February/March 2026 by portlandmonthlymagazine

Adventure Calls.

Windham, Maine

Spring blooms with beautiful flowers, sun kissed days and chances to enjoy the sights and sounds of migrant birds.

Summer is your chance to bring the stroller, the swimsuit or the mountain bike and enjoy our many parks and trails.

I n Fall , paddle, fish, or simply take a stroll while enjoying the colorful trees, and the quieter, reflective side of Maine’s outdoors.

Winter arrives with blankets of snow and chances to Ice fish, cross-country ski, skate or snowmobile.

Plan your adventure@ windhamoutdoors.com

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Portland Magazine, aka Portland Monthly Magazine, is published by Sargent Publishing, Inc. Repeat Internet rights are understood to be purchased with all stories and artwork. For questions regarding advertising, invoicing, and payments, call Jennifer Lord at 775-0101.

Feb./March 2026, Volume 41, No. 1 (ISSN: 1073-1857). Letters to the editor are welcome and will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to Portland Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly. Advertisers are responsible for copyrights of materials they submit. Nothing in this issue may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibility for unsolicited materials. All photography has been enhanced for your enjoyment.

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Maine

The World’s Safe Room

“Maybe we can get out of here a few days, just the two of us. Drive up to that place we love in Kennebunkport. Eat some lobster rolls, drink too much sauvignon blanc.”

–Kyle Chandler to Diane Lane in Anniversary.

When Marie Antoinette (yes, that Marie Antoinette) was headed for the guillotine, a wild plan was hatched to rescue her and bring her here to a safe house in Wiscasset on the brig Sally, captained by Mainer Stephen Clough, until things cooled down. The merchant James Swan had it all worked out, and some of her possessions actually made it here and turn up occasionally at auctions, but she never did.

Spoiler alert: Neither does the Georgetown University lecturer in Anniversary (Lionsgate, 2025).

We dare you to try not to relate to Diane Lane in this chilling dystopia that takes place in a present-day D.C. suburb (versus Paris, 1793). No matter what your worldview is, you feel the drip, drip, drip of the changing world order that will lead to the inevitable climax. Off with their heads!

If only they’d been able to escape it all and come up here.

Famously, others have been able to make it. The winter after Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner missed his chance to beat the Mets in the 1986 World Series, he disappeared for a few days. Where? The Isaac Randall House in Freeport. Everybody deserves some quiet time.

For decades, W. E. B. Du Bois found joy camping for two weeks every summer at the Cambridge Gun and Rod Club on the shores of Lake Cobbosseecontee in West Gardiner. Legend has it, the FBI recognized the concept of sanctuary and suspended their surveillance so he could catch up on rest and solace in Maine. Hey, whatever happened to that FBI?

When I was stationed in the steamy-hot Indian Ocean, flying helicopters with a Navy battle group, all I dreamed of was home.

Maine used to be called “the nation’s air conditioner.” We’re a good place to cool down, as long as you watch out for the ice.

What brings you here?

JUST A SIP

Sounds like the perfect addition to Portland! Can’t wait to get a coffee at Y%F [“Turkish Delight,” Winterguide 2026]. Would love to get my fortune read too! Kay Woodbarry via the internet

A TREE GROWS

Just a note to include Lucas Tree Expert Co. next year in your Maine 100 TM. We were founded in 1926—next year is our 100th anniversary—and owned since the 1940s by the Batson family. Our headquarters are in Falmouth; our annual revenues last year were $85M, with 500+ employees. And we’re a subscriber to your great monthly magazine. Art Batson Jr., Lucas Tree Expert Co. Data for The Maine 100TM is generated through our exclusive partnership with Dun &Bradstreet. Please contact them with financial reporting. —Ed.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Was in a doctor’s office recently. Saw an article about Deering Oaks [“The Witness Tree,” May 2025]. Went back—the copy was gone. When I was a kid about 65 years ago, I saw or think I saw a plaque on a tree talking about a massacre that happened there. Never could find it again. I can remember clearly things that never happened, but maybe the author can help me. Thanks! Robert Witham, Hollis Center

T HE CUSTOM HOUSE MONK

by Alden x DW

SEALS OF APPROVAL On the Lose

Number of Portlanders on the peninsula: 70,000. Number of moose in Maine: 70,000. Coincidence?

Hidden Figure

General Joshua Chamberlain spent his last days at 499 Ocean Ave. in Portland, near Payson Park. The hay loft door (right) still carries the badge of his Civil War regiment.

Longtime summer Mainer Abby Elliott, who’s told us she loves the seals in Harpswell—“they’re my friends”—plays Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto in the dark comedy series The Bear. See our interview with the Maine comic trifecta: Abby and her father Chris Elliott are both Saturday Night Live alumni. Grandfather Bob Elliott, whose career spanned five decades, was the Maine half of the legendary duo Bob and Ray. : bit.ly/4sNlfXn

Words & Music Silent Barks

Move over, Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. Jean the Scotch collie, born in Eastport, “was the first American dog star,” says film scholar Edward Lorusso. “It was said that while Florence Turner was a major film star of the early 1910s, Jean the Vitagraph Dog received just as much fan mail as she did.” Best of all, two of Jean’s movies take place in Portland!

Did you know that both Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart went to Camp Wigwam in Waterford? Ethan Hawke was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the brooding Hart, who wrote the words to “My Funny Valentine,” in 2025’s BlueMoon .

