

Long before the Maine Mall, Congress Street was the heart of holiday shopping in Portland. Lined with department stores like Porteous, Mitchell & Braun, F. W. Woolworth Company, S.S. Kresge Company, and A.H. Benoit Company, downtown buzzed with activity during the holiday season.
In the 1950s, Portland’s population was about 77,630, compared to around 69,840 today. Over time, suburban living and the convenience of the Maine Mall in South Portland, with its free parking, drew shoppers away from the city, where parking on crowded streets often came with a cost.