The Masonic Temple is a historic commercial and fraternal society building at 415 Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. Built in 1911 to a design by local architect Frederick A. Tompson, it is one of the city's finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture, and houses some of the state's grandest interior spaces. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.Description and historyThe Portland Masonic Temple occupies a prominent position in the city's downtown, set between City Hall and the First Parish Church on the north side of Congress Street, the city's main commercial thoroughfare. It is a brick and stone building, six stories in height, with a flat roof. Its main facade is divided into five sections, with four storefronts flanking a central two-story entrance. The entrance has wide paneled pilasters on either side, and a round-arch window at the second level. A beltcourse frieze with ornate decorate stonework separates the second and third levels. The middle three bays of the third through fifth floors are recessed, with flanking Corinthian pilasters and paired Corinthian columns on either side of the central bay.The Grand Lodge of Maine was established in 1820, although its oldest lodge was founded in 1762, with a charter signed by Paul Revere and others. This building has been the principal center of Masonic activity in the state since its construction in 1911. The Masons put the building up for sale in 2008, citing the high cost of its maintenance, but a deal to convert the building to condominiums fell through. They have now opened their spaces, which include some of the finest large spaces in the city, for event rental as a means to support its upkeep.
The U.S. Customhouse is a historic custom house at 312 Fore Street in downtown Portland, Maine. It was built in 1868 to house offices of the United States Customs Service, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.Building historyLocated near Portland's waterfront, the U.S. Custom House is a testament to the city's maritime history. It was built to accommodate the city's growing customs business, which, by 1866, was collecting $900,000 annually in customs duties - making Portland one of the most significant seaports in the country. The building is typical of the notable designs completed under the direction of Alfred B. Mullett, Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1865 to 1874. Constructed between 1867 and 1872, the U.S. Custom House combines elements of the Second Empire and Renaissance Revival styles. The need for the new U.S. Custom House was exacerbated by the Great Fire of July 4, 1866. The fire destroyed the Exchange Building—which had previously housed the customs office, post office and courts—as well as 1,800 other buildings in the center of the city.Although federal funds for the construction of buildings were limited during the post-Civil War period, the importance of maintaining Portland's customs business and rebuilding the city mandated the construction of the new government facility. Plans for designing the new U.S. Custom House were completed in 1866. Mullett was commissioned to design the new building, as well as a new post office and courthouse (no longer extant). Construction took five years to complete amid delays in obtaining granite for the upper stories.
Mechanics Hall is a historic commercial building and meeting hall at 519 Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. Built in 1857-59 by and for the members of the Maine Charitable Mechanical Association, it is a well-preserved example of commercial Italianate architecture executed in brick and stone, and a landmark in Portland's downtown business district. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The building is still owned by the association, which has a library and sponsors events.Description and historyMechanics Hall is located on the north side of Congress Street in downtown Portland, at the northeast corner with Casco Street. It is a two story masonry structure, appearing three stories in height owing to an extremely tall (33ft) second floor. It is covered by a truncated hip roof. Its front facade is finished in granite, while its sides and rear are finished in brick beyond the first bay. The front facade has a pair of commercial storefronts flanking the main building entrance, each storefront having a central recessed entrance. The main entrance is framed by paneled stone posts topped by a lintel on which the building name is incised. The upper-level windows are set in tall openings with rounded-arch tops and quoining of rough textured stone. A bracketed cornice projects along the street-facing sides. The interior of the building has hall on the ground floor with access from both Congress and Casco Streets, and space for the association's library. The upper floor, which originally housed a large meeting space, has been divided into two floors.The Maine Charitable Mechanical Association was formed in 1815 as a charitable and educational association for workers in the "mechanical arts". It sponsored, exhibitions, trade fairs, and lectures on a variety of topics, and accumulated a library. This building was constructed in 1857-59, by members of the association, to a design by Thomas P. Sparrow, also an association member. It is one of only three designs by Sparrow known to survive, and it is the finest of the three. The upper level interior space was modified in 1890 to plans drawn up by noted Portland architect John Calvin Stevens, converting it to office space and a larger library space.
Franklin Towers is a 16-story high-rise building located in Portland, Maine, at the corner of Franklin Street and Cumberland Avenue. At, it is the tallest building in the state of Maine, making Maine 47th out of the 50 states in terms of tallest building per state. Construction was completed in 1969, and its primary use is residential.It affords residency, administered by the Portland Housing Authority (PHA), to people who meet criteria such as retirement age, disability, and limited income. Through PHA, residents pay up to 30% of their adjusted income for rent.
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