Maine Places to Love: West End

With its quiet blocks, wide and walkable streets, parks, historic homes, and stunning architecture, the West End of Portland has long been recognized and sought out as one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods. This area of the peninsula can be defined as extending from Victoria Mansion on Danforth Street, to the grassy acres and stately homes of the Western Promenade, which offers panoramic views out to the White Mountains and Mount Washington.

Prom dates: The Western Promenade was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Civil engineer William Goodwin developed designs for the city’s proms in 1878. (https://tclf.org/landscapes)
With 30-foot columns: The Georgian Revival West Mansion was built in 1911 at the cost of $100,000. (portlandlandmarks.org)
West End pearls: Architect Frederick A. Tompson (1857-1919) designed not only the West Mansion but also the Henry Cox House and the Adam P. Leighton House, also on the Prom. (wikipedia.org)
22 and 29: Nations represented, and languages spoken, at Reiche Elementary School. (reiche.portlandschools.org.)
More room at the inn: John Calvin Stevens was the designer when the present-day Danforth Inn (built 1823) expanded to accommodate guests.
Park life: The West End has five city parks: Clark Street; Harbor View; Tate-Tyng Playground / McIntyre Park; and the Western Prom. (wikipedia.org)
Flattened in 1964: The Bramhall Reservoir, between Brackett, Vaughan and Chadwick streets, held 8 million gallons of water. (mainememory.net)
There’s a summer place: Victoria Mansion, on Danforth Street, was built 1858-1860, as a summer home. (victoriamansion.org)
Since 1910: The imposing statue of Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed (1839-1902) has stood on the Western Prom.
‘They could do worse …: … And they probably will.’ – Reed, asked whether he would receive the Republican party’s presidential nomination.

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