Forest Avenue
43°40′51″N70°17′22″W/ 43.68091°N 70.28955°W
| Green Street (formerly) | |
 Forest Avenue and the skyline of downtownPortland, Maine,looking southeast | |
 | |
| Part of |  US 302 |
|---|---|
| Length | 4.78 mi (7.69 km) |
| Location | Portland, Maine,U.S. |
| Northwest end | Bridgton Road |
| Southeast end | Congress Street |
Forest Avenue(formerly known asGreen Street;colloquially known asForest Ave) is a major street inPortland, Maine,United States. It runs for around 4.78 miles (7.69 km), from Bridgton Road in the northwest toCongress Street,in downtown Portland, in the southeast. It is the main artery for traffic entering and leaving Portland to and from the west via city streets. Forest Avenue passes to the south ofBack Cove,whileWashington Avenuepasses to its north. The street ends in Portland'sArts District.
Forest Avenue is part ofU.S. Route 302(US 302) for almost its entire course. US 302 reaches its eastern terminus at Forest Avenue's interchange withInterstate 295(I-295) andU.S. Route 1(US 1) at the southern end ofBack Cove.[1]
Route[edit]
Forest Avenue picks up theU.S. Route 302designation from Bridgton Road at the crossing of thePresumpscot Riverat the border betweenWestbrookand the Riverton area of Portland. It continues southeast, crossing Riverside Street and passing beneathInterstate 95.At Allen Avenue inMorrills Corner,[2]Forest Avenue picks up theMaine State Route 100(SR 100) designation, continuing southward toward the historicWoodfords Cornerneighborhood.[3]There, at its intersection with Ocean Avenue, Forest Avenue crosses the formerMaine Central Railroad,[4]used today byAmtrak'sDowneasterservice.[5]At Woodford Street, Forest Avenue turns southeast as it begins its final approach into downtown Portland. In the Oakdale neighborhood, Forest Avenue develops central turning lanes between the Preble Street andBaxter Boulevardintersections. NearUniversity of Southern Maine's Glickman Library, Forest Avenue passes through thecloverleaf intersectionformed byI-295's exits 6A and 6B. It is at this point that Forest Avenue drops its US 302 designation, but continues as SR 100.
After emerging from the cloverleaf, Forest Avenue crosses an intersection with Marginal Way to the east andState Street(State Route 77) at the eastern edge ofDeering Oaks Park.It begins running parallel toHigh Streetat this point. After passing the historicUnited States Post Officeat the corner of Portland Street, in the Parkside neighborhood, Forest Avenue begins climbing the prominent hill of the central part of the Portland peninsula. In its final stretch, Forest Avenue crossesCumberland Avenuebefore terminating atCongress StreetinCongress Square.
Forest Avenue study[edit]
In 2012, the City of Portland completed a five-year Transforming Forest Avenue study, which envisioned a move away from the strip-mall design evident in the one-mile stretch between I-295 and Woodfords Corner, instead favoring a pedestrian-friendly layout.[6]
Notable addresses[edit]
The City of Portland has designated as Individual City Landmarks five of seventeen historic buildings on Forest Avenue:[7]
- 660 Forest Avenue (Woodford Food & Beverage as of 2024)
- 648 Forest Avenue
- Independent Order of Odd FellowsBlock, 643–651 Forest Avenue
- 630 Forest Avenue
- Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Store (1915), 617–619 Forest Avenue[8]
Other notable addresses (from northwest to southeast:)
- Baxter Woods,a nature preserve andmunicipal forest
- The Great Lost Bear,540 Forest Avenue
- 517–533 Forest Avenue[8]
- Forest Gardens/David Munster Building,[9]371–373 Forest Avenue[6]
- Creative Trails Building, 369 Forest Avenue[9]
- Oakhurst Dairy,364 Forest Avenue
- Palmer Spring, 351–355 Forest Avenue, a successor to L. C. Glidden Auto Company, which began making springs for horse-drawn carriages in 1849[6]
- 331–337 Forest Avenue (1920)[8]
- Portland Main Post Office(1932), listed on theNational Register of Historic Places
- Portland Stage Company,25A Forest Avenue
In 2016, the City of Portland's plans to demolish five Forest Avenue buildings,[9]to be replaced by aCVSstore, was met with public outcry.[6]
Destroyed buildings[edit]
The City Hotel formerly stood at the southern corner of today's Forest Avenue and Congress Street. It was demolished in 1894 and replaced two years later by the Congress Square Hotel.[10]
Public transportation[edit]
Greater Portland Metro's routes 2 (Forest Avenue), 3 (Westbrook Crosstown) and 4 (Westbrook), andBiddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit's route 70, serve Forest Avenue.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Greaton, Everett F.Maine, a Guide "Down East"(1937) pp. 375–381
- ^"Friends of Morrill's Corner"– City of Portland
- ^"It's time to plan creatively for Portland's Forest Avenue transformation".Bangor Daily News.2014-10-06.Retrieved2024-03-21.
- ^Maine Central Railroad (1917).Hand-Book of Officers, Agents, Stations and Sidings.Edwin B. Robertson.
- ^Johnson, Ron.The Best of Maine Railroads(1985). Portland Litho
- ^abcd"Outcry prompts Portland council to consider rezoning site on Forest Avenue where CVS plans store".Press Herald.2016-01-30.Retrieved2024-03-21.
- ^"Greater Portland Landmarks - Forest Avenue".Greater Portland Landmarks.Retrieved2024-03-21.
- ^abc"Greater Portland Landmarks - Forest Avenue Stories".Greater Portland Landmarks.Retrieved2024-03-21.
- ^abc"Demolition plan highlights history of Portland buildings".Press Herald.2016-01-12.Retrieved2024-03-21.
- ^"Portland's Congress Square Hotel Postcard".DigitalCommons@UMaine.Retrieved2024-04-16.
External links[edit]
- Forest Avenue and Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine: Historic Context– Scott T. Hanson, Sutherland Conservation and Consulting, August 2015
