What began as pleasure-seeking day trips aboard steamboats became the lifeline that saved Casco Bay's island communities—and Donna Damon knows exactly how it happened. Join us online for an illustrated discussion of how mid 19th century Portlanders' excursions to the Casco Bay Islands evolved into regular steamboat transportation that transformed isolated island communities into tourist destinations and contributed to the islands' long term sustainability.

 

Birds Eye View of Casco Bay: Portland, Maine and Surroundings, 1906. Geo. H. Walker & Co. Maine Central Railroad Company, Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, University of Southern Maine, Image 1351.0001.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Time: 1:00-2:00 PM
Location: Online via Zoom

Fee: FREE admission but registration is required. Donations greatly appreciated and will help us offer more free and low-cost programming.

Details: This is an online only program. Zoom link sent in confirmation email. Recording link will be sent after the event.

Please email Aimée Keithan or call 207.358.7064 with questions!

Register Here
Donate to support our programming

MEET OUR SPEAKER

 

Donna Miller Damon’s roots in Casco Bay go back to 1756 when her ancestors settled on Great Chebeague Island. She grew up on the island, where she raised her family. Since childhood Donna has been interested in Chebeague’s history and was a founder of the Chebeague Island Historical Society. She developed a passion for primary research while an undergraduate at the University of Maine and continued that work while earning an MA in American and New England Studies at USM. She shared her interest in local history with her students at Greely.

Donna curated many exhibits at the Museum of Chebeague History and has presented several illustrated lectures in the greater Portland area. A frequent contributor to the Island Journal and the Working Waterfront, her articles about Nabisco’s decision to stop production of the Pilot Cracker, New England’s favorite Cracker, started a national movement that resulted in Nabisco reversing its decision.

Donna served on the Cumberland Town Council, the Chebeague Select Board, and several nonprofits including the Island Institute and Greater Portland Landmarks.

 

Unbeknownst to many of its current residents, Portland was one of the United State’s major transportation hubs following the American Revolution. Its significance in U.S. commerce began to wane around the turn of the 20th century as larger cities like New York began to dominate trade. In the 1800s, imports like sugar from the West Indies and Canadian wheat entered the city alongside waves of immigrants. These new arrivals contributed to the ethnic diversity and urban development of Portland in profound ways.

The South Portland Historical Society’s Seth Goldstein will share the history of the city’s waterfront and how the transformation to commercial center led Portland to become a 19th century cosmopolitan Atlantic World port.

 

Commercial Street, from foot of Cross Street, looking towards Grand Trunk Depot.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Time: 5:00-6:00 PM
Location: Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland

Fee: FREE admission but registration is encouraged. Donations greatly appreciated and will help us offer more free and low-cost programming.

Details: This is an in-person event. Street and garage parking nearby.

Please email Aimée Keithan or call 207.358.7064 with questions!

Register Here
Donate to support our programming

MEET OUR SPEAKER

 

Seth Goldstein grew up on Cape Cod where he developed his passion for maritime history. He received his bachelor’s degree in European History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and his master’s degree in World History from Northeastern University. He has taught at the University of New England, Southern Maine Community College and the Maine College of Art and Design. His research and writing has been featured in exhibits at the Maine Historical Society, Portland Museum of Art and Maine Maritime Museum. He is currently the development and museum director for the South Portland Historical Society.

 

MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF:

Before the wrecking ball, there was the moving crew. Join Greater Portland Landmarks for a fascinating exploration of a once-common practice: physically relocating entire buildings rather than demolishing them. This virtual lecture examines why Mainers and New Englanders moved structures, from practical concerns like land use and development to early preservation instincts.

In an era when labor was cheap and materials expensive, moving made economic sense. Discover the engineering ingenuity behind these relocations and learn how this resourceful tradition connects to modern historic preservation efforts. By choosing to move buildings instead of tearing them down, communities preserved their architectural heritage one structure at a time.

 

The Gothic House, originally at 88 Spring Street, being moved to 387 Spring Street in 1971.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Online via Zoom

Fee: FREE admission but registration is required. Donations greatly appreciated and will help us offer more free and low-cost programming.

Details: Zoom link provided in confirmation email. This program will be recorded and sent to registrants after the program.

Please email Aimée Keithan or call 207.358.7064 with questions!

Register Here
Donate to support our programming

MEET OUR SPEAKER

 

Aimée Keithan is Educational Programs Manager at Greater Portland Landmarks. A native Mainer, she holds a PhD in Historic Buildings Conservation from the University of York, UK. Her research focuses on uncovering unrecorded histories through examining American and British buildings. She has held fellowships at George Washington's Mount Vernon and the Preservation Society of Newport County, RI. She enjoys sharing her research academically and through public lectures.

