A Look Back at Portland's Eastern Waterfront and ... - City of Portland

A Look Back at
Portland’s Eastern Waterfront
and the Maine State Pier

Early History and Development
of the Eastern Waterfront
1630’s – 1830’s

Falmouth Neck in 1775, shortly before Mowatt’s bombardment

Town of Falmouth burned by Captain Mowatt, October 18, 1775
414 of the 500 buildings in the town were destroyed

Portland, 1786

Enoch Ilsley House, Corner of India & Middle Streets, Built 1784

Map of the City of Portland, 1837

1840’s – 1850’s
Development as a Transportation Center

Drawn from memory by Charles Goodhue in 1896

Site of Fort Loyal (foot of India Street), 1840
as drawn from memory by Charles Goodhue in 1902

1840’s

Launching of the General Warren, last ship launched at Dyer’s Yard
before construction of the rail yards in Broad Cove, September 28, 1844
as drawn by Charles Goodhue in 1894

1850

Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railway depot and roundhouse, India Street, 1850’s

Grand Trunk Railroad, 1850

Commercial Street

19 th Century Railroad Lines into Portland
Boston and Maine Railroad
Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad
Eastern Railroad
Commercial Street rail connection
Maine Central Railroad
Portland and Rochester Railroad
Grand Trunk (A .& St. L.) Railway

Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railway Locomotive Coos
Portland Company’s 14 th locomotive

USS Agawam,
Built by Portland Co. under contract with Geo. W. Lawrence, 1863

Portland Company Parade Float, 1886

1866

View from Portland Observatory, July, 1866

Galt’s Wharf
Franklin Wharf
View from Spring Point, 1855
Grand Trunk Roundhouse
Portland Company complex

Grand Trunk wharves, 1870’s

Detail from 1876 Bird’s Eye View of Portland
showing Franklin, Galt, Atlantic and Grand Trunk Wharves

Grand Trunk Roundhouse dome from City Hall, c. 1860

Portland Steam Packet Co. sidewheeler Tremont at Franklin Wharf, c. 1900.

Lithograph of the Steam Ship Portland, c. 1890

In 1853, the Sarah Sands was the first trans-Atlantic steamer
to dock at Portland, from Liverpool.
The following Trans-Atlantic liners running into Portland are being taken care of by the Grand
Trunk: The White Star Dominion line, the Thompson line, Cunard line, the Car- ons-Noble line,
the Donaldson line and others.
~ Legislative Record 1921

“Boston and Island Steamers”
Portland Railroad Company
“Boston Steamers and Grand Trunk”

Grand Trunk Railway Depot, c. 1890

• 1924 photos
The New England House hotel, corner of India and Commercial Streets.
The Atlantic House on Fore Street and the Eagle House on India Street were other nearby hotels.

First Grand Trunk Grain Elevator from Fore Street, c. 1895

Grand Trunk Depot and Grain Elevator, c. 1897

Elevator and grain conveyors

Grand Trunk Yard and Portland Company Complex from top of Grain Elevator, c. 1900

View of India Street from Grand Trunk Depot Grain Elevator, c. 1900

Grain Elevators and Wharfs from water, c. 1900

US Marines departing Portland, August 7, 1900

Demolition of the First Grand Trunk Depot, 1903

Demolition of the First Grand Trunk Depot, 1903

Demolition of the First Grand Trunk Depot, 1903

New Passenger Station
New Office Building
New Grain Elevator
New Grand Trunk Rail Yard Plan, c. 1903

New Grand Trunk Station, Office Building and Grain Elevator, completed 1905

Interior of new Grand Trunk depot

Grand Trunk Elevators from Downtown

Richard’s Map Company, 1914

Portland Harbor Panoramic View & Detail of Right Panel, M.D. Hanson, 1910

Grand Trunk Grain Elevators from Fore Street,
looking over the Portland Company complex

Portland Company Complex

Bridgton and Saco River RR #5
beside Maine Central RR #510
at Bridgton Junction (Hiram)
c. 1915
Bridgton and Saco River RR #5
built by Portland Company, 1906

Portland’s First Fire Boat at Atlantic Wharf, 1905

Portland Public Works Map, 1921

“America’s Sunrise Gateway”
Report on the Port of Portland
Published by the Directors of Port of Portland
1923 Edition
• In 1917, largely through the efforts of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, the State
Legislature passed a resolve creating a Safe Harbor Commission to investigate and report
on the advisability of building a public pier at Portland.
• In 1919, in response to the report of the Safe Harbor Commission, the Legislature
created the Directors of the Port of Portland, a permanent state board. In September,
voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum supporting the building of a public pier in
Portland.
• In 1920 the Port Directors and their engineers studied the Portland waterfront for the
most available site for the new pier. Galt wharf, the most westerly wharf of the Grand
Trunk terminal, and Franklin Wharf, owned by Eastern Steamship Lines, Inc., were
chosen as “pre-eminently the best location for the new pier”. The site selection was
contingent on approval from the Secretary of War to relocate the Harbor Line 500’ out
from the ends of the existing wharves, to allow a new pier 1000’ long.

Location chosen for new Maine State Pier

• 1914 Richard’s map
here, or another from
that time period.
Conceptual Drawing of Maine State Pier, c. 1921

Building Maine State Pier
1921 – 1922
In early 1921 the cities of Portland and South Portland purchased the
site and transferred ownership to the state.
Contracts were let for the purchase of creosoted Southern Yellow Pine
piles in November.
In December contracts were let for the removal of Galt Wharf,
dredging the site, and building the new retaining wall at the inner end of
the new slip.
In March 1922 contracts were let for construction of the pier itself.
Contracts for the sheds, grain gallery, and grain handling machinery
were let in the spring and summer.
Contracts for freight handling equipment were let later in 1922.

