National Register of Historic Places

Abyssinian Meeting House

Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
Listed
February 3, 2006
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
05001612

About this property

The Abyssinian Meeting House is a historic church building at 73–75 Newbury Street, in the Munjoy Hill neighborhood of Portland, Maine. Built between 1828 and 1831 by free African-Americans, it is Maine's oldest African-American church building, and the third-oldest in the nation. Throughout the years, the Abyssinian was a place for worship and revivals, abolition and temperance meetings, speakers and concerts, the Female Benevolent Society, the Portland Union Anti-Slavery Society and negro conventions, and the black school in Portland from the mid-1840s through the mid-1850s. The building is the only Underground Railroad site in Maine recognized by the National Park Service. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Location

73-75 Newbury St.
Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
43.66220, -70.24880

Categories

BLACKRELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORYHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINAL
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Eastern Cemetery
Colonial
0.1 mi
North School
Civil War
0.1 mi
Green Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. Paul's Church and Rectory
Industrial
0.2 mi
Portland Observatory
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Casco Bay (Falmouth 1690)
1690Colonial
0.3 mi
Battle of Casco Bay (Fort Loyal) 1690
1690Colonial
0.3 mi
Siege of Fort Loyal Casco 1690
1690Colonial
0.3 mi
Siege of Fort Loyal (Falmouth) 1690
1690Colonial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Abyssinian Meeting House listed on the National Register?

Abyssinian Meeting House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 3, 2006.

What type of historic resource is Abyssinian Meeting House?

Abyssinian Meeting House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Abyssinian Meeting House?

The period of significance for Abyssinian Meeting House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Abyssinian Meeting House?

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