Stevens Avenue

43°40′25″N 70°17′43″W / 43.67349°N 70.29526°W / 43.67349; -70.29526

Stevens Avenue
Ludcke Auditorium, part of the University of New England's Portland campus, on Stevens Avenue
Part of	SR 9
Namesake	Isaac Sawyer Stevens
Length	2 mi (3.2 km)
Location	Portland, Maine, U.S.
North end	Forest Avenue
South end	Congress Street

Street in Portland, Maine

Stevens Avenue (known colloquially as Stevens Ave) is a major street in the Deering neighborhood of Portland, Maine, United States. Part of Maine State Route 9 from Woodford Street southward, it runs for around 2 miles (3.2 km) from Forest Avenue, at Morrill's Corner, in the north to Outer Congress Street in the south. Stevens Avenue passes to the west of Woodfords Corner. Between Morrills Corner and Woodfords Corner, Stevens Avenue is linked to Forest Avenue by several side streets.

Several notable buildings stand on Stevens Avenue, including Stevens Avenue Armory, the University of New England's Portland campus, Evergreen Cemetery and Baxter Woods.

The street passes through Westbrook College Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Stevens Avenue is named for Isaac Sawyer Stevens (1748–1820),^[1]^[2] who built a home at 628 Stevens Avenue in 1767. It was demolished in 1947.^[3]

Intersections

Stevens Avenue intersects with several major streets (from north to south):

Forest Avenue (U.S. Route 302)
Woodford Street (from which it takes on/rescinds the Maine State Route 9 designation)
Brighton Avenue (Maine State Route 25)
Congress Street (Maine State Route 22)

Notable addresses

From north to south:

Western side

Stevens Avenue Congregational Church, 790 Stevens Avenue (built in 1888)^[4]
Stevens Avenue Armory, 772 Stevens Avenue (built in 1908)
University of New England, 716 Stevens Avenue (established in 1831 as Westbrook College)
Ludcke Auditorium, 710 Stevens Avenue (built in 1867)
Evergreen Cemetery, 672 Stevens Avenue (established in 1855)
Lincoln Middle School, 522 Stevens Avenue (built in 1899)
Roy's Shoe Shop, 500 Stevens Avenue^[5] (established in 1929)^[6]
Pat's Meat Market, 484 Stevens Avenue^[5]^[7] (established in 1917)
Longfellow Elementary School, 432 Stevens Avenue (built in 1952)^[8]
Deering High School, 370 Stevens Avenue (built in 1874)

Eastern side

St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 673 Stevens Avenue (built in 1931)^[9]
St. Joseph's Convent, 605 Stevens Avenue (built in 1909)^[10]^[11]
Baxter Woods,^[6] 555 Stevens Avenue (established in 1946)

Public transportation

Stevens Avenue is served by Greater Portland Metro's routes 9A and 9B. The 9A runs in a clockwise direction from downtown Portland; the 9B counterclockwise.^[12]

References

^ Linage Book of the Charter Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (revised). p. 58
^ Graduates, United States Military Academy Association of (1990). Assembly. Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy. p. 122.
^ The Origins of the Street Names of the City of Portland, Maine as of 1995 – Norm and Althea Green, Portland Public Library (1995)
^ "Stevens Avenue Congregational Church, 1986". Businesses & Buildings - Portland Press Herald Still Film Negatives. 1986-05-17.
^ ^a ^b DeRose, Jen (2021-03-26). "A Browser's Guide to Deering Center". Down East Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ ^a ^b "Maine Places to Love: Deering Center". Press Herald. 2018-06-29. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ "Dine Out Maine: The Cafe". Press Herald. 2013-12-29. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ "About - Longfellow Elementary School". longfellow.portlandschools.org. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
^ "Saint Joseph's Church, 1986". Businesses & Buildings - Portland Press Herald Still Film Negatives. 1986-02-08.
^ "Former Portland convent now a home called Motherhouse" – The Forecaster, December 3, 2018
^ "The Motherhouse, Portland". Maine Preservation. 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ "Route 9A / 9B - N. Deering/WEST FALMOUTH | Greater Portland Transit, ME". gpmetro.org. Retrieved 2024-04-06.