Item 149014 - Fluent's Block, Portland, ca. 1875
- Item 149014 - Fluent's Block, Portland, ca. 1875
- Contributed by Maine Historical Society
- Item 149014
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Image Info Publishers J.S. & J.W Moulton included this stereograph of Fluent’s Block in their series “Views of Portland, ME., & Vicinity,” which included 41 photographs of locations in or around Portland.
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Fluent's Block, constructed in 1868 on the corner of Congress and Exchange streets in Portland, Maine, was initially designed by C.H. Howe for J.M. Fluent, Esq. The building featured storefronts on the first floor, business offices on the second, and Fluent's Hall on the upper floors.
The venue quickly became a popular location for drama productions, parties, and events. After renovations in 1874, the owners repurposed the building to include expanded office spaces for the Union Mutual Life Insurance Co. (UNUM) and an updated hall known as "The Portland Museum," which boasted an updated layout, capacity for over 700 patrons, and a new stage. The building was renamed the Union Mutual Building after the company acquired it in the 1870s.