Portland Public Library Portland Public Library Digital Commons Nor' by East Periodicals 8-1970 Nor' by East, Aug-Sep 1970 Casco Bay Island Development Association Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/peaks_nbe Recommended Citation Casco Bay Island Development Association, "Nor' by East, Aug-Sep 1970" (1970). Nor' by East. 33. https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/peaks_nbe/33 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Periodicals at Portland Public Library Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Nor' by East by an authorized administrator of Portland Public Library Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1970 Price 20 cents CASCO BAY - MAINE Aug/Sept THE OLD PORT EXCHANGE Visitors to Portland often query natives, looking for the best or most interesting shops in town. Rather than Congress Street, the answer now is more likely to be the "Old Port Exchange". This is the area of Exchange Street, below Middle Street, and Fore Street at the foot of Exchange. The area dates back to the earliest days of Portland and early chroniclers of Portland's history described it as the most heavily populated part of town. Author William Willis, in his HISTORY OF PORTLAND 1632-1864, refers to the "very valuable tract lying between Exchange and Lime streets and extending from Middle Street to low water mark". The property was owned by Deacon Milk, who died in The Mariners' Church 1772, having lived in a house which stood on only whole blocks, but entire streets, they are generally finished wiihin after a the left bank at th e corner of Fore and massive warehouses, lofty churches, splendid superior style with our richest native woods, Exchange streets, overlooking the harbor (it mansions, ancestral homes, in . the most black and yellow ash, maple and walnut, was not until 1852 that Commercial Street crowded and oldest part of the city; oiled and varnished. The floors are laid with was built). His brother, John, lived about spreading terror, anguish, and dismay among southern pine ... the ground floor is almost halfway up Exchange Street, and John the whole population, until, at last, in the always stuccoed, with ceilings frescoed, with Nichols and Joseph Ingraham, sons-in-law, small hours of the morning, it burnt itself handsome cornices, and the windows of lived below on Fore Street. Exchange Street out amid the waste space at the foot of large plate glass." was laid out in 1724, "3 rods wide" and 500 Munjoy Hill. That night of terror and Gradually, time and fate took its toll, the feet long, and was known as Fish Street un til destruction will never be forgotten by the primary business establishments moving "up 1810, when the 'name became Exchange. people of Portland. The mo rning saw 1,500 town" to Congress Street, and the area Fore Street ' was created in grants by buildings laid in ashes; 58 streets and courts became "Printers' Row", housing many of Danforth in 1680, and in I 724 was laid out reduced to a wilderness of chimneys . _ _ the small printing companies, some of which by the town "4 rods wide from I 0,000 people made homeless and JO still remain, such as Hall & Hall and the Meetinghouse Point to the foot of Exchange millions of property destroyed. Whole Seavey Company. Even the printers finally Street, and in 1797, it was extended to the villa11,es of tents sprang up on Munjoy and began to desert the area, though, leaving head of Round Marsh". elsewhere ; barracks were built, generous building after building vacant and decaying. In PORTLAND ILLUSTRATED (1874), contributions from abroad fl owed iJ1; the Only in the last few years has the "Old John Neal mentions looking down Exchange work of rebuilding was begun - advantage Port" begun to rise, like phoenix from the to fore Street where "the first brick store being taken of the opportunity to widen and ashes. Hank Willett opened the Candle Shop, was built in 1795 by Captaio N .. Deering." straighten o ld streets and open new ones - then came the Crafthouse Downtown, the He describes the area as being the "Wall and now after a lapse of but ten years, the Paper Patch, the Old Port Exchange Gallery, Street of Portland" and housing all but a few city stands rebuilt, far handsomer than the Surfer Crow Surf Shop, the Portland of the banks and insurance offices in town, before the fire." Fancy. Gourmet foods are served in th e all the auction business, and being the chief Miraculou sly, as shown in the authentic surroundings of the Board of business mart as well as the principal cross accompanying photograph, two buildings in Trade. thoroughfare. The architecture at that time, the area were spared the brick building