Portland, Maine

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Portland, Maine
Portland skyline
Portland skyline
Nickname: 
The Forest City
CountryUnited States
StateMaine
CountyCumberland
Settled1632
Incorporated1786
Government
 • MayorJim Cohen
Population
 (2000)
 • City64,249
 • Urban
243,537
 • Metro
489,343
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitehttp://www.ci.portland.me.us/

Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a 2004 population of 63,882. Portland is Maine's cultural, social and economic capital, and it is a major draw for tourists and people from other parts of the state.

Tourists are drawn to Portland's historic Old Port district along Portland Harbor, which is at the mouth of the Fore River and part of Casco Bay. Portland Head Light in nearby Cape Elizabeth is also a popular tourist draw.

Portland has been frequently recognized as one of the most liveable small cities in US, by a number of prominent national magazines.[citation needed]

The city seal depicts a phoenix rising out of ashes, which goes with its motto, "Resurgam," Latin for "I will rise again", in reference to Portland's recoveries from four devastating fires. The city of Portland, Oregon was named for Portland, Maine.

The Portland public school district is the largest school system in Maine. The city is also the county seat of Cumberland County.

History

Portland was originally called Machigonne by the native people who first lived there. It was settled by the British in 1632 as a fishing and trading settlement and renamed Casco. In 1658 its name was changed again, this time to Falmouth. A monument at the end of Congress Street where it meets the Eastern Promenade is a tribute to the four historical names for Portland.

In 1675 the village was completely destroyed by the Wampanoag people during King Philip's War. The community was rebuilt, to be destroyed by the same natives again several years later. On October 18, 1775, the community was destroyed yet again, bombarded during the American Revolutionary War by the Royal Navy under command of Captain Henry Mowat who while visiting the town on a voyage earlier that same year had been taken hostage at Marston’s Tavern, high upon Middle Street near the square (by the present day site of Longfellow Books) by rural renegades from Brunswick, Maine.

File:Portlandmaine2.jpg
Congress and Free Streets, Portland, ME

Following the war, a section of Falmouth called "The Neck" developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786 the citizens of Falmouth formed a separate town in Falmouth Neck and named it Portland. Portland's economy was greatly stressed by the Embargo Act of 1807 (prohibition of trade with the British) and the War of 1812. In 1820 Maine became a state and Portland was selected as its capital. By this time both the Embargo Act and the war had ended, and Portland's economy began to recover. In 1832 the capital was moved to Augusta.

Portland was a center for protests concerning the Maine law of 1851 culminating in the Portland Rum Riot on June 2, 1855.

On July 4, 1866, a fire ignited during the Independence Day celebration, destroyed most of the commercial buildings in the city, half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10,000 people were left homeless. After this fire, Portland was rebuilt with brick and took on a Victorian appearance. Citizens began building huge Victorian mansions along the city's Western Promenade.

The quality and style of architecture in modern Portland is in large part due to the succession of well-known 19th-century architects who worked in the city. Charles A. Alexander (1822-1882) provided many of the designs for Portland's Victorian mansions. Henry Rowe (1810-1870) specialized in Gothic cottages. George M. Harding (1827-1910) designed many of the commercial buildings in Portland's Old Port as well as many of Portland's ornate residential buildings. Around the turn of the century Frederick A. Tompson (1857-1906) designed many of Portland's residential buildings.

File:Western Promenade, Portland, ME.jpg
Western Promenade, Portland

But by far the most influential and prolific architects of the Western Promenade area were Francis Fassett (1823-1906) and John Calvin Stevens (1855-1940). He was commissioned to build the Maine General Building (now a wing of the Maine Medical Center) and the Williston West Church as well as several schools and his own home. From the early 1880s to the 1930s Stevens worked in a wide range of styles from the Queen Anne and Romanesque popular at the beginning of his career, to the Mission Revival Style of the 1920s, but the architect is best known for his pioneering efforts in the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles, examples of which abound in this area.

File:52949.jpg
A gun recovered from the USS Maine overlooks Portland, Maine

The Victorian style architecture, which was popular during Portland's rebuilding, has been preserved very well by an emphasis on preservation on the part of the city government. In 1982 the area was entered on the National Register of Historic Places. In modern lifestyle surveys, it is often cited as one of America's best small cities to live in.

The erection of the Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center established in the suburb of South Portland during the 1970s, had a significant effect on Portland's downtown. Department stores and other major franchises either moved to the nearby mall or went out of business. This was a mixed blessing for locals, protecting the city's character (chain stores are often uninterested in it now) but leading to a number of empty storefronts. Some residents lament at having to venture out of town for certain products and services no longer available on the peninsula. [citation needed]

Since the mid-1990s, Maine College of Art has been somewhat of a revitalizing force in the downtown area, bringing in students from around the country, and restoring the historic Porteous building on Congress Street as its main facility. The school has also maintained the Baxter building, once home to the city's public library, as a computer lab and photography studio.

