159–161 Fore Street Explained

159–161 Fore Street (also known as The Stephenson Home)^[1] was a residential building in Portland, Maine, United States. The building, which stood at the corner of Fore Street and Hancock Street in the Old Port, was notable as the birthplace of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1807.^[2] It was built in 1791, when the city was part of Massachusetts. Longfellow did not grow up in the home.^[3] It was originally the home of Captain Samuel Stephenson, uncle of Longfellow via Stephenson's wife, Abigail.

Because of the building's connections with the famous writer, the International Longfellow Society attempted to prevent the demolition of the house with a fundraising effort but was ultimately unsuccessful. The structure was demolished in 1955.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow birthplace, Portland, ca. 1900 . 2024-06-26 . Maine Memory Network . en.
2. Web site: Portland, Maine, Birthplace of Longfellow & Thos. B. Reed . 2024-06-26 . DigitalCommons@UMaine . en.
3. Web site: Greater Portland Landmarks - Longfellow Birthplace . 2024-06-26 . Greater Portland Landmarks . en-US.
4. Web site: Birthplace of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Portland, 1887 . 2024-06-26 . Maine Memory Network . en.