East Bayside (Portland, Maine)
Encyclopedia
East Bayside is a neighborhood in Portland
, Maine
. It was first developed a street network
in the early 19th century. By the 1820s the area was Portland’s second seaport via the Back Cove
’s ship channel. In 1840 the Union Railroad
ran along the then shoreline of Back Cove, following approximately where Oxford Street is today. Much of the debris from the great Portland fire of 1866 was deposited into Back Cove, significantly increasing the size of East Bayside. Maps produced around 1900 show an extension of the shoreline out to Marginal Way. The shoreline would not change again until the construction of the Interstate in 1974.
In the 19th century the Bayside/East Bayside neighborhood was a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Manufacturing, including a foundry and a rope factory, was served, first by ship traffic on Back Cove and later, when the Cove channel was abandoned, by rail. The original rail line roughly forms the demarcation between the industrial zone, now located to the north of Fox Street, and the residential uses to the south.
In the early 1950s the newly created Slum Clearance and Redevelopment Authority highlighted Bayside as a target neighborhood. In 1958 the Authority demolished the Little Italy neighborhood, a portion of which was in what we now call East Bayside, razing 92 dwellings and 27 small businesses. Another 54 dwelling units were razed for the Bayside Park urban renewal project, an area that now includes Fox Field and Kennedy Park
public housing. The first phase of the Kennedy Park was built in 1965. Several streets were truncated in an attempt to limit access to outside traffic. The razing of Franklin Street
began in 1967; 100 structures were demolished and an unknown number of families relocated or were displaced.
The neighborhood has historically provided a home for recent immigrants with large population of Irish, Scandinavians, and Italians in the late 19 century. During the early 20 century over 250 Armenian families settled in the neighborhood. More recently East Bayside has become home to new immigrants including Cambodians, Vietnamese, and, most recently, Sudanese, Somalis, and Iraqis.
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. It was first developed a street network
Street network
A street network is a system of interconnecting lines and points that represent a system of streets for a given area. A street network provides the foundation for network analysis; for example, finding the best route or creating service areas. They greatly affect in-town movement and traffic....
in the early 19th century. By the 1820s the area was Portland’s second seaport via the Back Cove
Back Cove
- Canada :* Back Cove, Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador* Back Cove, Fogo, Newfoundland and Labrador* Back Cove, hamlet, Newfoundland and Labrador* Back Cove, St. Barbe, Newfoundland and Labrador...
’s ship channel. In 1840 the Union Railroad
Union Railroad
The following railroads have been named Union Railroad or Union Railway, usually because they connected or merged several other railroads. See joint railway for the concept of a railroad owned by more than one company.Freight carriers...
ran along the then shoreline of Back Cove, following approximately where Oxford Street is today. Much of the debris from the great Portland fire of 1866 was deposited into Back Cove, significantly increasing the size of East Bayside. Maps produced around 1900 show an extension of the shoreline out to Marginal Way. The shoreline would not change again until the construction of the Interstate in 1974.
In the 19th century the Bayside/East Bayside neighborhood was a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Manufacturing, including a foundry and a rope factory, was served, first by ship traffic on Back Cove and later, when the Cove channel was abandoned, by rail. The original rail line roughly forms the demarcation between the industrial zone, now located to the north of Fox Street, and the residential uses to the south.
In the early 1950s the newly created Slum Clearance and Redevelopment Authority highlighted Bayside as a target neighborhood. In 1958 the Authority demolished the Little Italy neighborhood, a portion of which was in what we now call East Bayside, razing 92 dwellings and 27 small businesses. Another 54 dwelling units were razed for the Bayside Park urban renewal project, an area that now includes Fox Field and Kennedy Park
Kennedy Park (Portland, Maine)
Kennedy Park is a neighborhood in downtown Portland, Maine. The neighborhood is part of Census Tract 5, the most diverse neighborhood in the state of Maine...
public housing. The first phase of the Kennedy Park was built in 1965. Several streets were truncated in an attempt to limit access to outside traffic. The razing of Franklin Street
Franklin Street (Portland)
Franklin Street is a four-lane street in Portland, Maine. It began as Essex Street in the 18th century, but changed to Franklin Street by 1823. It is a major corridor for traffic from Interstate 295 to Portland's downtown, and to other neighborhoods located on the Portland peninsula.- History...
began in 1967; 100 structures were demolished and an unknown number of families relocated or were displaced.
The neighborhood has historically provided a home for recent immigrants with large population of Irish, Scandinavians, and Italians in the late 19 century. During the early 20 century over 250 Armenian families settled in the neighborhood. More recently East Bayside has become home to new immigrants including Cambodians, Vietnamese, and, most recently, Sudanese, Somalis, and Iraqis.