The West End is a downtown neighborhood in Portland, Maine . It is located on the western side of Portland's peninsula primarily on Bramhall Hill and is noted for its architecture and history. The neighborhood is home to many late 19th- and early 20th-century homes and, in 2010, it was called "one of the best preserved Victorian neighborhoods in the country". The Western Promenade , a park laid out in 1836, overlooks the forests and small settlements of Southwestern Maine, along with the distant White Mountains . Other historic structures include 68 High Street , The Gothic House , Brown House , Butler House , Ingraham House , Morrill Mansion and the Minott House .
25-519: The Western Promenade Historic District encompasses a late 19th-and early 20th-century neighborhood in the West End of Portland, Maine . This area of architecturally distinctive homes was home to three of the city's most prominent architects: Francis H. Fassett , John Calvin Stevens , and Frederick A. Tompson , and was Portland's most fashionable neighborhood in the late 19th century. The district
50-531: A diversity of architectural styles which were popular between 1850 and 1920. There are architect-designed examples of Second Empire, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Shingle styles, with a notable row of houses lining the Western Promenade. Among those is the Adam P. Leighton House , an Italianate mansion designed by Frederick A. Tompson for Adam Leighton, a Portland businessman and mayor who
75-597: A mid-air collision over the lake near Raymond on 16 May 1944; and a third Corsair flew into the lake on July 16. In December 2014 a yellow Piper PA-18 Super Cub monoplane landed on a Sebago Lake beach, in what some believe is the first landing of a plane on Sebago beaches. Sebago Lake is the primary water supply for the Portland Water District, which serves the Greater Portland region and about 20% of Maine's population. The lake's watershed
100-491: A private school located on Spring Street, is also located in the neighborhood. Learning Works, formally known as Portland West, is located on Brackett Street in the West End. Founded as a community group fighting the gentrification of the West End in 1967, Learning Works is now a social services agency which provides educational opportunities to at-risk teenagers, immigrants, refugees and low income families. Mercy Hospital
125-515: A public recreation center even before this. The park now consists of 1,400 acres (5.7 km ), is open year-round, and has facilities including two public boat launches, an expansive natural sandbar for swimming, and a 250-site campground. There are also numerous private beach clubs and campgrounds spread around the lake, such as Point Sebago in Casco, which contains numerous cottages and facilities that can be rented out to guests. Sebago Lake hosts
150-703: A sailing instruction and charter service and is located in what Maine's tourism industry refers to as the Western Lakes and Mountains Region. Efforts are underway to complete the Sebago to the Sea Trail , a trail running 28 miles from Sebago Lake to Casco Bay, mostly following the path of the Presumpscot River. The lake is the likely point of origin of the landlocked salmon, stated in the species' scientific name ( Salmo salar sebago ). At one point,
175-633: A very notorious extreme weather hotspot. The name comes from the Abenaki sobagoo , meaning "it is the sea" or "it resembles the sea". Two Corsair fighter planes were destroyed in a fatal midair collision over the lake on 16 May 1944. The lake is connected to Brandy Pond by the Songo River and eventually to Long Lake in Naples. The lake is drained primarily by the Presumpscot River. The lake and rivers were an early transportation corridor from
200-436: Is credited with inventing the postcard . West End (Portland, Maine) The West End is known for ethnic and socioeconomic diversity; in 1994, it was called one of Portland's 'gay-friendly' neighborhoods. Howard C. Reiche Community School , a public school located on Brackett Street, serves the West End's K-5 school-age students. It also houses a branch library, swimming pool, and community center. Waynflete School ,
225-668: Is more than 50 miles (80 km) long and covers parts of 24 Maine towns. The direct watershed is about 171 square miles (443 km ) of land plus the 45 square miles (117 km ) of the lake, and the indirect watershed about 190 square miles (490 km ) of land plus about 28 square miles (73 km ) of other bodies of water. As of May 1990, roughly 86% of the watershed was forests and fallow fields, 2.5% in active timber operations, 9.3% in residential, agricultural, and commercial use, and 2.2% used for other purposes. The lake holds roughly 995 billion US gallons (3.77 × 10 m ) of water that on average resides 5.1 to 5.4 years in
250-404: Is the deepest and second-largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine . The lake is 316 feet (96 m) deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of 101 feet (31 m). It is possible that Sebago is the deepest lake wholly contained within the entire New England region, although some sources say that Vermont's Lake Willoughby is slightly deeper. Along with Lake Champlain , Sebago is one of
275-519: The S. D. Warren Paper Mill after 1878. The lake was a comparatively safe place for training military pilots from NAS Brunswick about flying over water; but several navy planes were lost over the lake during World War II . A Grumman TBF Avenger from the Lewiston Naval Auxiliary Air Facility ditched and sank near Raymond on 16 August 1943. Two low-flying British Vought Corsairs from Brunswick were lost after
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#1732801184731300-607: The Bramhall Reservoir gate and fence was built around Brackett, Vaughan and Chadwick Streets, to hold water pumped from Sebago Lake by the Portland Water Company. It held 8 million gallons. The reservoir was used until 1964, when it was flattened and the land was leased to nearby Maine Medical Center for parking. Five city parks are located in the neighborhood, including Clark Street Park, Harbor View Park, Tate-Tyng Playground and McIntyre Park, and
