Mr. Longfellow’s Cocktail Party, the first major event at the Press Hotel in Portland, sold out nearly five weeks in advance. The annual fundraiser for the Maine Historical Society took on an element of suspense – not only because attendees wanted to get a look inside Portland’s new boutique hotel but because they wanted to hear about the top-secret locations for the following day’s Magical History Tour.

“This is a very exciting night for us, and tomorrow we’re opening up history to the people of Portland,” said Lendall Smith, chair of the society’s board of trustees. Both events sold out, with a total of about 600 tickets purchased.

The tour included seldom-seen sights, from the cellar of Longfellow House to the tower of Victoria Mansion. Quirkier options included the city’s receiving tomb at Eastern Cemetery and a portion of Portland’s original sea wall, now in the restroom of a salon.

“These events are a way to look at Maine and its history and where it’s going,” said Dani Fazio, wearing a key-patterned skirt that matched the marketing materials she designed for the Magical History Tour.

At the cocktail party, Longfellow House docent James Horrigan took on the persona of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, pausing for selfies and impromptu poetry recitations.

“This place has got a lot of character,” said Elise Pelletier of Portland about the renovated newspaper building. “And it’s very modern.”

“The hotel is marvelous,” said Ann Noyes, whose husband was a historical society trustee. “It was difficult to envision because I’d been here before when it was a newspaper.”

Having a venue thematically and historically tied to the Portland Press Herald seemed fitting to Lonnie Leeman, who co-leads the historical society’s annual international trip. “The Portland Press Herald has preserved the history of Maine,” he said.

The hotel’s retro-modern decor includes a wall of typewriters as hanging art.

Former society trustee Priscilla Bennett Doucette was staying overnight with her husband, Dale Doucette. “I think we’re breaking in a room,” he quipped.

The cocktail party and tour raised more than $60,000 for the Maine Historical Society – and created a lot of buzz.

“It’s important to get the word out and show people what we’re doing,” said trustee Patrick Jackson of Yarmouth. “All kinds of good things are happening.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer from Scarborough. She can be contacted at:

amyparadysz@gmail.com