The Old Port (sometimes known as Old Port Exchange ) is the district of Portland, Maine, famous for its cobbled streets, 19th century brick buildings and fishing docks. The district is filled with boutiques, restaurants and bars. Due to its reputation for nightlife, Old Port is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
Video Old Port
Geography
The Old Port District is located on the southeast side of the Portland peninsula, overlooking the wide estuary of the Fore River. It is bordered on the east by Franklin Street (USA Route 1A), with a southwest commercial street along the waterfront, with a 19th century building on the north side as far west of Maple Street. It extends into the interior as far as Federal Street, between Pearl and Temple Streets, with Fore and Middle Streets as the main highway that is roughly parallel to the seaside. The coastal area on the southeast side of the commercial road is lined with docks.
Much of this area has been designated a historic district, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Portland Waterfront Historic District".
Maps Old Port
History
The Portland peninsula was first established in the 17th century, but was abandoned during the French and Indian Wars of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It was transferred, and incorporated as Falmouth in 1718. It prospered economically in the 18th century because timber trade, especially trade in virgin trees was used as a mast of a ship. At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, most of the city was destroyed by fire in the British attack in October 1775. The city was rebuilt, and once again became a major shipping and main harbor and economic center of Maine. Commercial Street was created by filling the 1850s area, and Middle and Exchanges Street developed as a major commercial area. In 1866 a major fire struck the area, bringing a wave of new construction.
The Old Port changed in the 1970s when real estate developers bought slums and restored them to apartments, condominiums, offices and retail spaces. During the same decade, the Old Port Association was formed and helped stop the demolition of the city's historic buildings (see: Portland (Maine) Union Station) and lobbied for street scape repairs. The Cumberland County Civic Center was built on the Old Port in 1977. In the early 1980s, Congress passed the Economic Recovery Tax Act, which provided tax incentives for rebuilding projects, and encouraged further development in the district.
In 2006, construction began on the Ocean Gateway project. The Ocean Gateway serves as the city's cruise terminal.
Old Port Festival
The Old Port Festival is an annual one-day festival that takes place in the Old Port. During the first 36 years (1973-2009), it happened on the first Sunday in June. However, given the weather patterns that consistently brought a rainstorm on that day, organizers moved the Festival to the second Sunday in June 2010, avoiding the heavy rain. In 2009, Festival organizers sought to make the largest lobster rolls in the world as part of the festival. This includes 48 pounds of lobster meat and 4 gallon mayonnaise. It measures 61 feet long and 9.5 inches long. Scroll pieces were sold to benefit the youth association. In 1998, the event included children's games, including a zoo and mini golf.
See also
- The Road of Exchange
- List of Historic Historic Places of Interest in Portland, Maine
References
External links
- Portland Downtown District
- Portland Old Port Nightlife
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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