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Make a Donation Today To The Narcissus Project - The Narcissus Has An Incredible Story To Tell

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

St. John Street - Portland Railroad Carhouse and Shop - Portland, Maine 1888-1941

Portland Railroad's St. John Street Shop crew photo c 1919-1922
Courtesy of Theresa Cline. Theresa's grandfather, Chalmer Elam Cline, is in this photo.
Theresa also knows that Erland Liberty Jones is in the photo. Both lived in Yarmouth.
There are 39 of the shop crew in this photo. We would really like to identify as many of these
individuals as possible. If you or anyone you know, had a family member or family friend
who worked in the Portland Railroad shop during these years, please let me know. 
I will conduct research too. Thank you - Phil Morse p.morse31@gmail.com
There is no date on when this crew photo was taken. I did some research on the trolley
cars in this photo and was able to narrow down the possible time frame. More on
that research later in this post :)

I was glad to be able to locate newspaper clippings online through the Portland Press Herald Archives. Google Books online to find the story on the PRR shop in the January 1917 issue of Street Railway Journal. In addition, much of the text and most of the photos were from the O. R. Cummings two Portland Railroad publications of the Portland Railroad; 1957, Part I - Historical Development and Operations, and 1959, Part II - ... Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply. I also looked through the  O. R. Cummings Collection of photos at the Seashore Trolley MuseumEdwin "Bill" Robertson's 1982 publication, Remember The Portland, Maine Trolleys.

Click Here to find many posts on Maine Electric Railways history throughout Maine

 
On top of the ladder: Erland Liberty Jones.

 Chalmer Elam Cline

    A few weeks ago I read that the Amtrak Downeaster folks are looking at three different pieces of property along St. John Street in Portland, Maine as they consider perhaps relocating the current railroad passenger station to one of the St. John Street sites. That got me thinking of the various transportation stations, carhouses, car shops, and horse stables, that have been located along St. John Street over the years. So, I thought I'd put together a post that features some of those facilities.

    The former Maine Central Railroad Union Station is probably the most well-known and remembered of the facilities. 

Horsecar No. 57 at Union Station - still under construction c 1887.
This horsecar is at the intersection of St. John Street and
Congress Street. This intersection was known as Railroad Square. 
Portland Railroad had many horsecars at the time. One of the stables
for the horses used by the railroad was on the opposite side of Congress
Street, on St. John Street. Union Station's official opening was June 25, 1888.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_32_004

Portland Railroad St. John Street stable c 1888
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_035

    The financial report for the year ending of 1887,  mentions that a new carhouse would be built.
During the fiscal year ending in 1887, the horsecars of the Portland Railroad carried 1,758,145 passengers!

From the Street Railway Journal

Ibid

In 1888, a 3-track wooden carhouse was built at
the southwest corner of Congress and St. John Streets,
just off Railroad Square. 
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_005

As seen from inside the archway of the main entrance to Union Station,
from left to right, are the stables, carhouse, and the brick MCRR
building for use by employees.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_034

Arches of the main entrance to Union Station. The
details match with the photo above :)
Photo courtesy of Maine Central RR archives.

    Later in 1895, the Portland Railroad began using electric trolleys to serve Congress Street down to St. John Street and Union Station.

 
  Fire destroyed the carhouse on St. John Street - July 9, 1901 - Five trolleys burned in the blaze.

Three of the trolley cars burned in this fire;
107, 108, and 112 were purchased in 1895 from
the J. G. Brill Company. 107 and 108 were in an order
that included Nos. 100-108. More info on the other
trolleys in that order later in this post:)
Portland Evening Express - July 10, 1901

Debris from the fire being cleaned up - busy
time of the year at Union Station.
Portland Evening Express - July 12, 1901

Early postcard of Union Station before the 40-foot addition
extended from the clock tower - c 1901
One-third of the canopy that is seen over the tracks behind
the station was saved and in recent years has been a 
fixture for concerts and for the ice rink at Thompson Point.

