National Register of Historic Places

Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center

Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
Listed
January 5, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78000169

About this property

The Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center is a historic building at 45 Seashore Avenue on Peaks Island, an island neighborhood of Portland, Maine in Casco Bay. It was built in 1888 by American Civil War veterans "as a memorial to their deceased comrades and as a reunion hall for themselves." It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated a Greater Portland Landmark in 1984. Today it is open as a museum. Peaks Island, the most populous island in Casco Bay, is east of the main Portland peninsula. The Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center is on the south side of the island, facing the channel separating it from Cushing Island. The center is a two-story wood frame structure, 2-1/2 stories in height, with a dormered gable roof and a three-story circular observation tower at one corner. The roof extends down to shelter a porch that encircles the building. The exterior walls are finished in wooden clapboards, with bands of decoratively cut wooden shingles. The structure is built directly on a ledge that slopes down to the shore, where there is a rocky beach. The community center was built in 1888 and is a notable example of a memorial and clubhouse built in the Queen Anne style. It was built on donated land by a fraternal association of veterans of the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which sought to memorialize its fallen comrades and to provide a space for regular reunions. The building continues to be held by that organization. It is open as a museum of local and Civil War history and events; it also functions as an event space. Eighth Maine Regiment Memorial, a similar facility also on Peaks Island National Register of Historic Places listings in Portland, Maine

Location

Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
43.65300, -70.19291

Categories

MILITARYARCHITECTURESOCIAL 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

Eighth Maine Regiment Memorial
Industrial
0.1 mi
Greenwood Garden Playhouse
Industrial
0.3 mi
Battery Steele
Industrial
0.8 mi
Ram Island Ledge Light Station
Industrial
1.5 mi
Spring Point Ledge Light Station
Industrial
1.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Queen Anne's War – Raid on Casco ME 1703
1703Colonial
2.9 mi
Siege of Fort Loyal Casco 1690
1690Colonial
3.1 mi
Siege of Fort Loyal (Falmouth) 1690
1690Colonial
3.2 mi
Battle of Casco Bay (Falmouth 1690)
1690Colonial
3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center listed on the National Register?

Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 5, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center?

Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center?

The period of significance for Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center?

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