Portland, Maine Union Station 1950s Postcard

Commissioned by the Maine Central Railroad, and shared jointly with the Boston and Maine, and Portland and Ogdensburg Railroads. It was designed by Bradlee, Winslow and Wetherill of Boston, and opened on June 25, 1888. Granite came from the Redstone quarry, near Conway, NH; pink granite was used for the walls, and white for the trim. The waiting room floor was a chequerboard of white marble and grey slate, all bordered in red slate. Baronial fireplaces at either end were carved from red sandstone and had inserts of Tennessee and Vermont marble. Above, painted motifs adorned the ceiling. The clock in the 138-foot tower was reputed to be the most accurate outdoor timepiece in New England. It was equipped with a “double three-legged gravity escapement” device, invented by E.B. Denison for Big Ben at Westminster, and it was built to withstand harsh elements. The station was expanded in 1905, and a three-bay addition was designed by George Burnham, built in 1911.