National Register of Historic Places

Children's Hospital

Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
Listed
March 7, 2012
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
12000065

About this property

68 High Street, formerly the Children's Hospital, is a historic colonial revival building in Portland, Maine, United States. Located on the eastern edge of Portland's West End, the building was built in 1909 and was designed by architect Frederick A. Tompson. According to news archives, Drs. Edville Gerhardt Abbott and Harold A. Pingree and Frank W. Lamb founded this worldwide famous children's hospital for disabled children with scoliosis together in 1908. It closed in 1948, with most of the 56 patients at the time being transferred to Maine General Hospital, which was later renamed the Maine Medical Center. It also served as an annex to the Mussey Mansion until the left part of that building was demolished in 1961. It was also owned by the University of Maine system. It housed the University of Maine School of Law from 1962 until 1972, after which was used by the University of Southern Maine as administrative offices. In 2010, Community Housing of Maine sought to develop the property and the adjacent empty lot into 35 units of affordable housing. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places March 7, 2012. The Portland Children's Hospital is known for both, its engineering and its commitment to the wellbeing of children. Edville G. Abbott, M.D., as Surgeon in Chief of the Children's Hospital, fostered the "Abbott Treatment" for adjusting bend of the spine in children experiencing scoliosis in 1911. The Abbott Treatment was viewed as the norm of care for quite some time and keeps on being referred to in clinical diaries.

Location

68 High St.
Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
43.65210, -70.25973

Categories

ARCHITECTUREHEALTH/MEDICINESOCIAL HISTORY
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

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Park Street Row
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Clapp, Charles Q., House
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Ingraham, Joseph Holt, House
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Nearby Battles

Queen Anne's War – Raid on Casco ME 1703
1703Colonial
0.5 mi
Raid on Falmouth (Casco, Maine) 1690
1690Colonial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Children's Hospital listed on the National Register?

Children's Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 2012.

What type of historic resource is Children's Hospital?

Children's Hospital is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Children's Hospital?

The period of significance for Children's Hospital is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Children's Hospital?

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