Starry Harbor

Singer/songwriter Vienna Teng brings her heart to Ogunquit.

INTERVIEW BY COLIN W. SARGENT

YOU MUST HAVE real insight into the music of math, and vice versa, from your computer science studies at Stanford. Can you tell us how math and music inform your composing and performaning? We suspect it goes a lot deeper than the similarity between GOTO 10 in Basic programming and D.C. al fine!

Haha, “GOTO 10” brings back memories. Yes, the relationship between math and music is a lot

deeper than that, but also a lot fuzzier. I tend to think of it as intellectual and embodied ways of understanding the same stuff. There’s the mechanics of it: you can write out numbers divisible by 7 and you can feel 7/8 time in your body as you play a song in that time signature. And then in both disciplines, you can put those mechanics in service of beauty, of experiencing reality in a new light, of making something genuinely

useful in people’s lives.

As a soprano who plays piano and guitar, have you been influenced by Joni Mitchell? If so, which songs of hers have inspired you?

I’m mostly influenced by Joni by one or two degrees removed. She inspired multiple generations of women to be keenly observant in their songwriting and open-hearted in their musical explorations, and I’m a descendant in that lineage.

Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, The Indigo Girls. I love Joni’s “Both Sides Now,” “River,” and “A Case of You.”

What are your 30 favorite seconds as a performer?

Iperformed for all the third graders of a public school in North Carolina once. For my last song, I asked them to close their eyes while I sang “Green Island Serenade,” a song from Taiwan that I learned from my parent s, as I walked among them on the gymnasium floor. Afterward, in the chaos of school dismissal, this boy came up to me and said, “Ma’am, when you sang that song in Chinese, I felt a feeling on the top of my head like I was in heaven.”

[We agree: www. youtube.com/ watch?v=7Xy4P7PNMjs]

How about your 30 most embarrassing seconds on stage?

A few years ago my looping pedal malfunctioned in the middle of a song and wouldn’t shut off, so the audience and I just had to sit there helplessly listening to it glitch. Finally I called out to the sound engineer that I was going to unplug it, but he didn’t mute it in time, so it made that horrible loud popping sound, and everyone groaned. And that song was actually part of a threesong cycle (“We’ve Got You”), so I had to scrap that whole section of the show.

Letterman, having never seen the show, and after my performance I started walking offstage while David Letterman had to chase after me to shake my hand. Smooth.

Will you be trying out some new material at Jonathan’s on April 10? Do you adjust what you’ll be playing for us in particular?

Yes! I have a Patreon community

Rodgers and Hart, Stephen Sondheim, Maggie Rogers…all four went to summer camp in Maine. Do you think there’s something in the water?

Dang, with a track record like that, I’d love to go to summer camp in Maine! Any favorites or recommendations?

[For info on celebrities’ favorite summer camps, see “Welcome to My Camp,” Feb./March 2021 and/or Maine specialty camps in “The Summer I Found Myself,” Feb./March 2024.]

I was in San Francisco, at the baggage checkin. They said, “Maine? That’s an international flight.” We are a little weird, off the chart, here. Do you have any special feelings for, or expectations of, Maine?

IIt’s either that, or when I was 23 and on Late Show with David

that I share new and evolving material with, and sometimes a song makes it out of that online sounding-board space into a live show. I don’t perform from a set list these days, only a notion of what song to play first when I walk onstage. So people shout out requests, and I recruit them to sing countermelodies or to be my rhythm section. It’ll be great to find out what folks in Maine want to hear that night.

love Maine’s distinct identity—it does feel like a different part of the continent. A few years ago I stopped in Open Door Books in Bath, looking for a graduation present for my bonus daughter, who works with rare book collections. The proprietor, John [Ring], ended up bringing out all kinds of treasures, and we got to chatting about the shortage of bookbinders to restore rare books, and how his go-to guy (Craig, I think?) lived a boat ride away and was inaccessible in the winter.

Of all your songs, which one keeps you awake at night?

The one I’m working on. Any song that just barely exists and seems to want me to write it—that’ll keep me up until it’s light out. n

Brunch Bunch

In the West End, brunch is a meringue of celebrations and appetites.

BY BRIANA BONONCINI

Portland’s West End is not merely a neighborhood; it’s also the center of the city’s thriving brunch scene. It’s an easy, seductive deception— this notion that any old stack of pancakes or eggs Benedict is enough to fuel a morning—but the restaurateurs who welcome us

in the West End understand the deeper craving for ritual, for comfort, for authenticity.

OCOTILLO’S BRIGHT BLOOM

At 211 Danforth Street, the mood jumps with the brightness and intentionality of Ocotillo. Here you’ll find neighborhood moms gathered in the dining room and a solid mix of young

the East End, Ocotillo also pays homage to West Texas BBQ. Start with avocado salsa and chips before moving on to tacos or the brisket hash, lovingly blanketed with a guajillo hollandaise that will have you dreaming about it. Ocotillo is a West End destination that feels light no matter the season.

BEAUTIFUL SWAN

Barely a two-minute walk from Octotillo is Ugly Duckling, the bakery-cafe run by Chaval’s owners. This is where the neighborhood’s quiet refusal to be pinned down takes its most delicious form. The menu features pastries, sandwiches, and cocktails. It’s messy, brilliant, and utterly unafraid to be itself. They also host RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties, giving us all something to look forward to on the gloomiest of days.

