Looking Back Through Time: Around Portland Nearly a Century Ago

In 1923 voters of Portland approved a new city charter. As part of this change in the city’s form of government, a tax reassessment was completed in 1924. For this reassessment, every taxable property in the city was documented and photographed.

The 1924 Tax Records Digitization Project is a collaboration between the City of Portland, Maine Historical Society, and the Portland Public Library. We have them to thank for this wonderful look into our past via their collection housed on the Maine Memory Network site.

When you join us at Maine Day Ventures on our Historic Walking Tour, you will begin at Andy’s Old Port Pub at 94 Commercial Street. Here’s a shot of our current starting point nearly 100 years ago.

According to the 1924 assessment accompanying the photo, the structure was leased by one tenant “Brewer and Co”; wholesale druggists. Note the train car on Commercial Street; a once-common sight.

Here’s roughly the same view in present day via Google Maps:

Next we see a historic snapshot of 332-342 Fore Street. A brief outline of the businesses along this stretch at the time (L to R):

Boothby Sq. Hotel Housed in the oldest commercial building still standing on the peninsula today (built 1792). At the time of assessment, it was described as a store and hotel with 22 rooms. Rent is listed as $3/week per room. Its age is simply listed as “very old”.

Seamens Lodging House Owner is listed as Bessie Zeitman. If one looks closely at the shop window you can see “B. Zeitman Lunch”. Described as a store and rooming house with 10 rooms. $75/month. Today the facade shows “Zeitman’s Grocery Store” where the lodging house signage once was.

The Silver House advertises on its window “Steam Heated Rooms to Let by The Day or Week”. It’s described as having 11 rooms and one bath.

Zooming in on the below shot, one can see advertisements on all three buildings for “soft drinks” as this was taken during national Prohibition: