Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1901 — A HISTORIC MANSION. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A HISTORIC MANSION.

The Maine Historical society has voted to acept the gift of the old historic Longfellow mansion on Congress street, Portland, tendered it by the late Mrs. Anne Longfellow Pierce. The acceptance was made only after long hesitation, on account of t}ie conditions made by Mrs. Pierce, among these being that the society shall make its home in the building and prepare it for occupancy by other similar organizations that may wish to use it as a meeting place. Another provision binds the society to erect a hall for its meetings and accommodation of its library, to connect with the main house, which must be left substantially as it stands. It is also provided that ‘‘the two front rooms upon the first floor of tbe house are to be kept with appropriate articles for a memorial of the home of Longfellow.” The cost of the proposed hall will be about $21,000. The Longfellow family will put the house in good order, and by the provisions of the will of Mrs. Pierce, as far as possible, the home-

like look of the place Will be retained by leaving some arcticles of furniture, especially those of a semi-historic nature.

It was in the Congress street mansion that Longfellow passed hjs early life. His birthplace on Fore street is marked by a tablet.