325-557: The Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, is located on the Eastern Shore of the lake in the town of Windham . Camp O-At-Ka , founded in 1906, is a boy's sleep-away camp located along a half mile of waterfront in the northwest corner of Sebago Lake. Camp Sebago, a co-ed camp geared towards 7-12 year olds and run by The Salvation Army, is located on the southwestern corner of the lake. Camp Wohelo,
350-462: The Shingle style, which Stevens had a major role in promoting, and his designs are also found throughout the area. The historic district is bounded on the west by the Western Promenade, the north by Bramhall and Brackett Streets, on the south by Danforth Street, and the east by a ragged line that roughly includes Clark, Cushman, and Emery Streets. There are 420 buildings in the district, representing
375-845: The Western Promenade with a view of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The Western Cemetery , Portland's primary cemetery from 1829 to 1852, is located in the neighborhood. McIntyre Park on Taylor Street was redeveloped beginning in October 2011. Funded by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development at a cost of $ 83,000, the park upgraded its basketball court, seating area, swings and other playground equipment. 43°39′02″N 70°16′28″W / 43.6506°N 70.2745°W / 43.6506; -70.2745 Sebago Lake Sebago Lake (Sih-Bay-Goh)
400-658: The coast to the interior, and encouraged the first incorporated European settlement of interior Maine in 1762. Sebago Lake was linked to Portland harbor by the Cumberland and Oxford Canal in 1832. The outlet to the Presumpscot River was controlled for the canal by the Eel Weir Dam and the Head Dam, owned and operated by the Oriental Powder Company after the canal was replaced by a railroad and by
425-568: The deep bottom is below the present sea level. It is in Cumberland County , and bordered by the towns of Casco , Naples , Raymond , Sebago , Standish and Windham . The seasonally occupied town of Frye Island is on an island in the lake. Sebago Lake and the surrounding area is known for its erratic and sudden changes in weather during all seasons, likely due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and to Mt. Washington ,
450-541: The entire watershed was under seawater, and the first populations of these marine animals became established as the land rose and seawaters retreated. Other game fish that can be found in the lake include lake trout , brook trout , brown trout , largemouth bass , and northern pike . Some of these are regularly stocked by the state, or came to the lake naturally. However, others were introduced illegally , particularly bass and pike. The state encourages anglers to kill, hold, and notify them of all northern pike taken in
475-561: The lake because they were introduced illegally, are not native to the region, and could disrupt the lake ecosystem, including that of Sebago Lake's original fish species, such as the landlocked salmon. Ice fishing for the aforementioned Trout and Pike populations is also popular in areas where it is safely possible, with annual fishing derbies held in the smaller “Jordan Bay” portion of the lake. The lake also contains numerous summer camp options for children of all ages, genders, and skillsets: Center Day Camp , an all-inclusive day camp run by
500-400: The lake. Water inflow is estimated at 544 million US gallons (2,060,000 m ) per day and outflow at 498 million US gallons (1,890,000 m ) per day, of which 24 million US gallons (91,000 m )/day are for the water district. In 1938, the state of Maine purchased and opened Sebago Lake State Park as one of its original five state parks. However, the area was known as
525-405: The only lakes in the area that do not consistently freeze solid during the winter months, with total ice cover occurring for only a short period of time every few winters. Sebago covers about 45 square miles (117 km ) in surface area, has a length of 14 miles (23 km) and has a shoreline length of roughly 105 miles (169 km). The surface is around 270 feet (82 m) above sea level, so
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#1732801184731550-474: The swampy areas. Prominent among the purchasers of land in the area was Francis H. Fassett , the city's leading architect of the second half of the 19th century. His own home stands at 117–119 Pine Street, and he is credited with a significant number of designs in the neighborhood. Fassett was a mentor to John Calvin Stevens , who lived on Bowdoin Street in the West End. His house is a notable early example of
575-478: The western escarpment, and established the Western Promenade , a public park. The Western Cemetery acreage had been purchased from the heirs of William Vaughan in 1829 and opened as the new municipal cemetery in 1830. All of its family plots had been sold by 1852. In the 1860s, the city began to grow westward, and Brown platted out a road network and began selling off building lots, draining and filling
600-565: Was established in 1918 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Sisters of Mercy . Maine Medical Center , Maine's largest hospital and Portland's largest employer, is located on the Western Promenade. It was founded in 1874. The West End News is a local weekly newspaper which includes news and information pertaining to the neighborhood and the city at-large. Founded and published by Ed King 2001-2012. In 1869,
625-581: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Prior to about 1850, much of Portland's development took place in the central portion of the Portland peninsula, whose western end was somewhat swampy. Most of the southwestern portion of the peninsula, between Danforth and Congress Streets, was owned by J. B. Brown , who in the mid-1850s built a large mansion house (called " Bramhall "). The city had, in 1836, acquired some land at
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