Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest New England city north of Boston and the largest city in Maine with a population of 64,249 citizens as of 2000. It is the county seat of Cumberland County. Nearby cities include Boston, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Manchester, New Hampshire. It is known as a haven for tourists visiting the state because of its wonderful downtown and historic Old Port.

Portland is the home of the Portland Sea Dogs (minor league baseball) and the Portland Pirates[?] (American Hockey League).

Table of contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Demographics 4 Famous People 5 Landmarks 6 External Links

Geography 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 is water. The total area is 59.65% 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.

History

Portland, Maine was originally called Machigonne (Great Neck) by the Native Americans 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.

In 1675 the city was completely destroyed by Indians during King Philips War[?]. The city was rebuilt, to be destroyed by the same Indians again several years later. In 1775 the city was destroyed yet again, this time by bombardment by the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

Following the war, Falmouth developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786 the citizens of Falmouth changed the name to 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.

On July 4th, 1866 a fire was ignited during the 4th of July celebration which 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 Portland's (now famous) western promenade.

The high quality of architecture in Portland is in large part due to the succession of talented architects which worked here. 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.

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). In the 1870s Fassett was the undisputed leader in his profession. 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 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.

After being destroyed four times, Portland stands as one of the most beautiful cities in New England. The Victorian style architecture, which was popular during Portland's rebuilding, has been preserved very well by the city's strong emphasis on preservation. Most cities have only small traces of architecture from this era. Portland's unique history and determination to survive have made it one of the best places to live and visit in the country. In 1982 the area was entered on the National Register of Historic Places. In modern lifestyle surveys, it is often cited as one of the best small cities to live in in America.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 64,249 people, 29,714 households, and 13,549 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,169.6/km² (3,029.2/mi²). There are 31,862 housing units at an average density of 580.0/km² (1,502.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 1.52% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $35,650, and the median income for a family is $48,763. Males have a median income of $31,828 versus $27,173 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,698. 14.1% of the population and 9.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 20.0% are under the age of 18 and 11.9% are 65 or older.

Famous People Famous people who were born in Portland include:

• Cyrus Curtis[?], publisher and philanthropist
• Stephen King, writer
• Linda Lavin[?], actress
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet
• Thomas Brackett Reed, US Representative

Landmarks

• Children's Museum of Maine
• Casco Bay Islands, including the Casco Bay Ferry
• Downtown Arts District
  • Portland Museum of Art
  • Portland Performing Arts Center
  • Portland Symphony Orchestra
• East End Beach
• Hadlock Field, home field of the Portland Sea Dogs
• History Parks
  • Baxter Boulevard (Back Cove)
  • Deering Oaks
  • Eastern Promenade
  • Lincoln Park
  • Western Promenade
• Maine Medical Center
• Maine Narrow Gauge Railroard
• Over 100 miles of nature trails
• 95 Playgrounds
• Portland Headlight Lighthouse
• Portland Museum
• Portland Observatory
• Prince of Fundy Cruises
• 11 Professional golf courses
• 124 Tennis courts
• University of Southern Maine
• Victorian Mansion (Morse-Libby House)

External Links

• www.ci.portland.me.us (http://www.ci.portland.me.us/)
• www.mainetourism.com (http://www.mainetourism.com/)
• www.oceangatewaymaine.org (http://www.oceangatewaymaine.org/)
• www.portofportlandmaine.org (http://www.portofportlandmaine.org/)
• www.portland.com (http://www.portland.com/)
• www.portlandjetport.org (http://www.portlandjetport.org/)
• www.portlandmaine.com (http://www.portlandmaine.com/)
• www.portlandmuseum.org (http://www.portlandmuseum.org/)
• www.scotiaprince.com (http://www.scotiaprince.com/)
• www.victoriamansion.org (http://www.victoriamansion.org/)
• www.visitmaine.com (http://www.visitmaine.com/)