   The Portland Railroad soon acquired a large plot of land on lower St. John Street, running through Valley Street, and constructed a modern 14-track brick and steel carhouse on the site in 1901/02.

A description of the work on the St. John Street carhouse is at the bottom
of the left column in the September 17, 1901, Portland newspaper article.

A few more details about the new carhouse, now being called a "carbarn" is
 mentioned in this
Portland newspaper article November 16, 1901.

Evening Express - April 2, 1902, with an article about the new 
St. John Street carbarn. 

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

    The first trolley entered the new St. John Street carbarn on Wednesday, April 23, 1902.

A Sanborn Insurance map detail of the St. John Street carbarn.

 Photo of the St. John Street Carbarn with many trolleys - c 1910
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_037

    The August 31,19012, Portland Sunday Telegram featured an article on the 39-year history of the Portland Railroad. 

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid

Click Here: Maine Bicentennial Series on the History of the Portland Railroad 1860-1941

    The Portland Railroad Annual Report of its fiscal year July 1, 1901-June 30, 1902 was listed in the October 20, 1902, Portland Evening Express. The report listed that 10,839,006 passengers were carried that year on a total length of 77.57 trackage used for operations. The average number of employees during the year was 383 and the daily pay ranged from $1.50 - $2.60. 

Ibid

    In 1904/1905, a large shop building was constructed at the rear of the carhouse on St. John Street.

March 3, 1904 - Evening Express

May 21, 1904 - Evening Express

    The new shop is mentioned in the city report of major construction projects.
Portland Railroad's new "Equipment and Repair Shop
was nearing completion when mentioned in
the December 15, 1904, Portland Evening Express
article above.

A Sanborn Insurance map detail of the St. John Street shop.
Designed and engineered by the firm of Sheaff & Jaastad,
the shop contained a paint shop, an equipping shop,
a woodworking shop, a blacksmith shop, a machine shop,
a brass foundry, and an armature room.

Nos. 249 and 206 in the St. John Street Paint Shop. Both were new
and received in 1911. they were active until about 1940.
Both are "double-truck" cars. A "truck" is the wheel-axle, motor, etc.
assembly that the body of the car sets on. The smaller cars are
 "single-truck" and larger cars generally are "double-trucks."
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_043

All types of machinery were installed so that the shops were equipped to handle any maintenance or repairs job - or to build new cars if need be.

Track layouts for the PRR Carbarn and for the Shop on
St. John Street. Drawing from O. R. Cummings' 1959 publication,
Part II...Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply -
Portland Railroad

Nos. 200, 198, 254, and 801 in the St. John Carbarn c1925

Photo of the St. John Street carbarn with many trolleys c 1918
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_038

This map depicts PRR service after 1905. There are two "barns" shown
on St. John Street (below Union Station). One of those "barns" is 
actually the "shop" which was completed early in 1905.
The communities served by the Portland Railroad once electric 1891-1941
Map drawn by Charles Heseltine. Map from the 2015 NEERHS book,
"The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946"

A Sanborn Insurance map detail of the St. John Street carbarn and shop

Photo of the St. John Street carbarn with many trolleys c1918
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_30_042

    In 1916, six, (20-foot, single-truck, closed trolleys), fourteen, (28-foot, double-truck, closed trolleys, and two (semi-convertible trolleys, Nos. 254 & 255) were rebuilt for prepayment service in the St. John Street shop. Bulkheads were removed, folding steps were installed and door control stands with brackets to hold fare boxes were provided for conductors (Nos. 254 & 255 had been built as prepayment cars and the conversion was simply a modification of their original design).
    A three-page story on the process was published in the January 1917 issue of the Electric Railway Journal. 

Ibid

Ibid

Ibid



As I mentioned in the opening, this photo of the PRR Shop crew inside
the St. John Street shop from Theresa Cline has no date. I thought I might be able
to narrow the possible date to when the photo was taken by looking at the three
trolley cars in the photo.

