Historic Preservation Meeting 11/4/2020

The Historic Preservation Board will hold a workshop on Wednesday, November 4th, starting at 5PM. All city meetings are being held virtually via Zoom:

The following projects will be discussed at the Board’s workshop tonight:

29-35 Commercial Street, the Galt Warehouse Block

The proposed alterations will accommodate a change in use of the mid-19th century warehouse building’s upper stories from offices to residential units. Applicant’s image of the proposed rooftop addition.

Staff Memo

Drawings

110 Exchange Street, John M. Adams Block

The proposal is for a two-story rooftop addition to accommodate a residential unit on the top of the 1892 commercial block. Applicant’s image of the proposed rooftop addition.

Staff Memo
Drawings

Portland’s Ghost Signs

By Anastasia Azenaro-Moore

Painted wall signs are nearly as old as writing itself. Ancient Egyptians used to carve public notices on steles, Phoenician merchants painted rocks to advertise local market stalls along well-traveled trade routes and painted wall advertisements were found in the ruins of Pompeii. Outdoor, painted wall advertising continued to grow and evolve, even as literacy declined, during the Middle Ages. The first inkling of the modern American wall advertisements came from the European Renaissance when painted signs were fixed to the fascia of buildings. The apex of outdoor advertising was the creation and proliferation of painted wall signs throughout American cities from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century.  

Wall-painting in America rose to prominence in the late 19th century, not so coincidentally at the same time new building technology allowed for taller structures. The signs painted on these structures, often three or four stories up from the ground, were intended to be visible for faster modes of transportation. During the late 19th century, elevated trains first made their appearance in America’s cities as did electric trolleys. Later, in the 20th century, automobiles would stake their claim in America’s cities, and in order for these signs to be seen from increased speed they had to be larger. 

Portland has dozens of these painted wall signs, known as “ghost signs”, mostly concentrated in the Old Port and along Congress Street. These signs span over 100 years and advertise everything from hotels to  locomotive manufacturing. These signs are in varying states of decay with some, like the “E. Swasey & Co” sign at 267 Commercial Street in remarkable good condition for its age, while others like the “Everett Chambers Hotel” at 51 Oak Street are in rougher shape despite being newer. This is largely due to the paint used, with older white lead-based paints holding up better against the elements than colored paints. 

Other signs, such as the “Casco” Beverages sign at the former Corbetts Market Groceries on 21 Pleasant Street, are examples of a privilege sign. Privilege signs were wall advertisements for national or local companies, such as Coca-Cola. In exchange for the use of wall space, the local business or merchant would be promoted on the sign free of cost. Often these companies chose to place these privilege signs on retailers that sold their products - hence the prevalence of privilege signs for local markets and grocery stores - but, on rare occasions, national companies would use the walls of non-related retailers.  

Portland’s ghost signs face many of the same threats that ghost signs face nationwide: rampant development and general wear and-tear due to exposure to wind, sun, rain and snow. We can even see, if we try hard enough, where some of these former ghost signs once stood. Take the Dry Dock, for example, where one can still see the shape of a former sign for Randall and McAllister’s Coal Company.  

These ghost signs are an important part of Portland’s legacy and they reveal stories of immigration, a changing economy, and a growing city. These remnants can be seen on apartment buildings, restaurants and department stores; creating a map of Portland’s past. This map lays out our city’s history and the key is to just look up.

11 Brown Street: Eastman Brothers & Bancroft

Eastman Bros & Bancroft was established in 1865 by Bricino M. Eastman, Fred E. Eastman, and Ermon D. Eastman. The department store specialized in dry and fancy goods including wallpaper, glassware, lady’s cloaks, silks, linens and suits. The store closed in 1932, a victim of the Great Depression, and in 1937 Filenes opened in this location.

16 Forest Ave: Congress Square Billiards Hall

Congress Square Billiards (8a Forest Ave) was established in 1933 and lasted until 1954. Its name derived from the pool hall’s proximity to Congress Square, a small space, now a park, to the immediate north of the Eastland Hotel (completed in the late 1920s). In 1940, Congress Square Billiards had 8 pool tables and 2 billiards tables. While there is scant information available on the history of Congress Square Billiards itself, the existence of the billiards hall speaks to a larger narrative of the night-life of Portland in the mid 20th century. In 1940, there were six locations that were advertised where one could play pool or billiards (including the Boys Club of America and the Y.M.C.A) within a small section of town between State Street and Forest Ave. Portland’s downtown also boasted 9 bowling alleys within a two-mile radius. Today, there are three pool halls in the entire city and two bowling alleys.

