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VISIT PORTLAND / 27

What s in a Name ?

Portland’s “Maine Street” is steps from the Old Port and connects that neighborhood to

both the Arts District to the west, and Munjoy Hill to the east. Recognized as one of the

“10 Greatest Streets in the Nation,” city settlers simply named it Back Street, as it was

once furthest from the waterfront. In Colonial days it was renamed Queen Street. It was

changed to Congress Street in 1823 in honor of Maine having representation in

Washington, D.C. shortly after becoming a state. Most downtown sites are within

a 15-minute walk from the street’s Monument Square epicenter, so

nothing is ever very far away.

FIRST FRIDAY

ART WALK

On Congress Street, every

first Friday of the month

year-round, galleries,

local artist studios, and

performance spaces

throw open their doors

welcoming everyone to

enjoy the Arts. Portland

Museum of Art is even

open for free to the public

5-9pm, as it is every

Friday evening!

PORTLAND

OBSERVATORY

View a nautical skyline from the

last standing maritime signal

tower in North America. The

86-foot tall lookout was built by

Captain Lemuel Moody in 1807

to alert ship owners when their

cargo arrived in port. It survived

the Great Fire of 1866 because

of the heroic efforts of those

pouring water down the sides

throughout the inferno.

EASTERN CEMETERY

Established in 1668, this

landmark is Portland’s oldest

cemetery. Over 3,500 known

graves–and 200 unknown–mark

the resting places of Portlanders

as far back as the colonial-era.

Tours are arranged through

Spirits Alive and especially fun

around Halloween. Learn the

tale of captains Blythe and

Burrows, then toast them at their

namesake bar in the Old Port.

FIRST PARISH

CHURCH

The Unitarian-Universalist

granite church was built

in 1825. It memorialized

a British cannonball

from a Revolutionary

War attack in its center

chandelier, and the

Wadsworth-Longfellow

family pew still bears

their name.

CITY HALL

Built in 1909, City Hall was

the firm that designed New

York’s Public Library. The

elegant building houses

Portland’s city offices. See

shows, concerts, ballets, and

opera performances in Merrill

Auditorium, a 1,900-seat venue

added in 1912. Also home to the

Kotzschmar pipe organ.

LINCOLN PARK

The city’s first publicly

owned green space, it was

purchased after the Great

Fire of 1866 to serve as a

firebreak and named after

the recently slain President.

The pocket park’s charming

fountain and original

design elements are a

lovely oasis for the majestic

marble courthouses along

its east side.

EASTERN PROM

Known for beautiful views,

the Eastern Promenade is

a grassy bluff defining the

waterfront on Portland’s

East End. Ideal for soaking

in a sunrise, splashing at

the beach with your dog,

enjoying a free sunset concert

on Thursdays, or just a

breathtaking walk or run, this

harborfront park sits on the

east end of Congress Street.

MUNJOY HI LL

PORTLAND HARBOR

CONGRESS STREET

FRANKLIN ST.

INDIA ST.

FRANKLIN ST.

PHOTOS: (10-11) ROBERT WITKOWSKI; (12-14) COREY TEMPLETON; (15) EMILY DUDEK

EASTERN PROM

WASHINGTON AVE.