Sophia is pictured here holding one of the forty restored,
ornate leaded stained glass windows from the 1912
Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) No. 14,Narcissus. Sophia's
great, great, great, grandfather, W. S. Libbey, built the PLI.
PWM photo
W. S. Libbey - Sophia's great, great, great-grandfather.
Image from the collection of O. R. Cummings
W. S. Libbey was the man who conceived of and oversaw the construction of the PLI from 1910 until early 1914. The PLI became known as the fastest, quietest, and most luxurious transportation available at the time. The Narcissus operated on the PLI from 1914 through 1933. The Narcissus was built in Laconia, NH, in 1912.
Sophia is holding an original, unrestored, ornate, leaded stained
glass clerestory window from PLI No. 10, Arbutus, in its Santo
Domingo mahogany frame. W.S. Libbey named the original six
high-speed, luxury interurbans after flowers. (Mayflowers
were Libbey's favorites, hence the "Arbutus".) (1)
(1) - Taken from W. S. Libbey: The Man and His Mill by
The Libbey Grandchildren. PWM photo
Sophia and her father are holding one of the large, restored
"eyebrows" from the Narcissus. The eyebrow has 51 individual
pieces of stained glass. All forty leaded stained glass windows
were meticulously restored by Deb Caron Plourde
at Sundancer Stained Glass in Saco, ME. PWM photo
A variety of stained glass windows. PWM photo
Clerestory frames were restored by a Museum volunteer/member
Tom Hughes. Eyebrow frames are being worked on by
Museum volunteer/member Lary Shaffer.
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Click Here: For the list of links to Theodore Roosevelt Maine Heritage Trail Posts in Easy Order to View
We continue the restoration work on the 1912 Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts
More than a century old, the stately "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem. This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents first captivate, fascinate, then generate interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!
Click Here: Donation Options
The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition narratives.
Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban
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.
Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project
Independent book publisher Phil Morse, holding
Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
