St. Dominic's Church (Portland, Maine) Explained

Building Name:St. Dominic's Church
Location:34 Gray Street, Portland, Maine
Coordinates:43.6504°N -70.2626°W
Start Date:1822
Completion Date:1833
Building Type:Church
Owner:Maine Irish Heritage Center

St. Dominic's Church is an historic Catholic church building in Portland, Maine, located at the corner of Gray Street and State Street. When it was dedicated on August 11, 1833, it became the first Roman Catholic church in the city and the third in the state. Parishioners generally resided in the historically Irish neighborhoods of Gorham's Corner, Munjoy Hill (Portland) and Knightville (South Portland). Prior to the closing of the parish in 1997, it had been at one time one of the largest Irish-American Catholic parishes north of Boston. In 2003, the building was transferred to the newly formed Maine Irish Heritage Center.[1]

Renovation

In 2009, the MIHC received a $73,000 apportionment of Community Development Block Grant funds from the city in order to build a handicap-accessible elevator.[2] In 2014, state historian Earle Shettleworth and the Maine Historic Preservation Commission announced that MIHC would receive a $10,000 grant for maintenance and renovations at the center.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: St. Dominic's Church, Portland, ca. 1913 . Maine Memory Network . Maine Historical Society . en.
  2. News: Bucklin . Kate . Abyssinian Meeting House, Irish Heritage Center get development funding from Portland . Press Herald . 2 June 2009.
  3. News: Harry . David . Portland Irish center gets $10K preservation grant . Press Herald . 15 October 2014.