Portland is currently experiencing a building boom, though much more controlled and conservative than a previous building boom during the 1980's. Much of the new development is occurring in the city's historically industrial, but declining, Bayside neighborhood, as well as the emerging harborside Ocean Gateway neighborhood at the base of Munjoy Hill. [citation needed]

Honors

Portland is regularly honored in print, on television and by many national organizations as being one of the top places to live, work and visit in the nation. Some recent honors include:

  • Ranked #20 in Inc Magazine's 2006 Boom Town List of Hottest Cities for Entrepreneurs.
  • Ranked #7 on the 2005 list of the 100 Best Art Towns in America.
  • Named #15 in medium sized Top U.S. Cities for Doing Business. In the overall category of small, medium and large cities combined, out of 25,000 cities examined, Portland ranked #32. (INC. Magazine, May 2005)
  • Named #1 Top Market in Small Business Vitality. The study suggests Portland to be the strongest small-business sector of any large metropolitan area in the United States and ranked it as the hottest small business market in which to develop a company. ( American City Business Journals, January 2005)
  • Named #14 in “Best Performing Cities” index, for its economic vitality based on measures that include employment and salary growth, with an emphasis on high-tech industries. (Milken Institute, California, November 2004).

A complete list of honors can be found at the City of Portland Economic Developement Center website.

Geography

Eastern Promenade Park overlooking Casco Bay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 136.2 km² (52.6 mi²). 54.9 km² (21.2 mi²) of it is land and 81.2 km² (31.4 mi²) of it (59.65%) is water.

Portland borders South Portland, Westbrook, Falmouth and Casco Bay. The city is located at 43.66713 N, 70.20717 W. Portland zip codes range from 04101 to 04124. Cities within two hours' drive include Boston, Massachusetts; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Neighborhoods

Portland is organized into neighborhoods that are generally recognized by residents, but have no legal or political significance. City signage does, in many cases, name various neighborhoods or intersections (which are often called corners). Some city neighborhoods have a local neighborhood association whose self-appointed responsibility is to liaise with the city government on issues affecting the neighborhood.

Several neighborhoods incorporate the name "Deering" in some way. This is a result of the 1899 merger of Portland with the neighboring City of Deering, which comprised the northern and eastern sections of the city prior to the merger. Deering High School is also so named as it was formerly the public high school for the City of Deering.

Demographics

File:DSCN4040 downtownportland e.jpg
Two women converse in front of a coffeeshop in downtown Portland

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 64,250 people, 29,714 households, and 13,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,169.6/km² (3,029.2/mi²). There were 31,862 housing units at an average density of 580.0/km² (1,502.2/mi²).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Portland's immediate metropolitan area ranked 147th in the nation in 2000 with a population of 243,537, while the Portland/South Portland/Biddeford greater metropolitan area included 489,343 total inhabitants. This has increased to an estimated 510,791 inhabitants as of 2004. Much of this increase in population has been due to growth in the city's southern and western suburbs.

The racial makeup of the city was 91.27% White,2.59% African American, 0.47% Native American, 3.08% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.

There were 29,714 households out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.4% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,650, and the median income for a family was $48,763. Males had a median income of $31,828 versus $27,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,698. About 21.7% of families and 34.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 21.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Downtown buildings rise over Portland harbor

Due to being Maine's largest city, its proximity to Boston and having the state's largest port, Portland has become Maine's economic capital. The local economy has shifted over the years from relying primarily on fishing, manufacturing and agriculture towards a much more service-based economy. Most national financial services organizations with significant operations in the state have their Maine base here, such as Bank of America, Key Bank, Fidelity Investments, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and Aetna. Several notable companies are also headquartered or partially headquartered here, including UnumProvident Corp., TD Banknorth, Maine Bank & Trust, and ImmuCell Corp. The state's largest hospital, Maine Medical Center is also located in Portland, and is a major employer.

Portland has a low unemployment level when compared to national averages and the state average. Portland and surrounding communities also have higher median incomes than most other Maine communities.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2005 Annual Table Report, the Port of Portland ranked as:

  • The largest foreign inbound tonnage transit port in the United States;
  • the largest tonnage port in New England;
  • The 25th largest port in the United States; and
  • The largest oil port on the US East Coast.

The Portland Pipeline, a crude oil pipeline that stretches from Portland to Montreal, was a major contributing factor in these rankings.

Notable buildings

The spire of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has been a notable piece of the Portland skyline since its completion in 1854. However, a significant portion of the city's skyline as it is today is the result of a building boom in the 1980's. Prior to this, the skyline was dominated by a few notable buildings, including 477 Congress Street, a 14-story commercial building completed in 1924 and known to locals as the "Time & Temperature Building" thanks to the large electronic sign on the top of the building that has flashed the local time and air temperature for decades. Another notable building is Franklin Towers, a 17-story residential tower completed in 1969 and regarded as Portland's tallest building. During the speculative building boom of the 1980's, several new buildings rose on the peninsula, including Back Bay Tower, a 15-story residential building completed in 1990.[1]

In recent years a 17-story building that would have housed the corporate headquarters of TD Banknorth was proposed near Franklin Towers, along with a new arena to replace the aging Cumberland County Civic Center, a 250-room hotel, a convention center and an expansive parking garage. However, those plans were tabled when a proposal that would have gone to the State Legislature to allow a local-option sales tax to help fund the public portion of the project was dropped by the Governor.[1]

Education

See also Portland Public Schools

Colleges & Universities

High schools

Culture

Sites of interest

File:Grand Trunk Station, Portland, ME.jpg
Grand Trunk Station, Portland, ME, an unfortunate victim of 1960s urban renewal

The Downtown Arts District, centered around Congress Street, is home to the Portland Museum of Art, Maine College of Art, Children's Museum of Maine, SPACE Gallery, Merrill Auditorium, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, as well as many smaller art galleries and studios.