Statement on Question C

In this election, Portland residents will vote on several referendums, including Question C: An Act to Implement a Green New Deal for Portland. This question proposes six pages of complex land use policies. Because the policies are being implemented by referendum, they cannot be altered – except through another referendum – for five years.

We know from experience that new land use policies often require adjustments and revisions after they are enacted. A good example is the Form-Based Code that was created for the India Street neighborhood. Soon after its implementation, in response to questions from property owners, designers and developers, the code was amended to clarify confusing language.

Greater Portland Landmarks shares many of the goals intended by the proposed legislation, and we look forward to working with People First Portland and all Portland residents to achieve these objectives:

• Increased affordability and quantity of new housing units, particularly through the reuse of buildings.

• apprenticeship programs that bring new workers into the preservation trades.

• increased energy efficiency and sustainability projects, like solar and green roofs, that support sustainability goals and combat the threat climate change poses to our coastal communities and historic sites.

While we support the intentions of Question C, we believe that it will have unintended outcomes that negatively impact sustainable development and affordable housing. With no efficient means to modify the policy for five years, this negative impact may slow the construction of more sustainable buildings as well as affordable and workforce housing for years.

Question C will also have a potentially negative impact on the rehabilitation of historic buildings in Portland, a process which has resulted in a significant number of new housing units in just the last five years. The requirements of Question C, while well-intentioned, will make similar planned and future projects less viable, potentially resulting in the demolition of historic structures that could have been rehabilitated, and an overall loss of housing units. Specifically, Question C:

• creates a complex process of green building standard exemptions for historic buildings pits preservation against sustainability, when the two are compatible − reuse of historic structures is one of the greenest types of development.

• complicates projects using rehabilitation tax credits (a financial incentive often used to create housing), which are governed by federal standards.

• creates potential problems with defining the change of use of a historic building as a renovation.

Greater Portland Landmarks understands that what we think of as an open, public process is not as inclusive as we have believed it to be. We also understand that our process for making policy should be more open and accessible to the wider community of Portland earlier in the policy-making process. There is room for improvement here – by and for all of us.

We encourage you to vote against Question C. We encourage you to elect local and state leaders who reflect your values, and we encourage you join us in adding your voice in helping shape better, more inclusive, community-driven solutions in Portland.

11 Things To Do This Autumn

Get in the spirit of spooky season:

This year, you can walk among the spirits at Eastern Cemetery virtually – and it’s free! Walk Among the Shadows: Vices, Voices, and the Vote from October 22 to November 7, seven eerie spirits will share their stories of the voting practices of their time in Portland, Maine, as well as those of the country's early days. You'll hear about their efforts to win women’s access to the ballot box... or how they argued against the very idea. As always, the event presents real people—portrayed by costumed actors—who have returned from their restful sleep to offer their personal, sometimes humorous, perspectives on history.

How about a scary drive-in movie? The Pride’s Corner Drive-In and the Bridgton Twin Drive-In are open through the end of October with a schedule of Halloween classics. The Saco Drive-In will reopen for a special October 17 Halloween showing of the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) featuring remote accompaniment played on the Kotzschmar Organ!

Indulge in one Maine’s favorite treats:

The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft couldn’t happen in person this year, but instead of cancelling the organizers turned it into a statewide Whoopie Pie celebration: WHOOPtoberfest! Check out the map to find whoopee pies near you, and vote on your favorites - through the end of October. (Pictured is a special pumpkin whoopie pie from Cape Whoopies, a greater Portland favorite.)

Explore a new neighborhood:

It’s the perfect time for an autumn walk using one of our self-guided walking tours! You can also tour greater Portland virtually from your computer if the weather is gloomy. We have 11 neighborhoods available and more on the way!

Start your holiday shopping early:

The Thompson’s Point Maker’s Market is back with indoor and outdoor vendors and a socially-distanced set up so you can support small businesses, local craftspeople, and the agricultural community. Shop on Sundays October 18, November 22, December 6, and December 20!

Maine at 200:

The Maine Historical Society’s bicentennial public programming continues with two more virtual talks on our state’s history. On Thursday, October 22 at 6 PM, Liam Riordan (Department of History, University of Maine) on the long process of how Maine became a state, slavery and the Maine-Missouri Crisis, Wabanaki sovereignty, and more. On Wednesday, November 11 at 6 PM, James Eric Francis, Sr. (Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Penobscot Nation) talks about how pandemics have affected Wabanaki communities since the first Europeans interacted with Wabanaki people on the shores of what is now known as Maine.

Experience the best of all things Irish in Maine:

The Salmon Falls Dam by Gibeon Elden Bradbury

The Maine Irish Heritage Society premiers a showcase of Irish talents, from music to baking and more, on November 22 from 4-6 PM.