The No. 2 give you the perfect bite each time with just enough runny-yolk goodness to dip the sandwich corners into.

Ugly Duckling is where the neighborhood’s quiet refusal to be pinned down takes its most delicious form.

Sandwiches come on their house-made English muffins which contain the perfect nooks and crannies to sop up golden egg yolks.

FOREVER RUSKI’S

Ruski’s is a living museum where old Portland meets new.

Walking around the corner of Danforth and Clark on any morning is to smell the coffee and the salt-cured air in equal measure, a perfume that leads inevitably to Ruski’s Tavern. Ruski’s isn’t a restaurant, it’s a living museum of where old Portland meets new. Sit elbow to elbow with regulars who know everyone as they kick back coffee, maybe with some hair of the dog.

Dimly lit but brightly welcoming, Ruskis features walls that tell the restaurant’s history through photos, celebrity autographs, union patches and a drawing of Bob Saget. It’s the kind of place where the eggs are unapol-

ogetically scrambled, potatoes are piled onto the plate, and the hot sauce is house-made. The West End’s brunch scene is not defined by opulence; it’s defined by a series of precise, small choices that together form a com-

plete landscape. From the familiar embrace of Ruski’s to the sharp artistry of Ocotillo, and the revelatory strangeness of Ugly Duckling, these spots are not just serving food— they’re giving shape to the Portland brunch, one deeply satisfying plate at a time. n

All

Lasagne, Stuffed Shells

Desserts

Gluten

Menus Tailored

FINE DINING

Enjoy Maine’s spectacular protected areas.

The Land for Maine’s Future program has protected hundreds of places to hike, ski, bike, wildlife watch, & more.

The Natural Resources Council of Maine has long supported LMF. Find LMF sites at our online Explore Maine map and plan your next adventure today!

Become a member of the Natural Resources Council of Maine today and make a difference for Maine’s protected lands and waters.

The Corner Room features bright, wide-open space with towering ceilings complemented by handcrafted woodwork. Patrons can expect a warm, comfortable atmosphere, marked by the arich aromas of house-made pastas, pizzas, antipasti and artisanal breads. Come and enjoy the taste of Venice in the heart of Portland, ME! 8794747, 110 Exchange Street. Visit thecornerroomkitchenandbar.com for more information.

Boone’s A Portland landmark since 1898. Original home of Alexander Boone’s world-famous Baked Stuffed Lobster. Two waterfront decks, two full bars, two cozy dining rooms, fireside tables. Perfect setting to enjoy the finest seafood from Maine and the world. Steaks, chowder, lobster rolls, grilled dishes, daily features. Visit Boone’s for a romantic date, business luncheon, family gathering or large banquet. BoonesFishHouse.com

Bruno’s Portland’s Best Italian, Market Surveys of America. Silver medal, Best Italian, Best of 207. Seriously delicious Italian, American, seafood dishes with signature in-house pasta (Bruno’s Pasta Co. goodies entice in statewide culinary stores). Great sandwiches, pizza, calzones, soups, chowders, salads. Lunch/ dinner in dining room or tavern—casual dining as an art form. 33 Allen Ave., 878-9511, restaurantji.com/ me/portland/brunos-restaurantand-tavern-/

Leonardo’s Pizza, is a beloved local spot for handcrafted pizzas on organic whole-wheat or white King Arthur flour crusts. Known for specialty pies like Fennel Sausage and vegan “Salvation,” it offers delivery and take-out. (207) 775-4444, 415 Forest Ave, Portland, leonardosonline.com.

Maria’s Ristorante Portland’s original classic Italian restaurant. Greg & Tony Napolitano prepare classics: Zuppa di Pesce, Eggplant Parmigia-

3 Wade Street • Augusta, Maine 04330 207.622.3101 • Fax: 207.622.4343 • NRCM.org

na, Grilled Veal Sausages, Veal Chop Milanese, homemade cavatelli pastas, Pistachio Gelato & Maine’s Best Meatballs. See our own sauce in local stores. $11.95-$22.95. Open at 5 Wed.-Sat. Catering always avail. 1335 Congress Street 772-9232, mariasrestaurant.com.

DiMillo’s On the Water Now’s the time to enjoy everything DiMillo’s has to offer: fabulous dishes prepared by Head Chef, Melissa Bouchard, voted one of Maine’s Chefs of the Year, plus Certified Angus Beef, Italian and the best lobster around. Our outside dining is unparalleled. Open Monday thru Saturday at noon, Commercial St., Old Port 772-2216. Always FREE PARKING while aboard.

Flatbread Company Portland Situated on the working waterfront next to Casco Bay Cruise Lines in Portland’s Old Port. Family-friendly restaurant with signature wood-fired, pizzas, fresh salads, local craft beer, spirits and local, organic fresh ingredients. Pet friendly, deck seating on the water during summer. 72 Commercial St., 772-8777, flatbreadcompany.com.

Joseph’s by the Sea in Old Orchard Beach offers breathtaking views of Saco Bay. Enjoy indoor dining, outdoor seating, an upstairs lounge, and a rooftop deck. We specialize in locally sourced seafood and fresh Maine lobster. Closed for the season, we’ll reopen in March. Contact us at info@josephsbythesea.com or call 207-934-5044 for more info.

