Greater Portland Landmarks seeks 2 summer interns to provide support for our Director of Advocacy in Landmarks’ expanding neighborhood education and outreach activities. Interns are critical to our ability to create and present programming to our audiences. In 2021, this internship can be done remotely or on-site. Our internship program will primarily include data entry of existing City of Portland narrative architectural survey forms into the State’s online GIS based database. This project will add survey forms to the Maine Historic Resources Inventory from three Portland neighborhoods: Munjoy Hill, St. John/Valley Street, and Portland’s central waterfront.
While it has long been an organizational goal to place more of our archival information online, the recent closure of office and schools from the COVID-19 pandemic has been it clear that online connections and information sources are beneficial as we engage with our membership and a wider audience. The public, but especially teachers and parents used our online resources this past year. Online resources also helped our staff and volunteers as we developed content for our website, social media platforms and membership publications while working remotely.
Other duties will include preparation for and attendance at Advocacy Committee meetings, assisting staff with events and programming, and assisting staff with the review and assessment of Portland’s zoning ordinance re-write project, known as ReCode.
Building upon the narrative Portland neighborhood surveys conducted 2017-2020; enter survey information into the Maine Cultural & Architectural Resource Management Archive (CARMA).
⮚ Complete data entry of over 300 building survey forms for the newly designated Munjoy Hill Local Historic District. The survey includes approximately 20 resources associated with Portland’s African-American community that settled on the hill in the 1850s through the mid 20th century, many of whom were associated with the Green Memorial AME Zion Church (NRHP, listed 1973). The survey was completed to City of Portland standards, but MHPC forms were not completed. The City’s forms are largely text and this project would convert them to the state’s standard data set form.
⮚ Complete data entry of approximately 30 resources in St. John/Valley Street neighborhood on Portland’s West End. The neighborhood grew up around Union Station, an 1888 station on the Boson and Maine railroad and demolished in 1961. The neighborhood resources include a hotel and commercial buildings as well as residential properties and sites associated with the neighborhoods immigrant families and African-American residents, many of whom worked at Union State or on the railroad. The surveyed properties formed the foundation of a neighborhood walking tour and were included in our 2017 endangered properties listing of African-American historic resources on the Portland peninsula. The format of this documentation was also largely text and this project would convert them to the state’s standard data set form.
⮚ Complete data entry of approximately eighty resources on twelve historic wharves that form the center of Portland’s working waterfront. The working waterfront is threatened by increasing tourism and commercial expansion along the waterfront and is experiencing the impacts of rising sea levels and increased storm surges due to climate change. While wharves routinely experience flooding, several buildings at the heads of three wharves are experiencing routine tidal flood damage in their basement levels. The survey was completed to City of Portland standards, but MHPC forms were not completed. The City’s forms are largely text and this project would convert them to the state’s standard data set form.
Ancillary Duties
⮚ Assist with planning and execution of various programming and events.
⮚ Write articles for the Greater Portland Landmarks magazine, blog posts, and website posts as assigned.
⮚ Attend meetings of the various Board of Trustees’ Committees. Draft minutes and meeting notes.
⮚ Participate in a variety of preservation-related activities and community meetings related to the citywide ReCode.
⮚ Potential to assist in research of indigenous history of the Presumpscot River in Westbrook.
Qualifications
• Currently enrolled in, or have graduated from a graduate program in historic preservation, urban planning, community development, American studies, American history, or architectural history. Recent undergraduate college graduates will be considered but must have a very strong background in the above areas and strong writing skills.
• Knowledge of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and National Register of Historic Preservation nomination standards is highly beneficial.
• Experience or background with graphic design is beneficial.
• Applicant should have excellent interpersonal communication skills, the ability to participate successfully as member of a team-based environment, and the ability to maintain confidentiality. • Solid office skills and use of Microsoft products (Office, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). Familiarity with InDesign and/or Publisher is beneficial.
• Applicants should have excellent writing skills, be highly organized and efficient, and have an ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• A car is not required, but may be helpful if not working remotely. The applicant must be sufficiently mobile to travel up and down city blocks for several hours at a time and to climb stairs.
• Some familiarity with New England architecture is preferred but not required.
Interested candidates please send cover letter explaining your background and interest in the internship projects, a resume, writing sample, photography samples, and three references by May 10, 2021 to: Sarah Hansen, Executive Director at shansen@portlandlandmarks.org, with Preservation Intern in subject line.