The wharf deserves protection but we need a new kind of tool, one that allows for, and even celebrates, change over time. Additions, alterations, and adaptations deeply connected to the character of a place can make it more significant, not less, because they show the evolution of technology, style, and use. They illustrate the strength of waterfront workers to persevere through stormy seas, battering blizzards, and fierce fires. If these old, wooden structures can survive through anything, so can we all. The wharf is a reminder of our own strength through peril, and our proven ability to adapt. GPL is dedicated to leading conversations, locally and at the national level, for modern preservation tools to protect and promote the places that tell the stories of everyone.
If you would like to support those impacted by the fire, the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association is accepting donations. A Portland Wharf Recovery Benefit Concert will be held on January 17th at Aura: tickets available here. We wish our neighbors a quick recovery and return to their trades on the waterfront.
State Street Church: On a blustery day in December GPL was warmly invited for a tour or the historic State Street Church in Portland to see the unique spaces and hear about the upcoming restoration efforts. The Church has qualified for a $420,000 grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places to repair and restore the 1893 John Calvin Stevens façade and towers, with the goal of completing additional work if funds become available. Not only are the buildings used for religious services as the United Church of Christ, they also have office spaces for nonprofits, a clothing ministry, and a winter family shelter. As a critical hub for the neighborhood, we thank the Church for their commitment to community and to the stewardship of their historic buildings. GPL is helping to connect the Church with resources and preservation professionals to facilitate their restoration efforts.
A Visit to St. Paul’s Church: GPL staff had the opportunity this week to visit St. Paul’s Church on Congress Street in Portland and tour the historic spaces undergoing renovation. The rectory adjacent to the church, both constructed in the late 1860s, is one of Portland’s best examples of Gothic Revival style architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Once work is completed, the Rectory will serve as both communal space for congregants as well as living space for the Rector.
Federal Threats to Historic Places: Still reeling from the sudden demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House, razed without required review, approvals, or public comment, the preservation community is again on edge after a December 9th court declaration stated that four more historic buildings in Washington D.C. may be demolished. These buildings are: the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building (HUD headquarters), the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, the General Services Administration (GSA) Regional Office Building, and the Liberty Loan Building.
Additionally, just before the holidays on December 23rd, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued an emergency declaration to demolish 17 buildings on the historic St. Elizabeth campus in D.C., part of a National Historic Landmark. Once again, the administration is moving forward with demolition plans disregarding the legally required review process.
These actions, taken together with Executive Orders from Trump that push for a national architectural language, suggest that historic places, and the people and stories they represent, are only worth saving if they’re within the administration’s narrow view of what is historically significant and valuable. This precedent, once solidified in D.C., could impact the ability of local municipalities nationwide to protect places under existing ordinances.
National Preservation Messaging: In response to actions taken by the Trump administration to undermine preservation regulations and standards, and in recognition of upcoming anniversaries of nationally significant events (such as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence) GPL is working with preservation leadership across the country to develop a new slogan to promote the importance of history, preservation, and place. It’s imperative that all those who care about protecting and educating about our shared, authentic history nationwide speak in a unified voice. The patriotic bicentennial celebrations in the 1970s led to a number of new regulations and resources for historic preservation. We hope to leverage this pivotal moment in the American story to commit to embracing the fullness of our past, both in celebration of our vast achievements and in remembrance of the many atrocities that have taken place by Americans, to continue our long endeavor of forming a more perfect union for all. Stay tuned for an opportunity to add your slogan ideas and feedback to this national effort.