Baxter Boulevard around Back Cove, Deering Oaks Park, the Eastern Promenade, Lincoln Park, and the Western Promenade are all historical parks within the city. Other parks and natural spaces include Payson Park, Post Office Park, Baxter Woods, Evergreen Cemetery and the Fore River Sanctuary. The non-profit organization Portland Trails also maintains an expansive network of walking and hiking trails throughout the city and neighboring communities.

Other sites of interest include:

Media

The city is served by a primary newspaper, the Portland Press Herald, every day except for Sunday when the Maine Sunday Telegram is printed. Several weekly papers are also available, including The Portland Phoenix, (An Alt-weekly, & Maine's largest weekly newspaper), and The Portland Forecaster. Other smaller Portland-based publications include , The Bollard, the West End News, the Munjoy Hill Observer, The Waterfront, The Foresider and The Companion, a GLBT publication.

The Portland broadcast media market is the largest one in Maine in both radio and television. A whole host of radio options are available in Portland, including 94.9 WHOM(Light Rock), 97.9 WJBQ (Top 40), 98.9 WCLZ (Adult Album Alternative), 102.9 WBLM (Classic Rock), and 94.3 WCYY/93.9 WCYI (Simulcast - Alternative Rock). WMPG is a local non-commercial radio station.

The area is served by local television stations representing most of the television networks. These stations include WCSH 6 (NBC), WMTW 8 (ABC), WGME 13 (CBS), WPFO 23 (FOX), WPME 35 (UPN), and WPXT 51 (The WB). There is no PBS affiliate licensed to the city of Portland but the market is served by WCBB Channel 10 in Augusta and WMEA Channel 26 Biddeford.

Sports and recreation

The city is home to two minor league teams. The AA Portland Sea Dogs, a farm team of the Boston Red Sox, play at Hadlock Field. Additionally, there are the American Hockey League Portland Pirates. Skating at the Cumberland County Civic Center, they are an affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

The Portland Sports Complex, located off of Park Ave. and Brighton Ave. near I-295 and Deering Oaks park, houses several of the city's stadiums and arenas, including:

The Portland area has eleven professional golf courses, 124 tennis courts, and 95 playgrounds. There are also over 100 miles (160 km) of nature trails.

Food and beverage

The downtown and Old Port districts have a high concentration of eating and drinking establishments, with many more to be found throughout the peninsula, city, and neighboring municipalities. Local lore holds that Portland ranks second among U.S. cities in restaurants per capita and third in bars and clubs.

Portland is the birthplace of the Italian sandwich. Southern Maine’s signature sandwich, it is called simply "an Italian" by locals. [1]

Infrastructure

Hospitals

Maine Medical Center is the largest hospital in Maine and is continuing to expand its campus and services. Mercy Hospital, a faith-based hospital, is the fourth largest hospital in the state and is set to begin construction on its new campus along the Fore River in late 2007 and early 2008.

Two formerly independent hospitals within the city are now being utilized in a different manner. The former Brighton Medical Center is now owned by Maine Medical Center, housing a minor emergency room and care center under the name Brighton First Care. The former Portland General Hospital is now home to the Barron Center nursing facility.

Transportation

Portland is accessible from I-95 (the Maine Turnpike), I-295, and U.S. Route 1. U.S. Route 302, a major travel route and scenic highway between Maine and Vermont, has its eastern terminus in Portland.

Amtrak's Downeaster train service connects the city with Boston via coastal New Hampshire. Future expansion of the Downeaster train service to Brunswick is envisioned, with tracks being laid through Portland's lower Bayside neighborhood.

Commercial air service is provided by Portland International Jetport, which is located west of the city's downtown district.

A car ferry service to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia through Scotia Prince Cruises was discontinued in 2005, but ferry services still exist to various destinations in Casco Bay. In late 2005, the owners of The Cat high speed ferry made a deal with the city to restart service to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, making the trip five hours as opposed to the eleven hours through Scotia Prince Cruises. Service began May 22, 2006.

The Portland Explorer is a service that connects various transportation centers within the city. METRO provides public bus transit throughout Portland and the surrounding area.

Photographs

Notable inhabitants, past and present

Movies filmed in Portland

Sister cities

Portland has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

See also

References

  • ^ CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Company. "Greater Portland Area 2006 Office Market Survey" (PDF). Retrieved August 10, 2006.
  • ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.

    • Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

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