Portland's motto "Resurgam" is Latin for "I will rise again." The city has been devastated by Native American attack, fires, cannons, and economic decline, but it continues to thrive. Though a fire in 1866 leveled the city, it was rebuilt in Victorian style and many buildings from this era have been preserved as historic landmarks.
History
Portland was inhabited by Native Americans when Christopher Levett, a British naval captain and the first to document exploration of Casco Bay, came to the area in 1623.
After the founding of the United States, Portland grew as a crucial shipping port. In the winter, the ice free port provided crucial goods to eastern Canada via rail lines to Montreal. When Maine became a state in 1820, Portland was its capital until 1832, when the government seat moved to Augusta.
On Independence Day in 1866, a fire broke out, ravaging the city and destroying the bulk of the commercial buildings, including much of the port. According to "Discover Maine" magazine, it was the worst urban fire in the U.S. up until that era.
Old Port Area
A prime example of the Victorian architecture erected after the Great Fire of 1866 is the Old Port Area. This refurbished warehouse district is lined with cobblestone stone streets and fishing piers, and the area is still a working port.
Exchange Street, lined with boutiques and restaurants featuring Maine seafood, is a main thoroughfare in the Old Port. Apart from the usual tourist attractions, the Old Port remains a scenic, historic walking area due to the work of the Old Port Association. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the group repaired sidewalks and protected historic buildings from demolition.
Arts District
The arts district showcases a mix of historically preserved buildings and new spaces. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was raised in Portland, and his childhood home is open to the public as a museum at 487 Congress Street. The Maine Historical Society offer guided tours of the house and gardens.
The nearby Victoria Mansion, an example of pre-civil war residential architecture, also offers 45-minute tours of the estate. With stained glass windows and a turkish smoking room, it offers a unique view into the opulent living conditions of well-to-do citizens of the era.
Considerations
Due to its northern latitude, Portland experiences long, cold winters. From November to March, the average daily low temperature is below freezing. Nor'easters, strong stow storms that bring down cold air from the Arctic, can also affect the city in the winter.
Getting There
Interstate 95, which runs up and down the eastern seaboard, becomes the Maine Turnpike in Maine as passes by Portland. Route 1 is a scenic route which follows the coastline and also goes through Portland.
The Downeaster rail service, provided by Amtrak, connects Portland to Boston with five one hour twenty five-minute round trips scheduled every day. Buses by Concord Coach Lines and Greyhound also offer round-trip service between Boston and Portland.
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