Explore the beauty of the Saco River Valley:

The Saco Museum presents the paintings of Gibeon Elden Bradbury, depicting 19th century life in Buxton and the Saco River Valley, on view through December 31.

And the most important thing to do this fall: VOTE!

Maine's Apple Heritage

By Kate Burch

Apples grown at the Maine Heritage Orchard

Apple picking, an iconic New England pastime, has been more popular than ever this year, despite pandemic restrictions and a drought that lowered apple production for most orchards. Though apples are not native to New England, the fruit has a long history in Maine.

Anthony Brackett’s orchard can be seen at #13 (upper left) on this 1690 map of Portland (Maine Historical Society)

Maine apple expert John Bunker (watch his excellent lecture hosted by Maine Historical Society from October 2020) theorizes that apples were first planted by some of the earliest European explorers to the continent. Early European colonists in New England grew apples on their farms for eating as well as for cider and animal feed. One of the earliest recorded Maine orchards is Anthony Brackett’s. Brackett had a farm and orchard in Portland near the current Deering Oaks Park. In 1689, Brackett’s orchard was the site of a major battle of the French and Indian Wars. Brackett was killed in the fighting and his farm and orchard were destroyed.

Moses Wood, a seedling variety discovered on the farm of Moses Wood of Winthrop, Maine, first exhibited in 1833 or 1834. (via The Righteous Russet on Instagram)

Apples don’t come true from seed. That means that if you plant an apple seed from a Red Delicious apple, the tree that grows won’t produce Red Delicious – it will produce a totally new variety! Maine’s farmers and orchard owners experimented with these seedling apples and apple breeding, developing many unique varieties like the Black Oxford. Apples that were no good for fresh eating might be used for cooking or cider, or to feed to the animals. It was common for most farms to have at least a few apple trees, which is why you can so often find old apple trees growing near old farmsteads in Maine. In the 19th century, the development of commercially successful varieties like McIntosh and Courtland prompted the expansion of many Maine orchards and cemented New England’s connection with apple growing.

Here are some greater Portland orchards that have been around for at least 100 years. (The oldest orchards don’t always grow the oldest varieties. If you’re interested in Maine’s heirloom varieties, check out the Maine Heirloom Apple Guide.)

Sweetser’s Apple Barrel (Cumberland)
(website)

The Sweetser family has owned and operated this orchard in Cumberland since the 1830s, and the house and farm feature in our Cumberland virtual walking tour. Samuel Robinson Sweetser married Mary Jane Pittee and moved into her family’s farmstead, and started growing apples as a mainstay crop. Several of the varieties he planted, like Rolfe, Weathy, and Northern Spy, are still grown at the orchard today. You can’t pick your own here, but they grow around 50 common and heritage varieties available at the farmstand.

Randall Orchards (Standish)
(website)

Randall Orchards was founded by Edgar Randall in 1905 and is still run by the Randalls, who live in the 1776 white farmhouse on the property. This pick-your-own orchard has more than 20 apple varieties (including many New England classics) and they press their own cider. The farm is protected by an agricultural and conservation easement, and visitors can hike the forest trails around the orchard.

Thompson’s Orchard (New Gloucester)
(website)

An apple cider donut at Thompson’s

Arthur E. and Myrtle Thompson purchased this orchard in 1906 and expanded it from 800 trees to a large commercial operation that shipped apples all the way to England. Today, they offer pick-your-own apples, including many of those important early 19th and 20th century varieties like McIntosh, Macoun, and Courtland, as well as a bakery and fresh cider.

Brackett’s Orchard (Limington)
(website)

This orchard is outside the greater Portland area, but it’s possibly the oldest continually operated orchard in Maine! Started by the Brackett Family in 1783, the 8th generation of the family now owns the orchard, which offers pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, squash, and cider.

McDougal Orchards (Springvale)
(website)

Another orchard that’s a little outside our area, but one with a long history! McDougal Orchard stands on land that was purchased by Joshua Hanson in 1779, and the land has been farmed by the family ever since. In the early 20th century Judge George Hanson started a Baldwin apple orchard. Today, McDougal grows dozens varieties, including a range of rare heirloom apples, with both pick-your-own apples, a farmstand, and a donut shack. The orchard and surrounding forest is protected by easements.

Maine Midden Minders

By Kate Burch

Photo via Maine Midden Minders

Middens record the history of Maine’s first inhabitants, providing evidence of ancient lives and environments from 5,000 years ago until the time of European settlement.  Largely composed of shells and animal remains, along with seeds, stone tools, and pieces of pottery, middens have often been referred to as “ancient trash heaps”, but archaeologists now recognize that they represent more than just waste disposal. Maine’s middens are some of our most at-risk heritage sites due to climate change, as sea level rise hastens the rate of coastal erosion.

