Brickyard Hollow

The neighborhood of Brickyard Hollow at 9 Commercial Street, is a Portland area rich with tradition and history. Located between the former Grand Trunk Railroad Station on India Street, and George H. Winns Soda factory to the west, the historic district is one of the few east coast waterfronts which look substantially the same as it did in the 1870s. Commercial Street, which was constructed in the early 1850s mostly survived the Great Fire of 1866 and subsequently prospered due to the rapid redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhoods, which became more cohesive and residential. The Franklin Wharf 33, was a landing spot for many passengers on the underground railroad and an embarkation point for their transit to Canada and England. Visitors can walk the Maine Freedom Trail which originates at the corner of Commercial and Franklin St. Although many of the wharfs which jutted into the Fore River are now gone, what remains are contemporary piers like the Ocean Gateway and incredible views of Casco Bay and many of its islands.