Portland Public Library is the main library of the public library system in

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 ...

, USA. It is located at 5 Monument Square on Congress Street in the Old Port of Portland, Maine. The library has three neighborhood branches, Burbank branch (in Deering), Peaks Island branch, and Riverton branch.

History

Portland Athenaeum

The Portland Athenaeum (1826–1876) was a

subscription library A subscription library (also membership library or independent library) is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments. Unlike a public library, access is often restricted to members, but access rights ca ...

incorporated in Portland by a collection of local residents. As gratefully noted in a local newspaper in 1826: Early supporters included Stephen Longfellow (father of

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 ...

), and William Willis. By 1856, the Athenaeum had "160 proprietors and ... a library, in the hall second story of the Canal Bank building n Middle Street of 8,500 volumes." James Merrill served as librarian, . In 1861, the Athenaeum erected a brick building on a lot previously purchased in Plum street. By 1864, the library contained 10,647 bound books, and additional pamphlets. In 1866, the Great Fire swept through Portland, and the Athenaeum lost its collection in the flames.

Portland Institute and Public Library

Immediately following the fire in 1866, critic and writer

John Neal John Neal (August 25, 1793 – June 20, 1876) was an American writer, critic, editor, lecturer, and activist. Considered both eccentric and influential, he delivered speeches and published essays, novels, poems, and short stories between the 1 ...

proposed merging the Athenaeum with the libraries of the Mercantile Association, Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, and

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

. The Portland Institute and Public Library formed in January 1867, with its library located in Portland City Hall. Willis served as the first president, and Neal the second. In 1876, the Athenaeum merged into the Portland Institute and Public Library; this bestowed the Atheneum's Plum Street property on the institute, although the library remained at City Hall. In January 1889, the Portland Institute and Public Library was renamed as Portland Public Library, and became free for readers to access.

Portland Public Library

In 1889, the library moved into what is now known as the

Baxter Building The Baxter Building is a fictional 35-story office building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the building first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #3 (Marc ...

, at 619 Congress Street. The main library moved to Monument Square in 1979, into a new construction which replaced the three-story Clapp Block. A major renovation of the main building by Scott Simons Architects was completed in 2010.

References

External links