Discover Oun Lido’s, Portland’s newest culinary gem at 30 Market St. Chef Bounahcree “Bones” Kim blends Cambodian and Cantonese flavors in standout dishes like twicefried lemon chicken, lemongrass beef skewers, and savory stir-fried noodles. Named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants of 2024, this cozy spot offers both takeout and indoor seating. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 11 AM–8 PM. Call 207-554-3111 or visit ounlidos.com to order.

LIBERTY

Portland

10 Moulton Street in the Old Port. 207-518-9599

Freeport

At the corner of Main & Mill. 207-881-7736 and in the Midcoast:

Outlet Store

58 Main Street, Liberty, Maine 207-589-4035

Camden 13 Mechanic Street, Camden, Maine 207-230-8079

Nature T-shirts

INVITED! YOU’RE

LIVE AND LEARN IN VACATIONLAND

Did you know you can receive a nationally recognized college education right here in southern Maine? While you’re enjoying the coast, stop by UNE’s seaside campus to tour our state-ofthe-art facilities, ask questions, and discover how a UNE education can launch a meaningful career.

Schedule a campus visit. www.une.edu/visit

UNE is Maine’s #1 provider of health professionals and the Brookings Institute’s #1 college in Maine for increasing career earnings. We are dedicated to giving you life-changing, handson learning experiences through internships, research, and study abroad programs, and our close-knit campus community is warmly welcoming and supportive. www.une.edu

The Road to Morocco

The University of New England provides a window to the world.

BY REBECCA BARR

While Maine may be tucked into a remote corner of New England, many of Maine’s colleges and universities have robust global initiatives. But the University of New England is unique in that it has its very own custom-built campus in the heart of one of the world’s most intriguing cities: Tangier, Morocco.

What makes O’Donal’s a real nursery?

Our greenhouses are brimming with new perennials, shrubs, trees, and fruits! Our mission is to offer you the widest selection of plants and we achieve this by growing them ourselves.

O’Donal’s Gift & Garden Shop

We specialize in needful things, books for the naturalist, thoughtful gifts, houseplants, and garden accessories.

The contrast between Morocco and Maine is on display as I stroll into the Office of Global Affairs at UNE’s Biddeford campus on a sunny but frigid recent morning. As I enter the room, senior director Emily Dragon warmly waves

Some students do internships, including at the lush Donabo Botanical Gardens.

wraps up an urgent phone call with her flight booking agent. As is unfortunately all too common when managing global operations between Maine and Morocco, a storm is threatening to impede her upcoming trip to Tangier. Early in my career, I worked for Emily at UNE to support the university’s work in Morocco and across the globe. At the time, I had just moved from Qatar to Maine, so I was used to juggling two very different worlds, and UNE’s

unique presence in Morocco enticed me to work at the university.

Prior to the founding of the Morocco campus, Dragon says, UNE “didn’t have very many students studying abroad because of the types of majors [we’re known for offering]: health professions, nursing, dental hygiene, students who are going into medical biology for premed, pre-dental, pre-physician assistant, and so on.” To help students in these popular majors at UNE study abroad, UNE built its own campus in Tangier, complete with state-of-the-art laboratory space for classes like Organic Chemistry, Physics,

Julia Gold, Lexi Lawler, Amanda Bergman, and Fiona Rigney.

OUT THERE

Applied Microbiology, and Anatomy & Physiology.

“The campus was built and opened for our first group in the spring of 2015, when we had our inaugural group.” Other than a brief pause during COVID, the campus has been going strong ever since, bringing undergraduate students from Maine to Morocco for a semester abroad. This spring, they have a cohort of 59 on the ground in Tangier already, their largest yet.

This has led to a shift in how Morocco is embedded in the undergraduate experience. Dr. Debra Leahy says, “I was struck when I enjoyed a lunch on the Tangier campus with students, and I asked them how they’d decided to study in Tangier. One said it’s never a

question of if you study abroad in Tangier, but rather when

The campus itself is stunning, and even the gorgeous photos “don’t do it justice,” Dragon tells me. “The landscaping, the tile

work, the architecture, and the design are very much Moroccan. But we’ve brought in the UNE blue and the elements of UNE that tie it to our campuses in Maine as well, so it feels both familiar and very different.”

Even with such a beautiful campus in a unique location, the focus all comes back to the impact on UNE students. “It’s not uncommon for us to have students who have never traveled outside the U.S. when they [begin] this experience. It also comes up sometimes that students have never been on an airplane.” Dragon says this adventure “really allows students to step outside of their comfort zone,” and with the support of UNE staff, they can “take this type of necessary risk in a

really unique and supportive way.”

“I like to throw myself into new and sometimes uncomfortable experiences in hopes of creating memories and making sure I have no regrets from this experience,” says UNE student Fiona Rigney, currently in Tangier. “I’m much more open to talking to new people here than in the United States, which I think is a credit to how inviting

everyone is.” One of her favorite memories so far is attending the African Cup of Nations semi-final and watching Morocco beat Nigeria in an intense soccer match. “A group of about twenty UNE students—all wearing Moroccan soccer jerseys— ran through the streets of Tangier, screaming and celebrating alongside thousands of Moroccans. The energy was electric.”

While staying on track with their coursework, students immerse themselves in Moroccan society. Some do ongoing service

The energy was electric…I like to throw myself into new and sometimes uncomfortable experiences.

learning projects at a local veterinary clinic, assist at a children’s home, or shadow local nurses and doctors. Some students do internships, including at the lush Donabo Botanical Gardens.

