Tag Archives: History

461-463 Cumberland Avenue. The Doten House

After the Civil War and the great fire, the center of Portland became increasingly commercial and many of the residential neighborhoods followed Horace Greeley’s advice and headed west. The wonderful neighborhoods of the West End were developed in this period. Another, perhaps less recognized, area is the Deering Street section in West Bayside.

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West End Walks. 15-17 Winter Street

The Winter Street neighborhood characterized by brick Federal buildings such as the Danforth Inn along with Victorian-era single and multi-family homes. The biggest neighbors are Mercy Hospital and The Irish Heritage Center in the former St Dominic’s Church. Nestled among these buildings is 15-17 Winter Street also known as 52-54 Gray Street. A rather small wooden home that shows an incredible amount of preservation both in the building and the lot on which it stands.

Do red doors still mean the mortgage is paid?

Do red doors still mean the mortgage is paid?

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20 South Street

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South Street runs from Pleasant Street to a concrete wall on the edge of Spring Street in Portland’s Gorham’s Corner neighborhood. South Street originally ran from Spring to Free Streets with the current section being laid out around 1830. This is the same time frame that our subject was built. The earliest parts of South Street were removed during the era of Urban Renewal and now lie under the Cross Arena.

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West End Walks. 387 Danforth Street

387 Danforth Street. A home from the deeper past.

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387 Danforth Street. The William Vaughan house. This is from a much earlier era than it’s neighbors. The tighter, symmetrical, massing along with matched chimneys, first-floor windows that are much taller than the second floor, and the strongly detailed entryway with arched window above place it squarely in the Federal Style. Continue reading

West End Walks. 400 Danforth Street. Harrison Bird Brown house.

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Harrison Bird Brown

The name rings large in the 19th Century history of Portland. A noted sea and landscape painter who was born in Portland and died in London, his works are prized today. Bowdoin & Colby Colleges and the Portland Museum of Art all hold his paintings in their collections.  Brown painted and taught on the far west end of Danforth Street. Continue reading

West End Walks. Neal Street Remuddling

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Remuddle, v. (portmanteau from “remodel” and “muddle”), to remodel a building or room in a way that obscures or destroys key aspects of the original design.

141 Neal Street.

Appears to be a single-family home on a pretty standard in town lot. The Portland Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) of 1976 lists it as being built for one Edwin A. Boothbay in 1891. The HRI states the style was Queen Anne.
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