Maine Charitable Mechanic Association facts for kids
The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association (MCMA) is a special non-profit group in Portland, Maine, United States. It started way back in 1815. Since 1859, its main home has been Mechanics' Hall, located at 519 Congress Street in the heart of Portland. You can visit their library Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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How It Started
The MCMA was created in 1815 by local skilled workers, often called "tradesmen." They wanted to combine their money and ideas to help each other. Their goals were to get better education and improve the quality of their work. Many groups like this formed around that time. They helped workers move from farming jobs to jobs in factories and industries.
The association offered education for young people learning trades. These included carpenters, masons, shipbuilders, jewelers, ironworkers, watchmakers, riggers, instrument makers, and glass workers. The group's rules also said that money would be set aside to help "unfortunate mechanics and their families" who were having a tough time.
A Look Back: MCMA's History
The Library and Mechanics' Hall
The MCMA opened its library in 1820. The library moved to different places in Portland until 1859. That's when Mechanics' Hall was built. Members of the organization built the hall for their own use. Thomas J. Sparrow, Portland's first professional architect, designed the building. Later, in the late 1800s, a famous local architect named John Calvin Stevens designed the Mechanics' Hall ballroom. Mechanics' Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it's an important historical building.
Fun Events and Learning
The association was very popular in the 1800s. It hosted many fun events, like musical shows and dances. Lectures were also a big hit. Speakers like John Neal talked about interesting subjects. These included how the human body works, physiology (the study of how living things work), natural philosophy (early science), and different ways of heating buildings.
The MCMA also held several fairs and exhibitions. These events showed off the amazing work of its members. One of the biggest fairs happened in 1854. The association was allowed to use all the empty space in Portland City Hall. They even built a two-story building across the street and filled it with exhibits!
Helping the Community
Mechanics' Hall was sometimes used for important community needs. In 1861, the MCMA offered Mechanics' Hall as a place for soldiers to gather. These soldiers were on their way to fight in the Civil War. After a terrible fire destroyed much of Portland in 1866, Mechanics' Hall served as the City Hall for a while.
Learning New Skills
In 1875, the MCMA started offering free classes in mechanical drawing. This is a type of drawing used to design machines and buildings. They continued these classes until 1983. John Calvin Stevens, the architect, was one of the teachers.
MCMA Today
Membership in the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association became smaller during the 1900s and early 2000s. The number of activities they did also decreased. However, the association is now becoming popular again. Many new members have joined, and they have exciting new programs. Today, the MCMA has about four hundred members.
It still runs its library at Mechanics' Hall. The library offers many lectures, book clubs, and other events. These events are about art and history. The library has over 30,000 books. It includes both general interest books and special collections. It is one of the few membership libraries still active in the United States. It is also one of the few Mechanics' Institutes left in North and South America.
See also
- Mechanics' Institutes
- Subscription library