In their daily lives, students use all five senses to soak up the local culture. Strolling through Tangier’s medina, the historic winding streets of the old city, students can smell the vast array of spices and enjoy a cup of Moroccan mint tea. Back on campus, “there’s a couple of mosques within earshot, so you hear that interesting echo or ricochet of all the different calls to prayer happening at the same time,” Dragon says. And students use their sense of touch as they pet the most popular, albeit unofficial, residents of the campus: the parade of adorable cats that roam the streets of Tangier and are well cared for by the local community.

While there are many differences between Maine and Morocco, one striking similarity shines between the two: our love of lighthouses. Whether looking out at Casco Bay from Portland Head Light or at the Strait of Gibraltar from Cape Spartel, the lights between Maine and Morocco are only growing brighter as UNE’s Tangier Campus continues to thrive. n

While UNE has its own campus in Morocco, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, College of the Atlantic, Husson, and University of Maine also offer a robust range of global education programs.

FIONA RIGNEY

THE 7TH ANNUAL

bliss WEDDING SHOW

MARCH 14 & 15, 2026

THOMPSON’S POINT PORTLAND

MAKE YOUR DAY SPECTACULAR

Planners, ﬂorists, entertainment, photographers, caterers, bakers, ofﬁciants, venues, décor, gifts, honeymoons and much more...

We have Maine’s BEST vendors here to meet you!

Photos by caron&co photography

The Truth About Cats

A Maine firm has the answer for a cat on a hot tin roof.

BY AMELIA BODGE

If you live with a cat, you already know they like what they like, and they’re not shy about letting you know when something doesn’t make the cut. That’s a challenge South Portland-based ElleVet Sciences knows well, and it’s what

led the company to its newest product: Feline CBD + CBDA Soft Chews, designed to support mobility, comfort, and overall well-being in cats.

ElleVet is proud of its veterinarian-trusted products and careful clinical research, but this time the problem was more down-to-earth.

How do you make a supplement that a cat will actually eat? The answer, it turns out, is a salmon-flavored chew made just for persnickety palates.

The chews are small, soft, and triangular—an intentional shift away from oils, pastes, and soft gels that can turn supplement time into a daily standoff. It’s a simple idea, but one that’s likely to feel familiar to anyone who’s ever tried to outsmart a determined house cat.

“Developing products for cats requires a fundamentally different approach,” says Christian Kjaer, executive chair and co-founder. “Cats are notoriously picky, so creating a chew that’s both palatable and scientifically effective” is a bold leap forward.

Early word from vets and cat owners has been encouraging. People are reporting more playfulness, more social behavior, and improvements in urinary health—signs that cats may simply be feeling more comfortable in their everyday routines.

The launch follows ElleVet’s late 2025 study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery . The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled research shows meaningful gains in mobility in cats receiving the company’s CBD + CBDA formulation.

Good news to curl up to. n

All Aboard this Winter!

John Legend

Waterville Opera House, 1 Common St., Femmes of Rock, March 13,

March 5 - May 2, 2026

Small Town, Big Love.

Prom Queen

The intertwined story of the Merrill/Macgowan clan who lived at 5 Eastern Promenade is the story of 20th-century Portland.

BY COLIN W. SARGENT

From 1898 to 2021, the Henry Merrill Mansion, designed by John Calvin Stevens, housed generations of the Merrill & Macgowan family on a bluff with spectacular views of the harbor— families whose lives braided themselves into the civic fabric of Portland. The Macgowans owned Custom House Wharf for more than two centuries, 1807-2021. But only one resident arrived by sea from another continent to rule this Queen Anne castle with such bonny grace. Helen McGaw Macgowan (1927–2015) was

born in Campbeltown, Scotland—a harbor town with a long memory and a fine opinion of itself.

According to her obituary, “She left her childhood home to work as a clerk in the city of Glasgow, and it was there that she met her husband. She crossed the Atlantic at nineteen, newly married to Carroll M. Macgowan (1892-1973), a [much older and world-traveled American sea captain]. For seventy years, she raised two sons, worked at Key Bank, lived in Falmouth, served as matron of the Iona Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, and belonged to the St. Lawrence Congregational Church and later the North Deering Congregational Church. After Carroll’s death, the Eastern Prom became her permanent port, and she married John Macgowan.

“Helen was known for her quick wit, social gravity, and generosity

that came with a wink.

“‘I’d give you the shirt off my back,’ she liked to say, ‘except it would probably look better on me.’

Her happiest hours were spent entertaining in the house on the Prom. Though she had stories enough to fill the rooms, she was a great listener. She held court from an armchair, collecting news, gossip, confidences, and life-stories. Helen passed away at 88, fittingly at home on the Eastern Promenade, overlooking Portland harbor, on April 15, 2015.”

A nineteen-year-old Scottish girl swept off to America by a sea captain might sound like a perilous fairy tale. But Campbeltown, as it turns out, resembles Portland—

Henry F. Merrill (1864-1956) was an official in the local fuel company of Randall an McAllister. John F. Randall’s construction of a house at 33 Eastern Promenade in 1893 may have been influenced by Merrill’s choice of this beautiful site overlooking Portland Harbor…House and land were valued [in late 1898] at $7,000.”

