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Portland, Maine

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Portland, Maine
File:DSCN4038 foreriver e.jpg
Flag of Portland, Maine
Flag
Official seal of Portland, Maine
Seal
Location in Cumberland County, Maine
Location in Cumberland County, Maine
CountiesCumberland County
Government
 • MayorJim Cohen
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
64,250 (city proper)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
Websitewww.ci.portland.me.us

Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 63,882 as of 2004 (down from 64,249 in 2000). It is the county seat of Cumberland County. Nearby cities include Boston, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Manchester, New Hampshire. It is popular with tourists visiting the state because of its lively downtown and historic Old Port district along Portland Harbor, which is at the mouth of the Fore River. The Portland Head Light in nearby Cape Elizabeth is a popular tourist attraction often used as a symbol of the harbor and surrounding towns.

Portland is Maine's cultural and economic capital, and it is a major draw for residents statewide. The city is politically liberal, leading many Mainers to consider it culturally different from other sections of the state.

The city seal is a phoenix rising out of ashes, which goes with its motto, "Resurgam," which means "I will rise again", in reference to fires that burned much of the city.

The city of Portland, Oregon was named for Portland, Maine.

History

Portland, Maine 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.

In 1675 the village was completely destroyed by the Wampanoag people during King Philip's War. The city was rebuilt, to be destroyed by the same natives again several years later. On October 18, 1775, the city 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 an 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.

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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 4th of July 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 Portland's (now famous) western promenade.

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

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). 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 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.

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A gun recovered from the USS Maine overlooks Portland, Maine

The erection of the Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center established in the suburb of South Portland during the 1970s, has 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 has been 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.

Since the 1990s, Maine College of Art has proved to be 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.

After being destroyed four times, Portland is 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 America's best small cities to live in.

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.

Demographics

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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). 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. 1.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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 $35,650, 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 $22,698. 14.1% of the population and 9.7% of families were below the poverty line. 20.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Culture

Sites of interest

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

The Downtown Arts District is home to the Portland Museum of Art, Portland Performing Arts Center, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Baxter Boulevard (Back Cove), Deering Oaks, Eastern Promenade, Lincoln Park, and Western Promenade are historical parks.

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 alternative weekly newspaper), and the weekly alternative Web publication The Bollard. Other smaller Portland-based publications include the West End News, 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, and Radiofalmouth is a local non-commercial webcast. Portland is also covered by many commercial stations.

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 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

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.

Infrastructure

Hospitals

Maine Medical Center is the largest hospital in Maine. Mercy Hospital, a faith-based hospital, is the fourth largest hospital in the state.

Transportation

Portland is accessible from I-95 (the Maine Turnpike), I-295, and US 1. Amtrak's Downeaster train service connects the city with Boston.

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.

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.

Notable inhabitants

Movies filmed in Portland

See also

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