 

Please join Greater Portland Landmarks for an evening at the Portland Public Library as we celebrate the opening of our transportation event series with our first in-person lecture, Portland By Land, Portland By Sea: Why You Can Get There From Here.

Scott Hanson will present an illustrated talk about the critical role of transportation in shaping the city of Portland over more than three centuries. From birchbark canoes to modern highways and air travel, every era of the city's history has been deeply affected by the means available to move people and goods to, through, from, and around Portland.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library
Fee: FREE admission but registration is required. Donations greatly appreciated and will help us offer more free and low-cost programming.

Details: This is an in-person event only.

Please email Aimée Keithan or call 207.358.7064 with questions!

Register Here

MEET OUR SPEAKER

 

Scott Hanson has been studying the history of Portland for more than 40 years. His Topsham-based historic preservation consulting firm, Hanson Historic Consulting, LLC, works with property owners, developers, municipalities, and organizations across Maine and beyond. He has researched and written more than 30 National Register nominations, consulted on over 100 historic tax credit rehab projects, and was the lead author of the Congress Street Historic District Designation Report while working in the Portland Planning Department from 2005 to 2010. He has co- written several books with Maine State Historian Earle Shettleworth and is author of the bestselling and award-winning book "Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.

 

SORRY, THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

Please join us for an evening at the University of Southern Maine as we learn about the city of Portland in the 1830s—through maps—with our colleagues from the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education in a talk entitled “Mapping Portland in the 1830s”.  Dr. Libby Bischof, Executive Director and Public Historian, and Louis Miller, Assistant Director for Research and Fellowships, will utilize John Cullum’s 1836 Map of the City of Portland with Latest Improvements to explore our historic city. This unique, full color, early map shows the community centers and development patterns of the city before trains changed everything.

This lecture serves as a prelude to our exhibit Portland by Land, Portland by Sea, opening at the Portland Public Library in January 2026 with an accompanying lecture series. Transportation has always been the invisible architect of our cities—from port cities clustered around harbors, to trolley lines that enabled suburbs in the early twentieth century, to buses, planes, and cruise ships that reshaped waterfronts and economies. Mapping Portland in the 1830s will set the foundation to examine how these forces have left their mark on Portland’s landscape and continue to influence the city today.

John Cullum, A Map of the City of Portland, with its Latest Improvements...,1836. Courtesy of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, University of Southern Maine. 

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: McGoldrick Center, Salons A-C, 2nd floor, University of Southern Maine, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME
Fee: FREE admission but registration is required. Donations greatly appreciated and will help us offer more free and low-cost programming.

Details: Lecture accompanied by light refreshments. This is an in-person event only. Parking available in the Bedford Street Garage for $4.15/hour or street parking.

Please email Aimée Keithan or call 207.358.7064 with questions!

SOLD OUT

MEET OUR SPEAKERS

Libby Bischof is Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, Professor of History, and the inaugural University Historian at the University of Southern Maine, where she has taught courses in Maine History, History and Photography, Popular Culture, and Public History for the past 18 years. A visual and cultural historian of the 19th and 20th centuries, Bischof is interested in the ways in which friendship informs cultural production, especially in relation to landscape and place. A public historian, Bischof believes deeply in site-based, hands-on education, and the ways in which teaching local and regional history can lead to deeper civic engagement. She lives with her husband and children in Gorham, Maine, and when she’s not working, she’s either reading, swimming, hiking, or sending postcards.

Louis Miller is the Assistant Director for Research and Fellowship Programs and Cartographic Reference and Teaching Librarian at the University of Southern Maine’s Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education (OML). He has been at the OML for five years. Prior to his current role he worked for five years at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, primarily with the manuscript, graphics, and map collections. He published his research article "'Honor For All'? Commemoration of the First World War in Kalamazoo," in volume 45, no. 2 of the Michigan Historical Review (Fall 2019) and is currently enrolled in the PhD program at the University of Maine pursuing a doctorate in history. His current research focuses on maps, visual culture, and community identity in the mid-19th century. Louis lives in South Portland with his spouse, three sons, and two cats.