Calvin Stevens Domestic Architecture 1890-1930 by

World War Two-era passport of Helen McGaw Macgowan, who emigrated from Scotland to the U.S. at 19. She charmed Mainers for decades from her throne in Portland. Discovered in a recent eBay listing.

—John

John Calvin Steven II and Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.

peninsular, maritime, and self-possessed. Paul McCartney retreated to his farm near Campbeltown with his bride, Linda Eastman, during the Beatles’ breakup and wrote “The Long and Winding Road” along its shoreline. Helen, by all accounts, recognized the landscape when she saw it.

CHASING THE FAMILY LEGEND

A conversation with Helen’s son, Ken Macgowan. We reached the former owner of Custom House Wharf & The Port Hole restaurant, and former co-owner of Casablanca Cruises at his winter residence in Palm Beach.

Tell us about the many spirits in here. My great-grandfather [Henry F. Merrill, the treasurer and general manager for Randall and McAllister Coal Co., of Portland] had this house designed by John Calvin Stevens and built in 1898. My uncle lived here from the 1950s on—it was single-family until then. He turned it into a multi-family. One tenant lived here for thirty years, until she passed away.

My great-grandfather also had something to do with Longfellow. When we sold the house, we found about 200 Longfellow prints in the attic. [A letter exists in which he lobbies with Herbert Hoover to make Longfellow’s birthday a national holiday.]

What floor did you live on when you lived here?

We were downstairs most of the time. We made the first floor into an apartment. My mother lived there, and I lived there too, starting in 1978. The attic was always known as the pool room. That started getting split off around 1968. My uncle, George E. Macgowan Jr., made that his space.

Your favorite or most contemplative spot here?

The attic. I cleaned it up and rediscovered the cupola facing the Million Dollar Bridge. Just a round dome looking straight out at the harbor. You could see everything—from Peaks Island to the Portland Observatory. That became my office after my uncle left. I actually lived at 5 Eastern Prom twice: from ’78 to ’80, and again in the early ’90s, after my first divorce, for a couple of years. After my mother passed away, I took control of the place.

What was the most interesting ship you ever saw in the harbor?

That’s a good question. Probably during the test runs after sea trials out of Bath, after they built the ferry terminal.

The recent condo conversion looks like a full gut renovation. Thoughts? They had to take it down to the studs—rewire everything from knob and tube, install sprinklers. I held the paper on it for a while and stayed in touch with the developer until late 2024. I think he planned to keep the first floor for himself. Maine guy originally.

[Per city records, the multifamily mansion sold in 2021 for under $1.5M and then changed hands again in 2024. It’s been offered as 3 units with a total estimated value over $9M. Discounts of over $500K were available on two of the units. None appears on the market at press time; the owner declined an interview via his rep.]

Did your family have a nickname for the mansion?

No. We did have a camp—Gem Cottage, for George E. Macgowan. But the house was just the house.

What major world event (the moon landing, disco inferno, 9/11) most shook the house while you lived here?

The Julie N hitting the bridge. That’s the one that sticks.

If you were to write “A Portrait of Helen by her Son,” would you include the shirt-off-my-back line? Does it sound like her?

Yup. Very outgoing. Most of her friends were waterfront people from the mid-1960s on. She was especially close to the Trains, the multi-generational lobstering family on Long Island.

Did she return to Scotland often?

Only twice after she moved here. I went with her once and met my grandmother. We went back again in 2003. I still have a cousin there. Once she became American, this was home.

Could you hear a Scottish burr in her speech?

Never. Well, very softly after a drink. Scotch and whisky. About the only thing she really cooked was liver. She watched a lot of cooking shows, which was funny, because she didn’t cook much. She liked old music—Roger Miller,

Sea Stories

CARGO SHIP, HALTED BY BRITISH,

ARRIVES;

The Explorer Back From India After Two Encounters

The New York Times Archives March 19, 1941

The American Export Line cargo vessel Explorer completed a three-month round-trip voyage to India and Ceylon yesterday when she arrived at Pier F, Jersey City, with a cargo of hemp, cotton, rubber, and tea.

Captain Carroll Macgowan , the ship’s master, reported that he had been stopped by British warships for identification off Trinidad ten days ago, and had been stopped near Dakar during the outbound passage.

The Trinidad encounter occurred,

he said, when the ship did not abide by a new ruling calling for all vessels to stop at the mouth of the harbor. A British patrol boat fired a blank shot, signaling him to halt. At Dakar, a light British cruiser, followed by a heavy one, approached the freighter and asked by blinker signal for identification, Captain Macgowan related.

“The light cruiser bore down with gun turrets trained on us,” he said. “As both vessels manoeuvred, you could see the guns moving to keep us covered. They circled us several times with guns leveled right at us to make sure we were not a raider and then let us go on our way.”

ST. AGNES RESCUE

The log of the American Export liner Exochorda, which arrived here yesterday from Lisbon with 190 passengers…[dramatizes] submarine warfare against England [in] the Atlantic.

Captain Carroll Macgowan, master of the liner, said the ship had received three SOS calls from torpedoed British vessels between Sept. 14 and Sept. 21…Two of the calls, on the twenty-first, were too far

away for the Exochorda to answer, but the first, on the fourteenth, took the ship 120 miles north of her course to a position 600 miles from the Portuguese coast, where a rescue of sixty-four men from the freighter SaintAgnes was successfully effected…

“[Aboard the Exochorda, we were] about four miles away from the SaintAgnes, which was sinking by the head,”

Captain Macgowan said. “Apparently they were trying to fire over the ship and hit the

gun on the freighter’s stern. I guess they didn’t know the crew had already gone. We steamed south, away from the ship and the submarine, and found three lifeboats, with thirteen Englishmen and fifty-one Lascar seamen.”…Captain Macgowan said that all the crew were saved. Other passengers were Leon Dabo, an American painter who has been living in Paris for about twenty-five years, who came back with his wife...