    The number of the trolley car on the far left is not visible. I looked at the body and roof type and at the windows of the vestibule (the enclosed end where the controls are for the motoman to operate the car.). I then looked through the inventory list and photos of the trolleys in the Portland Railroad over its electric years (1891-1941) that were in the O. R. Cummings two Portland Railroad publications of the Portland Railroad; 1957, Part I - Historical Development and Operations, and 1959, Part II - ... Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply. I also looked through the  O. R. Cummings Collection of photos at the Seashore Trolley Museum.

    The best match in what I found was an order of nine single-truck, 20-foot, closed cars received in 1895 from the J. G. Brill Company in Philadelphia, PA. Nos. 100-108. Research showed that Nos. 107 and 108 were destroyed in the 1901, St. John Street carhouse fire. The remaining cars had their open-ended platforms enclosed later during that decade (1905). 

    So, to start, I was thinking the car in the crew photo might be one of these - Nos 100-106.
Then I looked at the other cars in the photo.

No. 100 was a single-truck trolley that arrived in 1895. It was common
practice in the early years to have the motorman exposed to all the 
elements of each and every day throughout the year as he operated the
trolley cars in an open-ended platform. Eventually, beginning in the
middle of the first decade of 1900, the platform areas were enclosed. 
By the mid-teens, laws mandated that all closed cars have enclosed vestibules.
In the early years, No. 100 was painted blue for the Spring Street-Grand Trunk Station Route.
In those days PRR cars were "color-coded" and stayed on the same route.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_018

No. 100 is on Pearl Street near the Customs House 
after 1905, when its open platforms were rebuilt into enclosed vestibules.
The sign above the crew on the vestibule roof was added, 
which meant the car could go on different routes (In the St. John shop
crew photo, the sign reads, Old Orchard).
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_019

    The trolley car on the right in the St. John Street shop photo seemed to be one of the larger cars and on the front end exterior dasher of its vestibule, a portion of two numbers can be seen. Based on those numbers, and the car's body and roof type, I was able to look through the Portland Railroad's inventory list and photos and found that No. 244 was the best match.
    No. 244 was a 28-foot, double truck, closed "box" car. It was built in 1911 by the Portland Railroad crew in the St. John Street shop and placed on Brill-made trucks. It was scrapped in 1940.

No. 244 is seen here and is noted as being at a PRR shop. I don't recognize
the neighborhood in the background, so, I'm not sure which shop this is?
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_112

    Shortly after World War II, most railways, including the Portland Railroad, began rebuilding many of their trolley cars to operate with only one employee. Instead of having both a motoman and a conductor needed to operate a car, there would be only an "operator" with fare boxes that could hold the money for fares that passengers would drop the money into.

    Trolley car manufacturers began building new trolley cars that were designed to be operated with one employee in the car. One of the most popular new one-man trolley cars was the "Birney" safety car. Initially, built as a single-truck car, it wasn't long before larger, double-truck, one-man cars were being built as well.

The last of the three trolley cars to try and identify in the St. John Street
 shop crew photo is most likely one of what were called, single-truck,
"Birney" safety cars. Nos. 600 and 601 above are at the Deering carbarn.
Both were part of an order of 15 single-truck, Birney safety cars that arrived at
the Portland Railroad (PRR) early in 1919 (Nos 600-614).
                                             Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_037

Comparing the upper trim board of the vestibule windows of Nos. 600 and 601 in the above photo, led me to think that the car in the St. John Street crew photo was one of the group of Nos. 600-604. 

    I found a discrepancy between two publications on the manufacturers for some of the cars in the order of Nos. 600-614. 

Edwin "Bill" Robertson's 1982 publication, Remember The Portland, Maine Trolleys, states that The American Car Company built Nos. 600-605 for the PRR, and that the Wason Company built Nos. 606-614. O. R Cummings' 1959 publication, Part II -... Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply, states that the complete order of Nos. 600-614 was built by the Wason Company.

