Ferry Village residents celebrate the 30th anniversary of their dynamic neighborhood association.

Ferry Village is one of South Portland’s oldest neighborhoods, and these days, it’s also one of the most in-demand residential areas of the city.

Young families, professionals and retirees are attracted to the neighborhood because of its waterfront access, the short distance to shopping and restaurants in Mill Creek and Knightville and its convenience to Portland.

The village also still holds onto to its maritime history, with several marine businesses operating there, including a U.S. Coast Guard station. In addition, the neighborhood boasts two theaters – Lyric Music Theater and Mad Horse Theatre Co. – as well as a playground and the Boys & Girls Club.

On Saturday, the Ferry Village Neighborhood Conservation Association celebrated its 30th anniversary with a community gathering that included a potluck, games for kids and a brief historical overview.

Rebeccah Schaffner, president of the neighborhood association, said that Ferry Village is one of those places “where people move in and stay.”

That was in evidence Saturday as the community celebrated its oldest resident, Marita Gould, who is 101 and has lived in Ferry Village since 1921.

Gould was honored with a proclamation from Mayor Linda Cohen, who praised her longtime service to South Portland’s music students.

Gould began teaching piano at the age of 16 and graduated from South Portland High School in 1934. During her long career, Gould has taught thousands of students, as well as offering her piano and organ talents to various churches in the city.

In all, Schaffner said, Ferry Village is “a really diverse neighborhood. We have a real mix of blue collar and professionals, with young families moving in and affordable senior housing.”

Mussey Street and the Betsy Ross House, an independent senior living facility located on Preble Street Extension, bound Ferry Village to the west and east, respectively.

The mostly residential neighborhood is also bound by Portland Harbor to the north and Broadway to the south.

The community got its name because for much of its history ferry service was offered between the village and the city of Portland on the other side of the harbor.

In fact, the first ferry began operating in 1737 and ferryboat service didn’t completely end until 1934, nearly 200 years later, according to the book, “A History of Cape Elizabeth, Maine,” by William B. Jordan. South Portland was a part of Cape Elizabeth from the mid-1700s through 1898, when it incorporated as a separate community.

Jordan wrote that ferry service was even revived for a brief time during World War II to get shipyard workers from the Portland side of the Fore River over to South Portland.

Ferry Village’s heyday began in the mid-1800s when it became home to several flourishing shipyards, including one owned and operated by Portland merchants James Cahoon and George Turner, according to historical documents.

Cahoon and Turner later sold their shipyard to master shipbuilder Benjamin W. Pickett. Another prominent shipyard was also operated by the Dyer family, which during the Civil War constructed one of five so-called 90-day gunboats for the Union.

Ferry Village was also where Cape Elizabeth’s first newspaper, the Cape Elizabeth Sentinel, was published. Frederick and James Hartford operated the community paper, which was a weekly and sold for 4 cents a copy.

The Sentinel was popular with local families for more than three decades, publishing weekly from 1881 to 1912, with a circulation of 1,500 by the time it went out of business, according to Jordan’s book.

The village was also home to a popular and well-known tavern, the Old Ferry House, but was also home to the Ferry Village Reform Temperance Club, which was founded in 1872.

The neighborhood also once boasted a Methodist church, its own volunteer fire company, Cape Elizabeth’s first community brass band, The Union Brass Band, and a Knights of Pythias lodge was also established in 1884.

And, it was a group of residents from Ferry Village who first petitioned the Maine Legislature to break off from Cape Elizabeth in 1854.

These days, Schaffner said, the neighborhood association’s biggest challenge is balancing the needs of the families who have lived in Ferry Village for generations with the newcomers, who often seek change.

Although at times in its history the Ferry Village Neighborhood Conservation Association has acted as a political advocacy group taking positions on controversial local issues, under Schaffner’s direction its focus is on building community.

“The more we know each other the better we can take care of and watch out for each other,” she said. “For me it’s important for the neighborhood to be open and welcoming.”

Schaffner grew up in Cape Elizabeth and South Portland, and when it came time to buy a house, her first thought was to look in Ferry Village. She’s lived in the neighborhood with her fiance? and his three children for the past eight years.

What she most likes about Ferry Village is its proximity to downtown Portland, and the “nice amenities,” including access to the Greenbelt Walkway and the waterfront.

While living in a close-knit neighborhood is key for Schaffner and her family, she said, keeping the Ferry Village Neighborhood Conservation Association active and relevant is always a challenge.

“Figuring out what works in this day and age is hard because there is so much competition for people’s time,” she said.

Jennifer Kirk, a member of one of Ferry Village’s multi-generational families, said there was a time not too long ago when the neighborhood was seen as run down and undesirable.

Now, she said, “houses are being sold so fast people can’t scoop them up fast enough, and everyone wants to live here.”

Kirk has been on the board of the Ferry Village Neighborhood Conservation Association for the past 15 years. She said the original goal of the group was to ensure that the community stayed mostly residential and retained its quaintness.

“We are a community that helps each other out and I love all the diversity among us,” she said. “My favorite thing about living in our neighborhood is walking to work or just out and about. (Here) you can have pleasant conversations on the corner” or at the playground.

Overall, Kirk said, “I love it here and hope with the new housing market things don’t change.”

She added, “It’s really important to have an active neighborhood association because with this fast-changing world it’s important to (give) neighbors a place to go and talk and get the facts.”

Marita Gould, left, with South Portland Mayor Linda Cohen during a community celebration in Ferry Village Saturday. Gould was recognized for her longtime residency in the city, as well as for the many music students she’s taught in her 101 years.Staff photo by Kate Irish CollinsThe Hamels are just one of the many young families moving into Ferry Village. Pictured are Jenna Osgood and Robert Hamel with their daughter Natalia, 8 months.Staff photos by Kate Irish CollinsFerry Villagers of all ages turned out Saturday for a community celebration.