Carroll Macgowan

The New York Times Archives September 28, 1940

’50s stuff.

Family nicknames?

I was Kenny. She was the only one allowed to call me that. My father, Carroll, was “the Skipper.” My brother Carroll Jr. was “Skippy.” So, Kenny and Skippy.

And the love story, in plain terms?

She was a great beauty. She married a much older sea captain. She was born in 1927 and came here at 21[her obituary says 19]. My father was in his fifties—merchant marine, in command of ships from the Middle East to Europe and beyond. [Captain Carroll Macgowan was a dashing figure who had saved many lives at sea during World War II— see “Sea Stories,” previous spread.] When I was four years old in 1959 or 1960, he was swept from an upper level in a storm, landing on a lower deck and was paralyzed. He died when I was in high school in the 1970s. My mother’s second husband, John Macgowan, was her nephew by marriage.

Helen Macgowan held the Prom the way some women hold a room: lightly, attentively, and with impeccable timing. The house has changed hands. The harbor keeps moving. But for decades, if you wanted the news—or a drink, or a perfectly delivered line—you knew where to go. n

Research by Amelia Bodge

Aviator Charles Lindbergh’s aw-shucks schtick is a mask for a monster who destroys strangers and loved ones with equal indifference.

Hunter makes a fortune exposing fraudsters. When he stumbles across the corpse of his German teacher on his old reformatory grounds, he’s certain he is onto something evil and becomes drawn into the mystery.

Unsure who his own father is, Hunter is no angel himself. A former “black ops” military officer, he knows what he has to do to get the job done,no matter the cost.

Nightmares, hallucinations, and fragments of grisly memories knock on the door of his subconscious. Even the stage prop “Old Sparky” in his new lover’s lurid Grand Guignol connects a deadly circuit in Hunter.

Orisa cards warn of air disaster. Brainy Pia offers a path out of his disintegration. Traveling the globe—Paris, Berlin, Geneva, and London—Hunter can’t resist the magnetic scene south of New York where the Crime of the Century once played out.

Hunter is falling through the universe’s trap door. He’s headed for hell—unless he can redeem himself with one final flight. Now Available as an audiobook on

Next training session is March 202 6

COMMERCIAL—AUGUSTA

12,000 sq. ft. commercial building on 1 acre in Augusta, just o Western Ave. Flexible layout with ample parking—perfect for o ices, medical, retail, or multi-use. Convenient yet private location, o ering strong investment and business potential. MLS#1638331 | $525,000

GREENE—SABATTUS LAKE

Lakefront living on Sabattus Lake! You are literally almost on the water with this lakeside yearround home! Welcome to Barnard Cove. With 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths, this stunning property provides incredible versatility—whether you are seeking a full time home, a vacation retreat, an income producing short term rental. Metal roofs, vinyl siding, reasonable taxes and a whole house on demand generator. Location is ideal and close to everything! MLS#1644351 | $629,000

THREE CORNER POND

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WOODBURY POND

LITCHFIELD—Classic lakefront with 4 acres and 300 ft of pristine waterfront on the last remaining open cove on Woodbury Pond in Litchfield. The waterfront lot is level and inviting to all and perfect for all ages with no slope. MLS#1604469 • $413,000

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COMMERCIAL

2,400 sq. ft. commercial space in Wilton, ME, approved for a 50-seat restaurant. New plumbing, electrical, and foundation. Ideal for various businesses, with high foot tra ic, downtown location, and easy access to Farmington. MLS#1634154 • $215,000

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SUGARLOAF Ski and Golf Resort land.

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LOOKING FOR WATERFRONT? Here is one of our several waterfront listings. 4 bd 3 bath with ROW to water and near boat launch and public beach. $380,000. CSM has water front homes, camps and land in the beautiful western mtns of Maine. Spring Lake, Flagstaff Lake, Embden Pond and rivers and streams.

Beautiful western mountains of Maine. Cape on 80 acres of ﬁelds and forest! Dead end road in Salem Township. Fish Hatchery Rd. Fireplace. 3 bed, 2 baths plus additional large sunroom. Garage and building/ workshop. Fruit trees and berry bushes. $395,000

259 MAIN STREET, KINGFIELD CSMREALESTATE.COM | 207-265-4000 JANET@CSMREALESTATE.COM

259 MAIN STREET, KINGFIELD CSMREALESTATE.COM |

James L. Eastlack, Owner Broker 207-864-5777

KE –Lakeside Marina & Convenience - Wonderful ortuinty in downtown commercial zoning, convenience ps, gas, boat rental business, great waterfront 000 SP p year ro s

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2582 Main St - cial eet w/ 105' on Rangeley Lake, Marina/ e, 25+ Slips, Gas, Shop, Downtown cial Zoning, High T c Location, $965,000.

