Did You Know: Multi-faceted Mariner’s Church

On October 28, 2025, the venerable Mariner’s Church building at 368–374 Fore Street in Portland will host Greater Portland Landmarks’ 60th Birthday Bash and Preservation Awards, bringing together friends and supporters in a fitting celebration within one of the city’s most treasured historic spaces.

Mariner’s Church stands today as a vivid reminder of Portland’s maritime, architectural, civic, and African American heritage. Constructed in 1828 at a cost of $33,000 (plus another $18,000 to acquire the site), it was once the largest building in Portland and is regarded as the city’s earliest expression of Greek Revival architecture, while still retaining traces of Federal design in its detailing. Its design drew inspiration from Boston’s Faneuil Hall (1742) and Salem’s East India Hall (1825). Distinctive rounded corners—brick on the left, granite on the right—add elegance, while the interior still echoes the original layout.

Courtesy of Maine Historical Society, MMN #54020, 1924 Tax Record 366-376 Fore Street

From its earliest days the church served a multi faceted mission, providing religious, educational, and social services for Portland’s seafaring community. The third floor functioned as a chapel, the second as a meeting and lecture space, and the ground floor as revenue producing shops and offices. The basement contains part of the original seawall, remaining from before Commercial Street was laid out in 1858. In the mid 19th century the basement housed Daniel Colesworthy’s antislavery bookstore and printshop, where he published Light and Truth from Ancient and Sacred History by Robert Benjamin Lewis—often regarded as the first Afrocentric history published in the United States. Lewis, a Mainer of African and Native American descent, led a life of maritime adventure and literary ambition.

Mariner’s Church survived Portland’s devastating fire of 1866, one of the few large commercial structures to do so. Over the decades it became host to numerous community institutions: Portland’s first marine museum, meetings of seamen’s groups and unions, and early social programs including the founding of the Portland Boys Club. After falling into disrepair, it was purchased in the late 1960s and following a 1969 survey by Greater Portland Landmarks, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 in recognition of its architectural, social, religious, humanitarian, and theatrical significance. The lower level housed the Old Port Tavern from 1973 until 2022, while upper floors hosted billiards and event functions. The building is an important stop on Portland’s Freedom Trail, and today the upper levels serve as an event venue, preserving the building’s historic role as a gathering space.

Did You Know? Bayside’s Unpretentious Beginnings

Did you know that Bayside earned its name quite literally? As late as 1823, much of the area that is now Bayside was part of Back Cove, then a larger bay, with Cumberland Street the only east-west thoroughfare between Congress Street and the cove. Streets like Preble, Elm, and Chestnut dead-ended at the water, which nearly reached Cumberland Street in places and was deep enough to accommodate large vessels at one point.

Railway buildings from the 1876 Bird’s Eye View Portland Maine Map

By 1826, infilling began in earnest to accommodate the Kennebec and Portland Railroad’s depot, and Oxford Street emerged atop this newly created land. The 1840s brought more land from gradual infill to increase the size of the railroad yards, though it wasn’t yet a through station. The 1850s saw the creation of what we now know as Lancaster Street (originally called Lincoln Street) positioned in front of the depot, and Kennebec Street behind it, closer to the cove. This phased expansion of the peninsula coincided with increasing railroad traffic, both passenger and freight.

By the 1870s, maps show North Bayside’s first residential buildings around the railway depot, on the block between Elm and Chestnut. Since the railroad remained the main business nearby, these were likely inhabited by railway workers and managers. In the decades that followed, the neighborhood saw a variety of dwellings homes crop up in this area like duplexes, single family homes, and tenements. Along with housing, industry in the area grew, including a lumber mill and a pickle factory.

By the 1950s, Portland’s urban transformation began reshaping Bayside, and the neighborhood was split by the creation of Franklin Street. Heavy industry, like the lumber mill, faded out and in its place rose lighter manufacturing activity. Many homes were cleared to make room for businesses like Cushman’s bakery complex and related structures (between Cedar and Elm) and H.J. Heinz Wholesale Food Company (on the Chestnut-to-Cedar block).

