Portland, ME
Posted by: NorStar
N 43° 39.551 W 070° 15.436
19T E 398624 N 4834788
The Portland City Hall is a beautiful Italian-Renaissance architecture stone building, built 1909-1912, that is on top of a ridge in the center of Maine's largest city.
Waymark Code: WM79PT
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 09/24/2009
Views: 15
On Congress Street, at the intersection with Exchange Street in the center of the city of Portland, ME, is a large grey-stone building with a cupola and a golden weathervane. This building is the Portland City Hall. This multi-story building has a center section, and two wings on either side. The cupola contains a bell and clock. On the Congress Street side, there is a stone and concrete plaza that has concentric semi-circles radiating from the stone steps. The building has other ornamentations such as columns and railings, and has a peaked roof.
This building is the third city hall for Portland. The first lasted to 1866, when it burned down due to Portland's Great Fire. The second lasted until 1908 when it burned down. The architecture firm of Carrere and Hastings of New York, notable for their design of the New York Public Library, designed this building.
The building not only has offices for the city, but it has a 300-seat auditorium, as well. Portland Ovations, a performing arts organization, performs there, and musical artists play there as well.
Portland is the largest city in the state of Maine. The population of the city itself is about 62,875 (2007), while its metropolitan area is about 513,000. The city continues to be a major port for the state and has many other industrial and commercial activity.
Additional Sources:
Maine - A Guide 'Down East':
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visit link)
Portland Landmarks Walking Tour of Congress Street:
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visit link)
Portland Ovations, which Performs at the Merrill Auditorium:
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visit link)