Edward Payson Park is a public park in the Back Cove neighborhood of
Portland, Maine
Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
The land on which the park was built was part of the Payson estate. It was owned by Rev. Edward Payson, who was a prominent Congregationalist preacher. His son of the same name lived near the park in the Payson House. The Payson House was built in the 1850s before being demolished in 1956. In 1917, Portland purchased the property from William Martin Payson of Boston for $26,262. In 1921, William Martin Payson left a bequest of $2,500 to the city to pay for entrance and gates to the park.
Longfellow Arboretum
The Longfellow Arboretum is a
arboretum
An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
on the southwestern corner the park beside a small tidal marsh which connects the park to Back Cove.
As of August 2016, there are 125 trees, including approximately 40 non-native trees, including ''
Betula
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
nigra'', ''
Cercidiphyllum
''Cercidiphyllum'' is a genus containing two species of plants, both commonly called katsura. They are the sole members of the monotypic family (biology), family Cercidiphyllaceae. The genus is native plant, native to Japan and China and unrelate ...
'', and ''
Stewartia
:Stewartia'' as described by Philibert Commerçon is a synonym of ''Dombeya.
''Stewartia'' (sometimes spelled ''Stuartia''Sprague, T.A. (1928). The correct spelling of certain generic names. III. ''Kew Bulletin'' 1928: 337-365.Royal Botanic Gar ...
''.
The Longfellow Garden Club, a member of the National Garden Club and the Garden Club Federation of Maine, created the Longfellow Arboretum on land donated by the City of Portland using a bequest from Mrs. Clifford Leys, a former member. Today the Longfellow Garden Club and the City of Portland jointly maintain the Arboretum. It is named in honor of American poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to comp ...
Payson Park has multiple sports facilities, including a playground, baseball and softball fields, and a basketball court. It is also a known as a top location for sliding and in 2008, Payson Hill Terrain Park, a ski, snowboard, and sledding terrain park located on the park's western edge, formalized this space to encourage children to take up the sports. It was the only municipal park in the United States to offer free skiing and riding lessons. It is also home to a community garden.
See also
*
List of botanical gardens in the United States
This list is intended to include all significant botanical gardens and arboretums in the United States.Shettleworth, E. G. (1999). In Bold vision: The development of the Parks of Portland, Maine. Published for Greater Portland Landmarks, Inc. by Phoenix Pub.