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.