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–Gorgeous VIEWS overlooking Rangeley Lake Ski Area, wonderful estate property located just ngeley village, 48.32 Acres,4 bed,4.5 bath home w/ guest quarters. $1,495,000.

breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and Saddleback Lake. This traditionalstyle ski retreat with knotty pine cathedral ceilings and wainscoting panels harkens back to days of authenticity and craftsmanship Open layout, custom cabinets, and seamlessly into the dining and living entertaining. Large windows frame picturesque views of the surrounding warm welcome from outdoor activities 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths with plenty of space. $769,900 259

BEAVER MOUNTAIN LAKE

Location is Everything

Perched high on a hillside along the shore of Casco Bay, this home is a sight to behold. Set high above the road, serenity and privacy await. An expansive back yard with beautiful landscapes and a custom, in-ground, natural swimming pool. The detached garage has an auxiliary dwelling unit above for rental income or a private space for guests.

Room to Call Home

Dramatic and expansive spaces abound, from the living and its wall full of built-ins, the dining room that’s scaled for a banquet, to the custom built kitchen with storage galore, the main living level is an absolute dream. The second level maintains the theme of abundance beginning with the primary suite with spa-like bath, and carrying on to four very generous additional bedrooms.

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www.ditarando.com Animal Art/Garden Elements

THIS AD RAN IN FOUR ISSUES: Sept/Oct 2022 issue of Yankee. Mar/Apr 2023 issue of Yankee. May/June 2023 issue of Yankee.

2023 Garden Guide.

Animal Art/Garden Elements

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Roger’s sculpture covers the gamut from fine art to whimsy including functional garden elements, weathervanes, birdbaths, gates, fountains and more.

sculptures

cer, Little League, cheerleading, and pre-season football practice. Camp world says: “Yeah, okay, but what about fishing? Waterskiing? Archery? Canoeing? Kayaking? Horseshoe pitching? S’mores?”

In the 1960s, Hancock Pond had an added benefit—perhaps Maine’s best bass fishing. Statewide contests were held each summer. Kids learned about fishing, lures,

cocktail of summer camp, farm on the coast, art retreat

Level Up Your Brainpower at Maine’s Premier Nerd Camp Does your child ages 10-14 enjoy learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math? Playing Magic the Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Chess, Checkers, and solving puzzles? They might like the MSSM STEM Summer Camp in Limestone Maine www.MSSM.org/summer

LAST WORDS

bobbers, the perfect times and locations to fish, how to bait a hook with a worm, and how to clean and cook fish.

Added bonus for our contestants: get to overhear grown-ups on the topic of illegal strategems to

STEM Outreach at the University of Southern Maine STEM Outreach at the University of Southern Maine

SUMMER DAY CAMPS

A diverse selection of camp su ects including rotating specialt camps

A diverse selection of camp subjects, including rotating specialty camps

Prevention of Summer

Learning Loss by keeping students’ minds active

Custom curriculum taught by passionate and experienced educators

Development of academic and social s ills in a s pportive environment

Development of academic and social skills in a supportive environment

STEM Summer Camps

SUMMER RESIDENTIAL CAMPS

The best of the college dorm experiece while learning on the University of Southern Maine’s historic Gorham Campus

Three delicious and nutritous meals in the Bailey Dining Hall-plus, two snacks a day during programs

Three delicious and nutritous meals in the Bailey Dining Hall-plus, two snacks a day during programs!

A diverse selection of camp subjects, with opportunity to explore multiple concepts

A diverse selection of camp sub ects, with opportunity to explore multiple concepts

Development of social skills in the classroom and during fun-packed evening activites

win fishing tournaments.

“No way Bob caught an 11-inch fish,” a lady complained once at an awards ceremony.

“I bet he caught it last week and put it in water in his fridge for a week.” Savaging neighbors is great sport.

You’d be surprised at how many places there are at a camp for a 16-year-old boy to have a sexual fantasy—woods, under picnic tables, on the dock, down the camp road, and also—WAIT!! TYPO!

SIRI DICTATION PROBLEM!

What I meant to say here is, you’d be surprised at how many times Grandma would bring cooking projects to camp—and we all learned how to bake a pie on an open campfire, and how to melt cheese and marshmallows for sandwiches. Thank you.

Last but not least, ghost stories. Any self-respecting parent is required to scare the crap out of their kids on rainy nights with stories about peg-legged, wailing ghosts or a little old lady who was axe-murdered 38 years ago (main suspect: a real estate agent who was promised, then lost, a listing).

Enjoy camp. And remember to tip your waitresses and bartender. n

Dirt Road to Paradise

BY DAN WARREN

Summer camps invite kids and adults to go into the hinterlands of Maine to see faraway places, and new ones. Meddybemps. Mooselookmeguntic. The Golden Road. Q.E.D.

In 1959, my father built a camp for our family on Hancock Pond in Denmark near Sebago Lake. On one of the back roads was that road sign you see on gift shop postcards: nine or ten wooden slats with names shared by Maine towns and European destinations (Norway, Paris, Denmark, Naples, Sweden…). Pretty cool to a seven-

year-old.

Most every lake with a dirt road sets up a “road association” to oversee gravel loads, spreading equipment, gutter excavation, and pothole manicuring. Eightyear-old kids get to hear Mom and Dad complain about Mr. McGillicuddy, the neighbor two camps down, and his refusal to pay the $25 annual camp dues. Really colorful language. A guy could get his Eagle Scout in Leaf Raking and Potty Talking.

Nowadays, every bougie kid on planet Earth does travel soc-