THIS EVENT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY

 

Step back in time this holiday season with Portland Observatory's enchanting Lantern Tours, a beloved tradition returning for another magical year. Experience the Observatory as few ever do—illuminated by lantern light in the quiet of evening. Your guided journey to the top includes stops on two floors where holiday stories bring warmth and wonder to this historic maritime landmark. At the summit, you'll discover Portland transformed: neighborhood lights twinkling below, the city aglow against the winter sky, a rare and breathtaking perspective reserved for this special season.

Each intimate 25-minute tour offers plenty of time to savor the view and the moment. Greater Portland Landmarks invites you to discover what makes these evening ascents truly one of a kind—where history, storytelling, and the spirit of the holidays converge in an unforgettable experience atop Portland's iconic Observatory.

Each tour time is capped at 10 people and pre-booking is required. Get your ticket before they sell out!

Observatory in the Snow, painting by E. Fraser.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: December 11th, 12th, and 13th
Time: Tours at 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30
Location: Portland Observatory, 138 Congress St, Portland, ME
Fee: $10 per person, maximum 10 people per tour.

Details: Pre-booking is REQUIRED. Tours will leave every half hour starting at 5:30 pm with the final tour beginning at 7:30 pm. Remember–the Observatory is not heated so please dress warmly.

Please email Aimée Keithan or call 207.358.7064 with questions!

Purchase Tickets
 

Greater Portland Landmarks is thrilled to bring back our biggest fundraising event this fall, to celebrate our 60+ years of historic preservation within our community. At this exciting event, we will honor both our 2023 and 2025 Preservation Award winners. These honorees represent the best of adaptive reuse, contextual new construction, storytelling, placemaking, and individual contributions to preservation policy, restoration trades, and stewardship of historic properties.

Save the date for an unforgettable evening honoring over 60 years of historic preservation in Greater Portland.
Set in the iconic Mariners Church—a landmark in its own right—this gathering will bring together our community of supporters and friends for a night of celebration, recognition, and connection.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Mariners Church, 368 Fore Street, Portland, Maine
Details: The event will include a short program, live music, beverages and heavy hors d'oeuvres, and raffle prizes. Evening business casual attire is recommended.

Let’s gather in one of Portland’s most treasured spaces to celebrate the progress we’ve made, the places we’ve saved, and the future we’re building together.

Thank you for your interest in our event! Entry tickets are now sold out. Please contact Julie Gondzar or 207.358.7062 if you have questions!

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

🏆 Presentation of our 2023 and 2025 Preservation Awards

Learn more about the winners!
 

Exciting raffle prizes

⭐Fourth of July at the Observatory ⭐ Sharyn Peavey Photography Session ⭐ Custom GPL SeaBag ⭐ Custom Maritime Flag for Business or Personal flown at Observatory in 2026 ⭐

KEYSTONE SPONSORS:
the essential element holding our structure together

 

Gregory Boulos and Nela Alvarez-Sotomayor

 

Isabella Stumpf and William Williams

PILLAR SPONSORS:
supporting our mission with strength and visibility

Elizabeth Astor

Thomas McGuire and Margarita Alegria

 
 
 
 

CORNERSTONE SPONSORS:
a leading light in our community story

 

Eric Altholz and Mary McQuillen
Beth Ansheles and Don Russell
Kent Gordon
William Hall Jr. and Ann Hall
Joel and Talie Harris
Bruce Roullard
Alice and Richard Spencer
Candice Lee

 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS:

 
 
 

ARCHWAY HOSTS:
creating connections that stand the test of time

 

Richard Anderson (in memory of Patricia Anderson)
Deborah and Edward Andrews
Jane Briggs
Katherine Bourne
Jane Batzell and Robert Cleaves
Peter Callnan and John Hennessy
Jane N. Hurd
Peter and Pam Plumb
Rhoda Smith Renschler and Daryl Renschler
Bill and Anne Stauffer
Paul and Dodo Stevens

 

FOUNDATION HOSTS:
creating connections that stand the test of time

 
 

Hilary Bassett
Victoria and Erno Bonebakker
Carol De Tine and Roger Woodman Jr.
Mary Doughty
Thomas and Sarah Dowd
Francesca Galluccio-Steele and Philip T. Steele
Tara Kelly and Joe Palazzolo
Chloe Martin and Rebecca Ober
Stephanie Miller
Aaron Morris
Sally and Ted Oldham
Elizabeth Reynolds
Robert Richardson and Philip Stocker
John Shipman
Seth and Laura Sprague - in memory of Mary Lou Thomas Sprague 
C.C. and Ayres Stockly
Doris Stockly
Jack Vreeland and Nancy Montgomery
Linda and Charles Whitten