The Longfellow Garden
An Urban Oasis
A Family Setting
The Longfellow Garden, Portland, Maine
In 1784 Adjutant General Peleg Wadsworth, maternal grandfather of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, purchased a lot of roughly one-and-one-half acres in Portland. Narrow but deep, it ran from Back Street (now Congress) north one-half mile to Back Cove. Three generations of the family lived in the house and kept a garden. In 1901, Henry’s sister, Anne Longfellow Pierce, bequeathed the house and grounds to Maine Historical Society, with the stipulation that a library be built as a permanent home for MHS.
A New Home for Maine Historical Society
After Anne’s death, MHS worked quickly to open the house as a museum, and to construct the library. Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr., a nephew of the poet, was brought on as architect, and the library opened in 1907. After moving from place to place since its founding in 1822, MHS finally had a place to call home.
Garden Club Forms
By 1924, when Pearl Wing started the Longfellow Garden Club, the garden had grown neglected, and had been surrounded by tenements, a theatre, and other new buildings. The club hired landscape architect Myron Lamb, who created a Colonial Revival style garden. The club started a fund for the garden’s upkeep and has been tending it since its creation. In 1980, club members convinced MHS to open the garden to the public, instead of reserving access for those taking a tour of the Longfellow House.
Reinstallation
The garden was dismantled in 2007 to facilitate the library restoration. At that time, a lilac dating to Anne Pierce’s time was removed and cared for at O’Donal’s Nursery Garden Center. It has now been replanted. The garden as a whole was rehabilitated following preservation standards, and retains the character and replicates many of the plantings found in Lamb’s original sketches. Visitors and locals alike are once again welcome to stroll through this beloved urban oasis.
Longfellow Garden Children's Gate – A Special Project
One of the Longfellow Garden’s unique features is the Children’s Gate, which once welcomed visitors at the garden’s entrance. The gate was designed by the architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow to honor his uncle Henry's famous affection for children. It was installed soon after the original library opened in 1907 but was removed in the 1960s in dilapidated condition. In partnership with the Longfellow Garden Club, MHS would like to bring the Children's Gate back and have created a special fundraising effort to accomplish it. With a goal of $100,000, fundraising is underway to rebuild this beautiful and historical entryway to the garden. The effort has been kicked off by a very generous gift of $25,000 from the Longfellow Garden Club. If you would like to help, or might consider a naming gift, please contact Bonnie Vance in the development office at 774-1822, ext. 231 or email bvance@mainehistory.org.
In this section
- The Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Portland, Maine
- The Longfellow Garden, Portland, Maine
- Craigie House, Cambridge, Mass.