Eastern Promenade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Eastern Promenade
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View of Casco Bay from Eastern Promenade Park
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Eastern Promenade, Portland, Maine |
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| Area | 32.3 acres (13.1 ha) |
| Built | 1828 |
| Architect | Olmsted Brothers, William Goodwin |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001707 |
| Added to NRHP | October 16, 1989 |
The Eastern Promenade, often called the Eastern Prom, is a super cool historic park in Portland, Maine. It's a big public space where people can relax and have fun. Building the Prom started way back in 1836 and took a long time, finishing around 1934. The Olmsted Brothers, famous landscape designers, planned this 1.5-mile long park. It grew a lot between the 1880s and 1910s.
The Prom wraps around the Munjoy Hill area, sitting on the eastern tip of Portland's peninsula. You can find many historical spots here, like a special burial site and even the mast from a famous ship, the USS Portland.
Fun Things to Do at the Eastern Prom
The Eastern Promenade has lots of ways to have fun! There's a paved trail that's 2.1 miles long, perfect for walking or biking. You can also visit East End Beach for some sun and sand.
If you love sports, the Prom has baseball fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts. The paved trail is super popular with people who like to ride their bikes.
The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum is also located right on the Eastern Promenade. This special railway is a big hit with tourists. In 2009-2010, about 30,000 people rode the train across the Prom!
Fort Allen Park: History and Views
Fort Allen Park is a 9.33-acre public park located on the Eastern Promenade. This spot was once home to Fort Allen. This fort was important during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Today, only a few old earthworks (mounds of dirt) remain from the fort.
The park also has a special monument honoring soldiers from the American Civil War. It's a granite bench dedicated in 1929, remembering the Union Army.
You can also see the mast from the USS Portland here. This was a powerful warship (a heavy cruiser) used by the United States Navy starting in 1933. The Portland was the only U.S. ship to fight in all four major aircraft carrier battles in the Pacific during 1942. These battles included Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, and Santa Cruz Islands. The Portland was later damaged during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942.
The 1812 Burial Site
In December 1812, during the War of 1812, a British ship called HMS Regulus arrived in Portland's harbor. It was traveling from Quebec to Boston, Massachusetts. The ship had American prisoners of war on board who were very sick.
Because of the sickness, the ship docked under a truce (a temporary stop in fighting). Twenty-six of the American prisoners were taken to a local hospital. Sadly, 21 of them died a month later. These soldiers were buried together in a special burial site at the foot of Quebec Street on the Eastern Promenade. A large boulder marks the spot. In 1887, a bronze plaque was added to the stone with the names of the soldiers who died.