At the University of Maine, the Midden Minders project is using volunteer citizen scientists to document these important sites and monitor their condition and erosion. Dr. Alice Kelley and Dr. Bonnie Newsom, who lead the project, shared more information with Greater Portland Landmarks about Midden Minders and the risks facing middens.

GPL: How many known sites remain undocumented, and what would it take to document them?

Shell midden with meter measuring stick for scale (Photo via Maine Midden Minders)

Kelley and Newsom: According to Dr. Arthur Spiess, Maine State Archaeologist, there are approx. 2000 documented shell midden sites on Maine’s islands and mainland coastline.  These sites have been identified, but are at varying levels of analysis and reporting.  We don’t know how many sites remain undocumented, but do know that new sites are discovered every year, while other sites are lost to erosion or development or damaged by looting.  A coast-wide survey of the Maine coasts and islands would be required to locate, examine and document all of Maine’s known shell middens.  This would be a challenging (and expensive) task.

Currently, members of the public or conservation organizations are welcome to report the locations of shell middens to the Midden Minders (middenminders@maine.edu).  We will see that the information is forwarded to the appropriate federal, state, or tribal agency for documentation.

GPL: What types of sites are most at risk, and what can be done to preserve them?

Kelley and Newsom:  Sites that are located directly on the shoreline, either on a beach or a bluff, are the most at risk.  Climate change-related sea level rise, increasing storm intensity and frequency, and more periods of winter freeze-thaw activity are increasing shoreline erosion. As bluffs and beaches along the coast erode, shell middens collapse and are lost to the sea.

Preserving shell middens is not possible, but the cultural and environmental information they contain can be preserved.  This is what the Midden Minders and archaeology field schools in collaborations with conservation and professional and tribal organizations are working to do.

The Midden Minders project seeks to monitor and document the erosion of shell middens using a variety of measurement techniques and photography (see maine.edu/middenminders).  Conservation and tribal organizations are working to collaborate with the Midden Minders to document change and preserve information and protect shell middens from looting, erosion, and development.

GPL: What information and cultural heritage is at risk of being lost if we lose these sites?

Kelley and Newsom:  Thousands of years of indigenous history and lifeways are archived in shell middens. This important part of Maine’s history is being lost to the sea as these sites disappear.  In the past, the cultural history of indigenous people living as coastal hunters, fishers and gatherers has been largely marginalized and discounted, while colonial and historic structures are awarded attention and preservation funding. The middens’ record of thousands of years of sustainable use of the coast and adaptation to change may be relevant to today’s climate change issues.  The knowledge contained in shell middens also provides an opportunity for contemporary tribal communities to reconnect with a disrupted past and strengthen tribal communities.

Additionally, shell middens contain a record of the past environments when they were formed.  The faunal and floral remains in the middens are a record of conditions at that time.  Shell middens are an archive of extinct species, such as great auk and sea mink, that are not preserved elsewhere.  This material is one of the very few archives of coastal conditions thousands of years ago.

GPL: What is the history of efforts to preserve midden sites in Maine?

A 19th century investor in a project to turn middens into chicken feed surveys a midden in Maine.

Kelley and Newsom:  In the past, shell middens were viewed as a resource to use or a source of artifacts for amusement and display.  Considered trash heaps, the shells were mined to provide lime or ground up for chicken feed.  Early archaeologists viewed the middens as a source of interesting animal bones and artifacts.  Currently, archaeologists value the middens as an archive of past lifeways and environments and local tribal people value them as part of their ancestral heritage.  Excavations carefully record details about the site, landscape, artifacts, materials, and stratigraphy, in such a way that the site can be reconstructed digitally and archaeological and environmental information is preserved.  House floors, activity areas, and firepits can be recognized through careful excavation. Additionally, archaeologists at modern excavations work closely with descendant communities on data recovery, preservation and interpretation as a way to connect past and present peoples.

However, archaeological excavations are expensive in time and funding.  As a result, only a few middens are carefully excavated each year.  The Midden Minders program seeks to support the preservation of midden information by monitoring and documenting shell midden erosion along Maine’s coast.  In this effort, volunteer citizen scientists use simple tools to measure erosion and photography to document change and artifacts.  The information gathered will be used by cultural resource managers and researchers to make informed decisions about excavations and help understand the impact of climate change on cultural heritage.

To learn more and volunteer, visit the Maine Midden Minders website!