Today, it’s likely that some of the early industrial structures still stand at the core of the current buildings, and that 20th century siding conceals 19th century building fabric. You can still discern the past in the rear façade of the back of 165-175 Lancaster Street (the Cushman and Heinz buildings), which still has loading docks and bump-outs, relics of manufacturing processes that outlasted more homogenized fronts. Even though the railway depot is long gone, tracks still poke through the asphalt on Kennebec Street. Through its entire history, Bayside has been continuously reinvented, yet it has always remained rooted in its unpretentious, working-class character.

The Note: Revitalizing Portland’s First Skyscraper

Courtesy Maine Historical Society, MMN #28855

At the turn of the 20th century, Portland was experiencing a wave of change, especially along its main thoroughfare, Congress Street. The statue that gives Monument Square its name was dedicated in 1891, and our current City Hall began construction in 1909, replacing the former City Hall. Steamships and trains brought people to Portland from faraway places, and new trolley lines kept the city on the move as it expanded. The building that embodied this new era most was the Fidelity Trust Building at 465 Congress Street. At ten stories, the Fidelity Building was Portland's first skyscraper. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by Boston architect George Henri Desmond and opened in 1910 to great fanfare. Soon after, the Eastland Hotel, the Time and Temperature Building, and the State Theatre all popped up in the business district, adding to its early-20th century dynamism.

A soaring 30-foot-tall marble lobby with Corinthian columns and classical details is one of the city’s most impressive interiors. Modern conveniences include elevators made by the Portland Company and there was an impressive light well through the floors to bring light and air to interior spaces. Upper floors that held office spaces have been altered and the building is currently vacant. 

Thankfully, Jim Brady of the Fathom Companies is moving forward with an ambitious revitalization. Jim recently took GPL staff through the structure and shared his vision for a vibrant new hotel in this historic building. The bank lobby will become a monumental hotel lobby, transforming the marble teller counter into a large bar, adding a restaurant with a variety of seating options, and creating quiet spaces for remote work in the mezzanine. Jim enthusiastically pointed out all of the historic materials that will be restored and celebrated in the new spaces, with the same dedication to detail as The Press Hotel, another one of his projects. Most rooms will have a spectacular view, some with a birds-eye view of Monument Square, others overlooking the waterfront or horizon vistas to Mount Washington. The lower level, including the original bank vault, will be integrated into a new wellness center. 

Developer Jim Brady highlights special features of the structure while standing in front of an historic photo.

Jim was candid about the challenges of pulling together a project of this magnitude. His team is able to utilize both state and federal historic tax credits, which is what makes the numbers work for this project. Without the tax credits, Jim says, the project wouldn't even be close to viable and buildings like this would be sitting empty for a long time. Historic tax credit bills recently passed in Augusta have allowed Jim to complete the whole project at once instead of in phases, which would have added significant costs. Maintaining and expanding historic tax credits takes devoted advocacy, so everyone who wrote to their elected officials, testified, or who supports GPL or Maine Preservation in our efforts will soon see the results in this stunning adaptive reuse project.

The rehabilitation of historic buildings takes a lot of patience and passion. Jim says that he loves doing projects like this, and that telling their stories is really fun. He likes to bring back to life something special for visitors, and bring back neighborhoods for Portland residents. This project will be truly transformational for Congress Street and we hope that it inspires other developers to see value in older and historic buildings. Portland is facing a number of challenges - housing access and affordability, climate change and flooding, traffic and walkability - and we feel that reusing our existing building stock is part of the solution to these challenges. This project will reopen a historic space, invite visitors back up to Congress Street to explore the historic district, and reenergize Monument Square. This project is a very welcome change. 

Advocacy Alert: Support Expanding the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit

Join Us in Supporting LD1810 to Expand
Maine's Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit

On Tuesday, May 9 at 1pm, the Taxation Committee of the Maine State Legislature will hold a hearing on LD 1810, An Act to Expand the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. This bill will create a new program to ensure historic homeowners benefit from these transformational tax credits. Additionally, LD 1810, sponsored by House Majority Leader Maureen Terry on behalf of Greater Portland Landmarks and Maine Preservation, will improve the small credit to make it more user-friendly and accessible for income-producing property owners.

How Can You Help?

 
Submit a letter of support. Urge the Committee to adopt LD 1810. You can reference details of the program and persuasive research offered here, such as the incredible economic benefits that result from rehabilitation projects and the pointed recommendations of the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability.

