Portland, Maine Longfellow Monument circa 1890 Poster

Commemorates poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was born in Portland February 27, 1807. The memorial is the work of Maine-born sculptor Franklin Simmons at his Rome, Italy studio. The base was designed by Portland architect Francis H. Fassett and fabricated by Hawkes Brothers of New Hampshire granite, installed in 1888 and was a gift of Payson Tucker. Donations and fund raising efforts were organized by members of the Longfellow Statue Association, including pennies, nickels and dimes donated by New England and Middle States school children. The names of the children who contributed to the $17,171.10 memorial are in a metal container housed in the memorial's base along with a list of the subscribers of the Association, the original drawing of the pedestal, an 1888 Portland directory, and a number of newspapers. At the time of unveiling on September 29, 1888, Longfellow Square was known as State Street Square, renamed as part of the dedication. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in April of 1990.