The Summer Cottages of John Calvin Stevens

By Kate Burch

John Calvin Stevens

John Calvin Stevens (1855-1940) is one of our hometown heroes – he designed more than 1,000 buildings in Maine, many of them in greater Portland, and his grandson John Calvin Stevens II was one of the founders of Greater Portland Landmarks. JCS, as we call him, could fill several blog posts, but for our August Architect of the Month, we’re focusing on his iconic summer cottages in the Shingle style.

Stevens was born in Boston in 1855 and moved to Portland, Maine with his family at the age of 2. He wanted to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but couldn’t afford it, so he apprenticed in the Portland office of architect Francis Fassett instead. Stevens was a fast learner and a skilled draftsman, and in seven years rose from office boy to partner in the firm, which was renamed Fassett and Stevens. In 1884, he established his own office in Portland, with Fassett’s blessing.

The John Calvin Stevens House (1884) on Bowdoin Street

Shingle Style was coming to prominence around 1880, when JCS was working in Fassett’s short-lived Boston office. The firm worked in the same office building as William Randolph Emerson, who by then was working in his signature Shingle Style, and his work was very influential to JCS. In 1884, upon establishing his own office in Portland, Stevens built his own home at 52 Bowdoin Street in the Shingle Style. One of Portland’s earliest examples of the style, JCS often used it for promotion. The house received international notice after its construction.

Shingle-style architecture developed in the late 19th century as a departure from the lavish decoration of other Victorian styles. Inspired by the simplicity of materials and form of early New England architecture, these houses used natural colors and unembellished shingles on both walls and roof to form a uniform surface. The graying of the cedar shingles as they aged lent a sense of history and connection to New England’s past, and some architects even pre-aged the shakes before installation to achieve a weathered look. Shingle style houses borrow elements from other popular styles of the time, such as the wide porches of Queen Anne homes, the Palladian windows of the Colonial Revival, and the rusticated masonry of the Romanesque Revival.

Kragsyde (1883-1885, demolished 1929), designed by the Boston firm Peabody & Stearns

Though inspired by the rusticity of the local vernacular, these early Shingle Style buildings were far from simple. Shingle Style was popularized by large-scale commissions for seaside summer homes for the wealthy in places like Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island. The style never really spread too far from the New England coast – it’s uncommon in vernacular housing. In Maine, it became the style of choice for grand summer homes and resorts that in the late 19th century were increasingly cropping up on Maine’s coast and islands.

C.A. Brown Cottage (1886-87) in Delano Park, Cape Elizabeth, designed by JCS.

Stevens’ Shingle style coastal homes were recognized not just for their style but for their relationship with the landscape. Large piazzas and picture windows, with interior space planned to take advantage of the scenery, made these buildings feel harmonious with their surroundings. It’s perhaps not surprising that Stevens was so good at designing buildings that felt connected to their landscape – he was also an accomplished landscape painter and a member of the Portland-based art group that called themselves the “Brushuns”, who went on weekend sketching expeditions along the Maine coast (Winslow Homer and Charles F. Kimball were also members). Of his design work, his grandson John Calvin Stevens II wrote “The ‘seeing of the site’ is to him ceremonial. Every contour, tree, rock, stream, spring is recorded on the drawing board in his brain. Orientation, vistas and outlooks, prevalent windows and neighborhood developments are studied.”

(If you’re interested in learning more about JCS’s paintings, our book The Paintings of John Calvin Stevens is currently on sale in our shop!)

“Delano Park, Cape Elizabeth” (1904) by JCS

JCS designed dozens of seaside summer homes, from grand estates to more modest cottages, all along the coast of Maine and on the islands. Here are just a few examples of Stevens’ summery projects:

The Homers on Prouts Neck

Prouts Neck in Scarborough was one of many Maine coastal areas that became a fashionable summer resort in the late 19th century. Painter Winslow Homer vacationed there with his brothers Arthur and Charles. All three brothers commissioned JCS to design homes for them on Prouts Neck, the most famous of which is the Winslow Homer Studio (1884), now owned by the Portland Museum of Art. Stevens, in partnership with Francis Fassett, also designed “The Ark”, a summer home for Charles S. Homer Jr. (1882). Later, the three brothers also had JCS design rental cottages for them. For Winslow Homer’s rental cottage, Stevens billed him asking for payment “Any production of Winslow Homer”, a request which delighted Homer, who sent Stevens the painting The Artist’s Studio in an Afternoon Fog.

Winslow Homer Studio ( 1884)

“The Artist’s Studio in Afternoon Fog” (1894), Winslow Homer

Delano Park

In 1885, a group of Portland businessmen created the Delano Park Association to establish a seaside summer colony in Cape Elizabeth. Four of the 25 original lot owners had JCS design Shingle style cottages for them around the turn of the 20th century. By then, Stevens had twenty years of experience working in the style and his projects in Delano Park ranged from the unique yet modest “Birds’ Nest” cottage designed for musician Harvey S. Murray, to the Frederick E. Gignoux Cottage, a large home with broad porches to take advantage of the elevated site with ocean views on three sides.