Here is evidence that the Nos. 600-604 were built by the American Car Co.
This is the American Car Company "Builder's Photo" of PRR No. 600 before
being shipped with its four sister cars - Photo taken on April 17, 1919. 
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_034

Portland Evening Express - March 12, 1919.
This article has me wondering if the Edwin "Bill" Robertson's
1982 publication, Remember The Portland, Maine Trolleys, states
correctly that The American Car Company built Nos. 600-605
for the PRR? The article states that five cars were in the order. If
No. 600 is the first, then Nos. 601-604 would make five cars. 
That would mean No. 605 was in the Wason order of cars
numbered up to 614.

Portland Evening Express - May 13, 1919

Portland Evening Express - May 14, 1919

Built by the Wason Company for the Portland Railroad, No. 613, above,
has a slight variation from the American Car  Company's Nos. 600-604.
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, has No. 615,
a sister car to No. 613 above. No. 615 is the only surviving trolley
car from the Portland Railroad that exists. It needs a sponsor to
work with the Museum to restore the car to operating condition.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_038

Click Here: Former PRR No. 615 at Seashore Trolley Museum on the National Register of Historic Places

    Process of elimination in determining a window of time that the St. John Street crew photo might have been taken.

    If my research process is correct, the three cars in the photo are likely:

Left to Right: Let's start with the car in the back. If it is one of the Birney safety cars Nos. 600-614 that arrived early in 1919, or it's one of the Birney Safety cars Nos. 615-622 that arrived in 1920, that means the St. John Street shop crew photo was taken after that series of Birney safety cars arrived; 1919/1920 and because the car in the crew photo in front of the Safety car was either scrapped in 1921 or 1922, that means the photo was taken no later than 1922. 

The window of the photo is most likely between 1919-1922

One of the 1895 cars: Nos. 100-108 
- Nos. 100 and 101 were scrapped in 1922
- Nos. 102 and 103 were combined to make No. 700 in 1917
- Nos. 104, 105, and 106 were scrapped in 1921
- Nos. 107 and 108 burned in the 1901 fire

No. 70 was made in 1917 in the St. John Street shop by taking the 1895
single-truck cars, No. 102 and 103 and building the only center-entrance
car that the Portland Railroad had in service. 
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_049

No. 700 was scrapped in 1930, probably at the Deering carbarn on
Stevens Avenue near Morrill's Corner. 
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_052

Portland Railroad St. John Street carbarn c 1924
Maine Historical Society image - item 76737

No. 506 in the St. John Street paint shop c 1930
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_032
    
    After Portland Railroad trolley operations ended in the spring of 1941, the St. John Street carhouse was converted to a bus garage, and the shops were converted for bus maintenance. Later, the buses were owned by the Portland Coach Company., which leased a portion of the former carhouse building to mercantile interests. 

St. John Street property continues...

    Portland Railroad's parent company, Cumberland County Power & Light was taken over by  Central Maine Power (CMP) in 1942.  In 1944, CMP sold its  (88) bus operations to Salzberg Industries of New York City which named its Portland, Maine bus system Portland Coach Company.  Portland Coach acquired Portland Bus Company and continued bus operations with Portland Coach until 1966, then, the City of Portland acquired the transit system and formed the Greater Portland Transit District.

    In 1969, the District purchased the land and buildings at St. John Street and leased them to the operator for $1 a year.

    In 1984, the construction of a new facility was completed at St. John Street.

We are still in need of funds for creating the interpretation programs that will tell this fascinating 110+-year-old story of the Narcissus. For information on donation options, scroll down this post and find the one that best fits your position. Fund 816 to help with the restoration and Fund 817 (PLI Education-Interpretation programs ) should be noted when making a donation.
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Restoration work continues on the Narcissus at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine. The only surviving interurban of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad. The Narcissus is more than 110 years old now and has so many incredible stories to share. The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one of those incredible stories.