Removing Galt Wharf, January 10, 1922

Removing Galt Wharf, February 24, 1922

Galt Wharf removed, March 23, 1922

Cleared site for new pier, April 26, 1922

“The new construction for the State Pier is built of creosoted southern pine piles. It was necessary to
creosote these piles to insure their durability and because of their great length (most of the piles being
from 75 to 90 feet long), it was necessary to get them from the southern yellow pine district as northern
piles cannot be secured locally in sufficient lengths.”

May 20, 1922

Driving piles and building new retaining wall at head of slip, June 1. 1922

June 2, 1922
Looking from northerly end of pier, showing forms and steel work for concrete deck.

New pier deck under construction, July 12, 1922

Concrete deck partially complete, July 28, 1922

July 28, 1922, Looking from timber deck at end of new pier, toward Franklin Wharf,
showing paved roadway and loading platform for the West Side Shed.

Pouring concrete, August 2, 1922

August 9, 1922

August 16, 1922

Particular attention is being given to provision of suitable quarters for handling the immigration business at
this port. The greater portion of the second story of this shed will be devoted to immigration work and will
contain waiting rooms, examination rooms, detention and board rooms, railway and steamship ticket offices,
lunch counter and other features of a modern immigration station.
While particular attention is being given to immigrants who make up the larger part of the passenger traffic
to this port , provision will also be made at the new pier for the comfortable handling of saloon and second
cabin passengers.

Inasmuch as railroad tracks are to extend along the pier for its entire length, it will be possible for passengers of all
classes to pass directly from the trans-Atlantic pier shed to trains standing on the pier… It will not be necessary to
transfer passengers across Commercial Street to the Grand Trunk Station or across the city to the Union Station.

The close of the year, 1922, sees the completion of a project which owes its inception
primarily to the Portland Chamber of Commerce and which it is believed by those
conversant with the situation, will be of direct and lasting benefit not alone to Portland
but to the whole state of Maine, namely the building of the new Maine State Pier at the
Port of Portland.
Doubtless, many there are who look back at the inception of the project some six or eight
years ago with the feeling that it has come forward very slowly and until recently some
may have wondered if the State Pier would really materialize at all. Indeed, at one time it
seemed as though the project might be dead.
In due time, however, all obstacles were overcome and early this year construction was
started with a rush and a determination to spare no efforts to complete the pier in season
to take full advantage of next winter’s business through this port.
In reality, however, the progress of the State Pier project has not been slow as compared
with the inception of public works generally. Usually a public undertaking to the State of
Maine can only be realized after some years of agitation and public discussion. As a
matter of fact, the State is to have its first state-owned, modern waterfront terminal at an
earlier date than could reasonably have been expected by its proponents at the outset.

Maine State Pier workers, drop and incline dock elevator, 1923

May 24, 1923

Rebuilding Franklin Wharf
1923

Demolition of existing structures on wharf, July 17, 1923

July 26, 1923

Framing for new Building at head of Franklin Wharf/Maine State Pier

September 27, 1923

October 4, 1923

State Pier West Side Shed, March 29, 1923

Eastern Steamship Lines Shed on West Side of Maine State Pier, 1924

Maine State Pier shed , 1924

Galt Block, 1924

Maine State Pier Aerial View, c. 1930’s

USS Constitution
at Maine State Pier
1931

Maine State Pier during World War II, c. 1941-45

Grand Trunk Depot after removal of tower in 1948
The 1896 grain elevator had been demolished in 1943

Portland Terminal Co. switcher at head of Maine State Pier, c. 1950’s

Grand Trunk passenger train departing Portland, 1956

Grand Trunk passenger yard, 1965
The April 28th, 1963 edition of the Portland Sunday Telegram announced "Depot to Become
Discount Store - Grand Trunk Depot Discount Mart Corp. will reopen the Grand Trunk
Railway Depot at India and Fore Streets Thursday as a discount grocery store. The station's
waiting room will be the display section and another part of the building will be used for wholesale
business. Louis Botto, a local grocer, is head of the corporation. The railroad closed the terminal
last December, but will continue a once-a-week run to Montreal during the summer
months. Passengers will use rail cars as waiting rooms."

Demolition of Grand Trunk depot, March 29 -31, 1966

Last Grain Elevator in 1968.
The Grand Trunk wharves were destroying in a fire in 1969 and the last elevator was demolished in 1974

Recent History

1980’s - Casco Bay Lines moves to new Terminal and Garage on Maine State Pier

Tugboats move to Maine State Pier

1980’s - 1990’s
USS Samuel B. Roberts in BIW Dry Dock
and Cianbro Oil Rig Project with
a Cruise Ship at Maine State Pier

1990’s - Public Art and Cultural Events at Compass Park on Maine State Pier

2008 - The new Ocean Gateway Terminal and a Cruise Ship at Maine State Pier

2009 - Maine State Pier today

Images Courtesy of
Maine Historical Society
Library of Congress
City of Portland
A Look Back at Portland’s Eastern Waterfront and Maine State Pier
© City of Portland Planning Division,
Historic Preservation Program
2009
Produced by Scott T. Hanson