Harvey S. Murray Cottage (1902)

Frederick E. Gignoux Cottage (1905-6)

Cushing Island

The Ottawa House Hotel opened on Cushing Island in 1862 and the island became a summer resort destination. In 1883, the Cushing family, who owned the island, hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead to create a plan for the island’s development, and JCS was commissioned to design the summer cottages. JCS also designed a grand home for the owner of the Ottawa House which was never built.

Sketch for M.S. Gibson House (1883)

Stevens made about 12 Shingle style cottages intended to be compatible with the island’s natural beauty, as well as a recently-restored gazebo. The largest cottage was the Charles M. Hays Cottage, designed for the then-president of the Grand Trunk Railroad, which Stevens created in partnership with his son John Howard Stevens. (Hays died 2 years after the house was built, as a passenger on the Titanic).

Charles M. Hays Cottage (1909-10)

Cushing Island gazebo restored by Taggart Construction

The death of Captain Lemuel Moody

Captain Lemuel Moody died on August 11, 1846, and was buried the following day in Eastern Cemetery, at the bottom of the hill on which his Observatory stands. The following is the obituary that was published in the Portland Advertiser on August 12, 1846.

Listen to Moody’s great-great-great-great grandson John York read his obituary at the Observatory here.

We lament to have to record this day the sudden death of our respected townsman, Capt. Lemuel Moody, who died in a fit early this morning. Capt. Moody was the son of Enoch Moody and Ann Weeks, and was born in Portland, June 30, 1767; he was consequently past 79 years of age. His father came from Newbury, and built in 1740, the two story wooden house near the corner of Congress and Franklin Street, which is the oldest house in town, and where the subject of this article was born.

Capt. Moody, like the sons of most of our old families, the Prebles, McLellans, Weeks, Tuckers, &c., embarked on the sea for a livelihood.  Our people were thoroughly commercial, their whole energies were employed from their earliest settlement in pursuits connected with the ocean; and our enterprising young men were therefore naturally drawn to that department of life as affording at once the most sure and speedy, and at the same time the most exciting means of advancement in the world. And we do not hesitate to say that no place on the margin of any ocean, has furnished a finer race of hardy, skillful and successful mariners than our own port.

Moody’s tomb

Capt. Moody followed the seas for many years with reputation and success; and forty years ago, he took an active part in getting up an association for the erection of the Observatory, over which he had presided nearly the whole time; keeping a careful watch through his telescope of all occurrences within the range of its vision, and often furnishing the earliest information in regard to disasters happening on our coast, by which effectual relief has been seasonably afforded.  And during all that period, constantly sweeping the horizon, his signals have reported to their owners the approach of their vessels.  At the same time he has kept accurate tables of the weather, notices of which have repeatedly appeared in our paper. – Nor is this the extent of the benefit he has conferred upon the maritime interest; the whole was crowned by the publication in 1825 of a very carefully prepared chart of Casco Bay, with soundings of the coast, from the mouth of the Saco, to the mouth of the Kennebec, and of the principal channels and harbors.

He imparted freely and kindly to all who sought it, information in regard to the harbors and coast, and on the subjects with which he was familiar, and none could leave his company without a favorable impression of the results of his gathered observation, and of the benevolence of his character.

He died in the strength of his intellect and the mellowed ripeness of his affections; he will leave a space in this community which it may not be easy to fill.  It is an interesting fact, and well worthy of notice, that this very morning, previous to his death, he was on top of this Observatory, taking his accustomed observations around the horizon; thus making his final survey over the ocean and land, in the freshness of this beautiful morning, before taking leave of them forever, to enter upon a brighter and better world to which the telescope of his heart has long been directed.

View of Munjoy Hill, Portland, artist unknown, c.1840 (Collection of the Portland Museum of Art)

Munjoy Hill Local Historic District

Did you know that the protections of the historic district have been temporarily in effect since the Historic Preservation Board recommended the district move forward last year? Several projects have already been reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Board with these protections in place, demonstrating that adding new housing units, incorporating modern additions, and incorporating solar panels are all possible in a Historic District!

49 St. Lawrence Street

Architectural rendering of 49 St. Lawrence Street with new additions and rehabilitated front facade. Mark Mueller Architects

The current owner of the building is proposing to convert the 2 ½ story wood frame residence from three units to four units. The project is prompted by a number of goals, including a desire to increase the number of units within the building, convert the attic area into useful living space, improve the layout and functionality of each floor, and address the generally deteriorated condition of the house. The existing structure was built c. 1858 and is typical of the architecture that characterizes much of Munjoy Hill with its wood frame construction, simple mass and scale, and gable-end-to-the-street orientation. The building is a vernacular expression of the Greek Revival style with most of its architectural detail covered by the application of replacement siding in the late 20th century.