     The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.

Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
 the Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive

     The paperback edition of Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride can be purchased online through the Seashore Trolley Museum's store website. Books purchased through the Museum's website directly benefit the Museum and the Narcissus project. 

Click Here to go to the Museum Store web page to order online

Click Here to go to the Amazon page to order the ebook or audiobook online

Paperback books are available at these local bookstores in Maine:
Center for Maine Crafts, West Gardiner Service Plaza
The Book Review, Falmouth
The Bookworm, Gorham
Nonesuch Books and More, South Portland
Thompson's Orchard, New Gloucester

Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride
by Jean M. Flahive
Illustrations by Amy J. Gagnon

Listen to a 2-minute, 30-second, Retail Audio Sample of the Audiobook 

     Millie Thayer is a headstrong farmer's daughter who chases her dreams in a way you would expect a little girl nicknamed "Spitfire" would run full tilt and with her eyes on the stars. Dreaming of leaving the farm life, working in the city, and fighting for women's right to vote, Millie imagines flying away on a magic carpet. One day, that flying carpet shows up in the form of an electric trolley that cuts across her farm. A fortune-teller predicts that Millie's path will cross that of someone famous. Suddenly, she finds herself caught up in events that shake the nation, Maine, and her family. Despairing that her dreams may be shattered, Millie learns, in an unexpected way, that dreams can be shared.

A resource for teachers 

Companion curriculum State-standard-based units,

vocabulary, and reading activities for use in grades 3-8

are available online as downloadable resources through

Seashore Trolley Museum's website

www.trolleymuseum.org/elegantride/


Maine Historical Society has created eight companion lesson units in Social Studies and ELA that were inspired by Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride - These State-standard-based lesson plans for use in grades 6, 7, and 8 are easily adapted for use in grades 3-5.  Vocabulary and Reading activities for grades 3-8 along with the eight lesson plan units are available free and may be downloaded through Seashore Trolley Museum's website www.trolleymuseum.org/elegantride/
Go to the Teacher Resource Page in the pull-down for more details.

A 60-second intro to Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride by author, Jean Flahive
Click Here to watch the video on YouTube 

Award-winning author, Jean M. Flahive

    
Please Consider a Donation to the Narcissus Project to help us tell the incredible story of the Narcissus through the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project.

     Here is an example of how donations to the Narcissus Project now will help with the interpretation portion of the project. The interpretation programming will include exhibits, displays, and education programming. In 2019, through generous donations to the Narcissus Project, we were able to conserve, replicate, and have high-resolution digital image files made of the original, 1910, 28.5-foot-long, surveyor map of the elevation and grade of the 30-mile private right-of-way of the Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad (Portland-Lewiston Interurban)  Click Here 

Thank You!

Theodore Roosevelt on the Narcissus when addressing
the crowd gathered in Gray, Maine on August 18, 1914.
Image courtesy of Gray Historical Society

The Narcissus as the Sabattus Lake Diner in Sabattus, Maine,
circa 1940. Photo by John Coughlin in the Kevin Farrell
Collection at Seashore Trolley Museum

L. Henri Vallee (right) and family members in the
Narcissus, when it was Vallee's summer camp in
Sabattus, Maine circa 1958. Photo courtesy Daniel Vallee

The Narcissus in the restoration shop in 2022 PWM

   Inside the Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop, the Narcissus is in the midst of major work as we strive to complete its restoration. We are now planning the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project. Donations to the Narcissus Project may be used in the future to help tell the incredible 100-plus-year-old story of the Narcissus. Your donation to the Narcissus is helping to make the dream of the project's success, a reality.

See below for Donation options -
It starts with YOU
Your Donation Matters
Make a Donation TODAY

Please Help the Narcissus. 
Donation Options to Help the Narcissus Project:

The New England Electric Railway Historical Society
is the 501c3 organization that owns and operates the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, ME, and the National Streetcar
The New England Electric Railway Historical Society registered with the IRS (EIN# 01-0244457) and was incorporated in Maine in 1941.

