A rare opportunity to see the interior of a Portland landmark.

In early 2024, one of the city’s landmark antebellum homes came on the market under some odd circumstances.

308 Danforth Street was built in 1854 for Andrew Spring to a design from Charles A Alexander. I have written about the Spring houses before, so I will spare the reader a full history at this time.

Foreclosure is not a new thing and it has been around for several centuries. When researching subjects for the site, I find that the older the house, the more likely it is that a foreclosure has taken place. That is what brought me to 308 Danforth Street in late March of 2024.

The owners of 308 Danforth Street, who purchased it in 2018, had wracked up repeated liens and foreclosure filings prior to 2023. In August of 2023, a foreclosure was filed and subsequently approved with possession being taken and the property handed to an auction company. The auction house linked to my article in their description so I reached out to ask if I might be able to get a tour. At first, I was going to be able to go inside when the house was open for viewing. This then changed to my being given unlimited access for one hour. Alone.
The occupants had left practically everything behind. It was as if they had been given a few hours to leave. There was clothing and personal items, and food, throughout the house. This situation presented obstacles to taking photos and videos, as did the low light conditions. It also created a quandary when, the day before the auction, financing was found and the sale was called off. I decided to put this project aside and work on other things.

But the amount of preservation I found was too good to give up on. I have edited and cropped photos and used screen grabs from videos to deal with the personal items and the low light conditions. Here are some of the things I found on that day.

The fireplace in the formal parlor. I am not an expert on marble but, given the Springs wealth and prestige, I am willing to bet this is Carrara.

The fireplace in the dining room is a fascinating stone that I think may be Porphyry.

This ‘oculus’ is over the first landing of the main staircase. It is lit by a skylight in the rear hip roof. The stair turns here before going up to the second floor. The second floor of the rear ell, which has lower ceilings than the main block, comes off this landing.

An interesting bay window in the large parlor. It runs beyond the wall creating a niche.

These molded garlands are in the front parlor only. I believe they are plaster as are the crown and ceiling moldings. There were a couple of plasterers in Portland in the period so the talent was here.

The base molding, wainscot, and chair rail in the front parlor. The chair rail is plaster. The base molding & window casings, on the right, are wood.

The balusters and risers of the stairs. All hand work. The basic forms were consistent enough to make me think the shape was cut into a thick block. That block was then sawn into narrow blanks which were finished and had the circular, doweled, pieces attached. The stairs have very low risers and were a bit disturbing to walk down. They would not meet modern codes

These lamps were very likely gas and are no doubt original. Gas light had come to Portland in 1850. The Springs could likely see, from the belvedere, the gas plant at the foot of Clark Street. The formal parlor chandelier is exceptionally well detailed.

The door casings on the first floor. These were fascinating if somewhat plain. Made of mostly simple forms combined together or ‘built up’, they were, to my eye, more Greek Revival than Italianate.

The casings of the second floor entries were downright odd. Overall the shapes were simple, rectilinear, forms but for the corner blocks. Those were of a form I have never seen in situ or publication. Obviously hand cut, the inspiration is a Greek Key, but it is a crude interpretation. As noted in the captions, these two images are captures from video. The lighting was very limited and my photos were not useable. Yes, the wall was pink.

A view of the butlers pantry between the kitchen and dining room. I think it shows how ‘modern’ utilities were often bodged into old buildings. I see water, heating and electrical here. All of which came later than the original construction. Note the signs of leaks from second floor fixtures.

The kitchen was a difficult space to move around in due to the clutter. The cook stove was an impressive piece. This would have been installed after Andrew Spring died in 1876.

The belvedere is a rare survivor in Portland. It is in incredibly good condition. The spiral stair leading to it is an added treat.

From the very top of the house, we go to the very bottom. The cellar. For old house lovers like me, this is where we see the ‘other’ house. This is the bones. 308 Danforth did not let me down but the lighting and clutter did. The arches under the main house were immense. Easily 12′ tall. A maze of new and old wiring a piping hung over the space. I have selected 3 highly enhanced images from the video to give some feeling for the space.

As of early March of 2025, 308 Danforth Street has changed hands since the events of early 2024. The new ownership is clouded in a trust with an attorney in Portland as the representative but some records hint at a fashion and interior designer formerly from New York as the owner. The purchase price was $2,000,000.00. Plans were filed and approved last fall for extensive renovations and restorations. The approved plans show a reduction from 4 bedrooms to 2. The porches, which were in really poor shape, will be replaced with larger units retaining the original designs. Most of the cavernous basement will become an ‘art studio’. The front, formal, parlor will become the new kitchen. Sadly, this will require removal of the medallion and light fixture. The mantel will be relocated to the master suite. Lastly, an elevator is to be installed in the ell. It will go from the basement to the 3rd floor and will take away the lack of access, and fire escape, from the 3rd floor and belvedere. It will be invisible from the front elevation. Work is underway.