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Main Street - The Center of Portland

The North End is a geographic array of hills and valleys, so it is only fitting that its cultural center would be a hill. Main Street runs east to west, beginning at the corner of Paradise Row and Mill Street and ending in Indiantown at Bridge Street and the Saint John River. For over one hundred years, homes, hotels, churches, banks, shoe stores, drug stores, grocers, arenas and fire stations, have existed side by side on this mile and a half long street.

Did You Know? Portland was named after William Henry Cavendish Bentinck (1738-1809), the third duke of Portland, Prime Minister of Great Britain from April to December 1783.

This firestation opened in 1898:

"The front will be quite imposing. It will rest upon five granite piers, joined by arches. The facing will be of pressed brick, while the front window on the upper story will be coped with red freestone. A neat copper cornice will give an effective finish to the whole." [1897]

This station provided the primary fire protection for most of the North End until No.8 station opened in Millidgeville in 1964.

The firestation was renovated to accommodate the new fire trucks and then later changed into a commercial building.

The new No. 5 Firestation on Adelaide Street was built in the early 1990's to replace the old station on Main Street. These two firestations are within sight of each other.

The Main Street Baptist Church is on the corner of Main and Durham Street adjacent to the new firehall on Adelaide Street.

...Scenes from days gone by...

	The Great 1877 Fire Parade of 1932 coming down Main. On the Sunday closest to June 20, the fire and police departments held their annual parade. The City Cornet Band leads. At the foot of Elm Street was the Boston Dental Parlor.
Ed's Taxi is parked outside Morrisey's Drug Store just below Rockland Road circa 1950.
	The Viaduct, built in the early 50's to ease traffic congestion along Mill Street to Main. On the left is the old Cold Storage.
Main at the foot of Elm Street 1967. The block between Portland and Simonds Street was one of the last to be demolished. Gone, but not forgotten, are Splanes, Atlantic Home Improvement, Cash & Carry Cleaners, Albert Pierce's harness & leather repair, and the Kosy Corner grocer.
	The intersection at Lansdowne Avenue and Elm Street, 1967. Ed's taxi stand at 39 Lansdowne is next to the Irving station at the left, and the Fairview Plaza can be seen at the rear. The Esso station is advertising "Put A Tiger In Your Tank".
Gearing up for the holidays circa 1970. Christmas decorations strung across the street were always a welcome sight for North End kids as they knew Santa would soon follow! Businesses shown are the Liquor Store, Dave's Restaurant and Banquet Rooms, Nickerson's Furniture, Joyce's Food Market, Titus Bakery, and the Portland Hardware.

...remember when businesses were owned by "people" ?...

	See a Video... North End Scenes 1950s

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All pages © Heritage Resources and New Brunswick Community College - Saint John.