Check or Money Order ***** should be made payable to:
New England Electric Railway Historical Society
In the memo: for a donation to the Interpretation programming
please write: PLI Education Fund 817
For a donation to help with the restoration write: Narcissus Fund 816
Mail to: Seashore Trolley Museum
              P. O. Box A
              Kennebunkport, ME 04046

Credit Card ***** donations can be one-time donations or you
may choose to have a specific amount charged to your card
automatically every month. Please contact the Museum bookkeeper, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone, at 207-967-2800 ext. 3.

Online Donations - may be made by using a Credit Card: 
Click Here to make an online donation through the Museum's website - When at the Donation page: Fill in donor info, etc., when at "To which fund are you donating? Scroll down to "Other" and type in 816 Narcissus, then continue filling in the required information.

Click Here for PayPal - to make an online donation: you can use email: finance@trolleymuseum.org and in the message box write:
For "Narcissus Fund 816" - if supporting the restoration
For "PLI Education Fund 817" - if supporting Interpretation programs

Donation of Securities ***** We also accept donations of
securities. You can contact the Museum bookkeeper, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone, at 207-967-2800 ext. 3,
for brokerage account information for accepting donated securities.

BONUS ***** If you work for a company/corporation that will
"match" an employee's donation to an approved 501c3 non-profit
educational organization, please be sure to complete the necessary paperwork with your employer so that your donation is matched :)

Questions? ***** Please contact Narcissus project sponsor:
Phil Morse, narcissus@gmail.org or call 207-985-9723 - cell.

Thank You :)

Thank You for our Current Funding Partners
* 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation - 2020/2018 - Major Gift, 2017/2014 Matching Grants
Renaissance Charitable Foundation (LPCT) by Fiduciary Trust Charitable Giving Fund
Mass Bay RRE - 2018 Railroad Preservation Grant 
Thornton Academy (Saco, ME) - Staff & Alumni - Matching Grant Challenge 2014
New England Electric Railway Historical Society (Kennebunkport, ME) - Member Donations
Amherst Railway Society - 2015 Heritage Grant
National Railway Historical Society - 2016 & 2015 Heritage Preservation Grants
Enterprise Holding Foundation - 2015 Community Grant
Theodore Roosevelt Association - Member Donations
John Libby Family Association and Member Donations
* The Conley Family - In Memory of Scott Libbey 2018/2017/2016/2015
* The W. S. Libbey Family - Awalt, Conley, Graf, Holman, Libbey, McAvoy, McLaughlin, Meldrum, O'Halloran, Salto, - 2018/2017
* The Hughes Family 2017/2016/2010
New Gloucester Historical Society and Member Donations
Gray Historical Society and Member Donations
Gray Public Library Association - Pat Barter Speaker Series
* LogMein - Matching Employee Donation
* IBM - Matching Employee/Retiree Donations
* Fidelity Charitable Grant - Matching Employee Donations
* Richard E. Erwin Grant - 2017/2016

The Narcissus, with interior back-lit, stained glass windows is majestic.
Make a donation today to help restore the interior of this Maine gem.
Help Theodore Roosevelt's Maine Ride get back on track! Once restored,
you will be able to ride in luxury on this National Register Treasure at
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
PWM photo

Please Consider Making a Donation to the project of the National Register of Historic Places member, Narcissus. We are currently raising funds to advance the restoration and to tell the incredible story of this Maine gem.

Various News stories during the summer of 2015 about the
Narcissus and its connection to Theodore Roosevelt. TR
was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914.
Photo by Patricia Pierce Erikson

The Narcissus - July 31, 2015. Make a donation today.
Help Theodore Roosevelt's Maine Ride get back on track!
Once restored, you will be able to ride in luxury on this
National Historic Treasure at
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.