In working to meet the client’s goals, the project architects found that they needed to introduce a stair tower addition to comply with code requirements triggered by the project. The project includes: new cementitious clapboard siding, corner boards, new windows and window openings, new doors, refurbished entry stairs with new treads, risers and code-compliant railings, and a standing seam metal roof. New additions include the stair tower, shed dormers, and entry porch. A rear addition is proposed to replace existing rear decks, stairs and porch addition and will accommodate an elevator. Solar panels are to be installed on the roof. The project was approved by the Historic Preservation Board in early March.

9 Howard Street

9 Howard Street existing conditions.

The two ½ story, wood frame residential structure at 9 Howard Street represents a building type, form and style that dominates much of the Munjoy Hill neighborhood. The building was built in 1881 and exhibits the proportions and architectural details generally associated with the Italianate style, including prominent bays on the front and south elevations, an oriel window on the north elevation, tall windows, and a prominent projecting cornice with eave returns. Instead of a bracketed hood over the front entry, there is a flat-roofed portico supported by square columns and pilasters and featuring a wide frieze. It is likely that the front portico is a later alteration as the entry off the rear ell features a typical Italianate bracketed hood.

The project includes new dormers, windows, and the rehabilitation of the front entry. At the front entry, the single door and sidelight will be replaced with double-doors, consistent with original appearance and the existing porch railings will be replaced or reconfigured to extend to the bottom stair. New posts with turned ball finials (matching the documented design) will replace existing posts. The application was submitted on January 29th and approved on March 24, 2020.

Before and after design for the front entrance at 9 Howard Street. Blue Anchor Designs

24 St. Lawrence Street

This 1924 Portland Tax assessor image documents the early look of the dwelling. This photographic collection is a great resource for homeowners. You can search for your home!

This project includes a new garage and a multi-story rear addition. The project proposal also includes extensive exterior rehabilitation of the original 1851 Greek Revival side gable, two-family dwelling. A previous proposal to demolish the house and build a multi-unit condominium building was withdrawn following classification of the house as Preferably Preserved under the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District ordinance, permitting issues, and neighborhood opposition.

Part of the early wave of development on the south side of Munjoy Hill after the founding of the Portland Company and the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad, the dwelling is a contributing building in the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District. The current owners purchased the property in July 2019. The project will demolish the existing one-story, hip-roofed, single-car detached garage and an existing deck and stair structure attached to the rear of the house, and construct a new garage. The new two-car garage will be connected to the rear of the house by a new deck and stairs. A new elevator will rise from the garage to a new third-floor dormer on the rear roof plane of the house and connect to the house by upper floor hallways. All of the proposed construction is on the rear of the house; the front of the building will be rehabilitated. The project was applied for in late January and approved less than two months later in March 2020.

The house at 24 St. Lawrence Street will remain largely as is, but a modern addition will be built at the rear, along with a new garage. Sheri Winter, architect.

34-36 North Street

This project features a second floor addition to an existing one-story bay to add more light to the owners’ living space. This two-family, wood-framed residence is a fairly simple transitional Queen Anne designed by John Calvin Stevens and built in 1882. It closely resembles 38 North Street next door, also designed by Stevens. 34-36 North Street is classified as a contributing structure in the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District, while 38 North is listed as noncontributing because of numerous alterations to the original fabric. Nevertheless, the strong resemblance between the two houses is still evident, and the still extant original two-story bay at 38 North Street provided valuable design clues for the proposed project. The owners applied for the project on January 7, 2020 and it was approved by the Historic Preservation Board with conditions a few weeks later on January 30th.

Before and after drawings of the proposed exterior changes. Dextrous Creative

Benefits of Living in a Local Historic District

Exchange Street in the Old Port Historic District (Photo by Corey Templeton)

By Mark McDonnell, 2020 Intern

Each summer, Greater Portland Landmarks hires interns currently enrolled in historic preservation programs at colleges across the country to assist in our advocacy and education work. Our interns bring their knowledge of the preservation world in academia and in other parts of the country. In return, they gain valuable experience working in a historic preservation non-profit. This year, they’re working remotely.

Mark was raised in New Jersey and is enrolled in the Preservation Studies M.A. program at Boston University.

What is a Local Historic District?

