City Hall Abromson Plaza

389 Congress Street

Portland’s City Hall is hard to miss; the huge U-shaped granite building occupies an entire city block on Congress Street, between Market and Chestnut Streets. Designed by New York firm Carrère & Hastings, with local insights provided by two of Maine’s own premier architects, John Calvin Stevens and his son John Howard Stevens, it was built between 1909 and 1912 on the ashes of the former city hall (which was lost in the Great Fire of 1866, rebuilt, and burned down again in 1908). Inspired by New York City’s iconic seat of government, Portland’s City Hall is considered a masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Over the years, the plaza in front of it has been a center point for public demonstrations and speeches, including those for civil rights. In 1984, it was named the Abromson Plaza, in honor of Linda Abromson (1939-2017)—Portland’s first Jewish woman mayor.

Abromson, a Democrat, first entered city politics in the 1970s. She served on the Portland School Committee for six years—two as its chairwoman—from 1974 to 1980. In 1980, she was elected to the city council, where she served for 12 years, including a one-year term as mayor (1982-1983). One of the first things Abromson did when she was elected to Portland City Council was spearhead an initiative to stop charging women five cents to use the restroom at the Portland Jetport (men used theirs for free). She also helped lead the transformation of Portland’s Old Port by advocating for federal grants to rehabilitate Congress Square and helping to land the Portland Sea Dogs baseball team. [Back in the 1980s, the Old Port was dominated by empty downtown storefronts and seedy bars; now, it’s a world-class destination for art lovers and foodies.] After she stepped down from city government, Abromson served for nine years on the Maine Human Rights Commission as well as on the boards of United Way, the Portland Public Library, and the Maine Medical Center.

Abromson was also a tireless advocate for Portland’s Jewish community. In 1973, she and her husband Joel participated in the first mission of American Jews to Poland to witness the remnants of the atrocities committed by the Nazis in Europe. Linda became a passionate speaker about the Holocaust to adults and school children all over the country. She was an ardent fundraiser for the Jewish Federation and served on the Boards of the National Council of Jewish Women and Temple Beth El (Stop W02).

Linda and her husband Joel (1938-2002) each contributed to the promotion of civil life and civil rights in both the city, and the state. Joel, a Republican, was a lawyer, state senator, and a key figure in promoting anti-discrimination legislation in Maine. When he died in January 2002, the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance called Abromson a “champion and a true friend”. The Joel and Linda Abromson Community Education Center located on the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine, is named in their honor. Joel and Linda are buried next to each other in the Temple Beth El Memorial Park (Stop C01). Joel’s tombstone inscription says: “He made a difference.” Linda’s gravestone says: “So did she.”