at Frank Akers is maintaining the however, was very simple, the buildings the foot of Exchange, now housing 0. P. atmosphere of the locale with the being of common brick, never more than Peterson and the Portland Nautical Shop, refurbishing of the Mariners' Church, now three stories high. It was not until after the and the Mariners' Church, built in 1828 and the home of several small shops, with more great fire of 1866 that the fine Vi ctorian now the scene of active rejuvenation. to come. Artists, like Lenny Hatch, arc architecture existed. The area wa s rebuilt after the fire and opening studios on Exchange, along with Edward H. Elwell, in his book, then included the Portland Savings Bank, the leather crafts, antique shops, pho tographic PORTI,,AND AND VICINITY (1876), Printer's Exchange, the Board of Trade, the studios, and of course, the Seaman's Chapel vividly portrays the devastating fire of 1866: Merchant's Exchange, and the Merchants' featuring a very popular coffee house. The "On the 4th of July, 1866, a carelessly Bank. Once again it became a prominent area is drawing new ventures like a magnet, thrown firecracker set fire to a boat builder's business sector. John Neal details the and the Old Port Exchange promises to shop on Commercial near the foot of High character of the new buildings, in contrast to become more active, more diversified, more Street and the sparks soon communicated th e former buildings, exhibiting the new interesting than it has ever been. with Brown's Sugar House, wrapping that spirit of the beautiful street, " .. these Cooperating with the local merchants, the great structure in flames and speedjng buildings arc all upon the average 50 to 60 City of Portland is considering the possible onward spite of all opposition, spreading out feet to the eaves with well-slated roofs, large use of federal funds for urban beautification like a fan as it went diagonally across the dry cellars, deep drainage, and generally work which would make possible repair and ci ty, glowing with a furnace heat, melting water closets, sinks, and Sebago water; and replacement of brick sidewalks, installation iron, crumbling stone, wiping out the also with reasonable amount of of period street lights suitable to the area, costliest 'fire-proof structures, leaving architectural embellishment, heavy cornices, concealed utilities wiring, and lowered curbs. destruction in its track; stripping away not rich windows, and pilasters to correspond - Continued Page 8 Page 2 NOR' BY EAST Aug/Sept 1970 Thus, it is extremely unfortunate that NOR' BYEAST EDITOR'S COMMENTS anyone would resign from the Association as Shortly after the last issue went lo press, a result of the content of the NOR' BY Sandra L. Neel, Editor the editor was informed that an irate reader EAST, since the Association is in no way had written to the C.B.l.D.A., cancelling his responsible for, nor can it control, the P eaks Island, Me. 04108 membership in the Association, thus articles which are featured. 1t would have T el. 766-331 1 avoiding exposure to NOR' BY EAST. The been far more appropriate for that member topic in question was the "unsigned" article to write an abusive letter to the editor (it E DITORIAL ASSIST ANTS about King Resources on Long Island. This would have been printed) or to encourage particular reader felt that the article was the C.B.I.D.A. to nullify its agreement with biased in favor of King Resources, and he the editor and then either once again assume Chebeague Island - therefore withdrew from the Association. responsibility for publication, or find Mrs. Floyd C. H amilton Without gelling into a lengthy discussion another editor. Instead, the editor takes this 846-4078 of the merits of that article, it is important opportunity to apologize - not to the reader, D iamond Islands - to clear up a misconception concerning the but to the C.B.1.0.A., which unjustly lost a Rehea & Andy Ansorge Casco Bay Island Development Association, member as a result of editorial policies the NOR' BY EAST, and the editor. (apologize,"yes; change, no). 766-2937 This publication, prior to I 969, was L ong Island published through the efforts and under the Larry Stevens auspices of the C.B.J.D.A. During 1969, the Editor's Note: children's sketches of Casco 766-2060 Tower Publishing Company assumed Bay Lines vessels were drawn by isla~d children and presented to Peter McLaughlin, Peaks Island responsibility for publication, and provided in appreciation for the service and pleasure L eon S. Clough an editor, Mrs. Pat Jurgensen. In the spring of 1970, the C.B.I.D.A. of "riding the ferries". 766-4431 offered all the rights of publication to the present editor.