Historic districts fall under two major types: National Register Historic Districts (NRHDs) and Local Historic Districts (LHDs). LHDs protect and regulate the buildings within them, while NRHDs are more useful for identifying historic resources and securing federal funding for rehabilitation of these structures. The impact of a LHD on the homeowner can be greater than that of the NRHD, but there are some similarities. For example, both types of historic districts can promote tourism. The NRHD might seem more appealing to the homeowner because it lacks the regulatory power of the LHD, but LHDs offer plenty of benefits as well, and common concerns about their negative impacts do not hold up against the data.

Local historic districts (LHDs) are defined and regulated areas containing groups of properties that have been determined to contribute to a municipality’s culture or heritage. Generally, street-facing facades of buildings in LHDs cannot be significantly altered, but interior changes and exterior alterations not visible to the public are usually approved by the LHD’s regulatory body. Local historic districts preserve the historic character of an area with tools such as demolition delay and design review. Likewise, new construction in or near a LHD might be subject to design requirements or otherwise be encouraged to be compatible with nearby historic construction. Living in a LHD can provide environmental and economic benefits, among others.

Environmental Benefits

Rehabilitating a building on Commercial Street in the Old Port Historic District (Photo by Corey Templeton)

Local historic districts benefit the environment by maintaining and reusing historic buildings rather than demolishing and replacing them. Using an already-existing building is better for the environment than new construction, even if the new construction would be energy efficient. Reusing an existing building that has outlived its original purpose is called “adaptive reuse.” Adaptive reuse is almost always better for the environment than new construction because fewer materials need to be made, transported, or assembled. Local historic districts are inherently “green” because they encourage the use and reuse of already-existing buildings rather than demolition and new construction.

Economic Benefits

Economic benefits of owning a home in a local historic district are well-documented, contrary to popular concerns that regulations governing a LHD might lower property values. In fact, property values in historic districts appreciate faster than in surrounding areas that are not designated historic districts. “City or regional studies where historic districts are compared to non-historic districts have provided generally conclusive data regarding the history of property value increases over time in historic districts that exceed the rate of growth in non-historic districts.”[1] For example, a 2011 study of single-family homes in Connecticut towns, conducted by the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, found, “Overall there appears to be a 2-4% value premium from location within a local historic district.”[2] This positive effect on property values is exaggerated in urban areas. In New York City, the value premium ranges from 8% in the bottom quantile of house prices to 5% in the highest.[3]

A snowy day in the Deering Street Historic District (Photo by Corey Templeton)

While property values appreciate faster in historic districts than outside them, there is no evidence that this causes gentrification or other displacement, despite several studies evaluating exactly this possibility. The largest of these studies found that “nothing happens” regarding demographic changes connected to historic designation. Any demographic change that occurs in the area within a decade of historic designation, the authors conclude, is unrelated to the historic designation.[4]

Historic districts offer economic and environmental benefits. Using and reusing existing buildings is a major environmental, and potentially financial, benefit in itself. Likewise, the positive effect of historic district designation on property values is well established, despite common concerns about regulations. Historic districts preserve a town or neighborhood’s historic character while providing many important benefits to their residents and to the environment.

References

[1] Mimi Morris, “The Economic Impact of Historic Resource Preservation,” California Cultural and Historical Endowment, November 2012: 13, https://resources.ca.gov/CNRALegacyFiles/docs/cche/EconomicImpact_of_HistoricResourcePreservation.pdf.

[2] PlaceEconomics, “Connecticut Local Historic Districts and Property Values,” Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, October 2011: 3, http://lhdct.org/documents/Property%20Values%20LHD%202011.pdf.

[3] Edward L. Glaeser, “Preservation Follies: Excessive Landmarking Threatens to Make Manhattan a Refuge for the Rich,” City-Journal, Spring 2010, https://www.city-journal.org/html/preservation-follies-13279.html.

[4] N. Edward Coulson and Robin M. Leichenko, “Historic Preservation and Neighbourhood Change,” Urban Studies 41, no. 8 (July 2004): 1587, https://buprimo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/g23ind/TN_sage_s10_1080_0042098042000227028.

Further Reading

“National Park Service Historic Preservation Economic Impact.” National Park Service. Updated January 11, 2015, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/economic-impacts.htm.

Rypkema, Donovan, Caroline Cheong, and Randall Mason. “Measuring Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation: A Report to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.” November 2011. https://www.achp.gov/sites/default/files/guidance/2018-06/Economic%20Impacts%20v5-FINAL.pdf.

Zahirovic, Velma, and Swarn Chatterjee. “Historic Preservation and Residential Property Values: Evidence from Quantile Regression.” Urban Studies 49, no. 2 (February 2012): 369-382. https://buprimo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/g23ind/TN_sage_s10_1177_0042098011404936.