Upload Your Letter Here

Speak at the public hearing via Zoom. Individuals are allotted three minutes each, so consider in advance what you might like to say. Start off with a clear statement of support for LD 1810, such as "I support LD 1810 and the expansion of Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits to safeguard and financially incentivize the responsible stewardship of Maine's historic resources by homeowners."

Sign Up to Testify via Zoom

Attend the public hearing in-person. Stand with Maine Preservation, Greater Portland Landmarks, and other allied organizations at the State House as the Taxation Committee discusses this bill. Even if you choose not to testify (please submit a letter in writing in advance!), your presence can speak volumes and shows bill sponsors that their constituents support this groundbreaking initiative!
 
The hearing will take place at the State House, Room 127, in Augusta.

Learn More about Testifying at the Legislature

LD 1810 is part of Policy Action 2023, an initiative of Build Maine and GrowSmart Maine.

Our View: PMA Campus Expansion & Unification

Aerial view of the Portland Museum of Art’s campus with the Payson Building at center-right and, to its left, the former Children’s Museum where the expansion plan is focused. Photo appeared in the Portland Press Herald, June 1, 2022, courtesy of the Portland Museum of Art.

On Sunday, March 19, 2023, we offered our thoughts on the Portland Museum of Art's campus expansion and unification plan in a Portland Press Herald Maine Voices column (full text below). We offer these comments in a constructive and collegial manner and look forward to being actively involved in community discussions about the future of this historic and contemporary campus. 

Sarah Hansen
Executive Director

As the area’s nonprofit organization devoted to historic preservation, Greater Portland Landmarks’ mission is to ensure that Greater Portland preserves its sense of place for all and builds vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods and communities for the future. We seek to build awareness and encourage public participation in the discourse and decisions that are shaping our region. It is with this mission in mind that we offer considerations on the Portland Museum of Art’s proposal to expand and unite its campus, with special concern for its implications to the PMA’s architectural legacy.
 
The PMA recently announced the selection of LEVER Architecture to design a major new building and master plan to unite the museum’s campus. LEVER’s initial proposal has many worthy distinctions, including its scale, choice of sustainable materials, homage to Maine’s Wabanaki heritage, and ability to welcome the public into the museum. It does not appear that the program gave significant weight to preservation considerations, including how the design should interface with existing buildings and the surrounding community.
 
The historic buildings of the campus are a part of the PMA’s admirable “Art for All” initiative by showcasing important pieces of Portland’s architectural history. All of the campus’ buildings—including the Payson building (1983)—are contributing structures both to Portland’s local Congress Street Historic District and the Spring Street National Register District. The proposed design implicitly assumes complete demolition of one of these buildings—142 Free Street, the former Children’s Museum—without any specified justifications. Yet, the PMA will have to seek multiple City approvals to do so as 142 Free Street enjoys preservation protections against demolition or reduction to a facade based on its significance as a structure of nearly 200 years and association with notable architects, including John Calvin Stevens, a founding member of what is now the PMA.
 
Outside of the preservation protections for 142 Free Street (and the other buildings of the campus), the signature Payson building was designed to be in conversation with the façade of 142 Free Street, and its rhythm and scale were influenced by the earlier building. Removing that context thus diminishes the Payson building, which is also proposed to be significantly modified with the introduction of an archway leading to a High Street courtyard. This design effectively re-orients the museum away from Congress Square. These changes would dramatically affect the museum’s interactions with a major intersection undergoing significant publicly funded upgrades, including the Congress Square Park redesign. The redesigned courtyard itself has the potential to eliminate the beloved, heritage Copper Beech tree that presently graces that space.
 
As a major cultural institution for the city and heart of the Arts District, it is entirely appropriate for the PMA to make a bold architectural statement fitting of the twenty-first century to augment its historic campus and provide spaces for new forms of programming and exhibitions. But the PMA is also integrally stitched into the fabric of the existing city and Portland’s sense of place. As the museum looks to enhance its actions on accessibility and equity, we hope that it will also prioritize the stories that these spaces and historic structures on its campus represent—that it will use its architecture to teach us about the history and cultural heritage of the city. This is an extraordinary opportunity for the PMA to fully incorporate its architectural legacy and our shared built environment into its plans for the future.