The Baxter Building is an historic building located at 619 Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine. Completed in 1888, it served as the Portland Public Library from its founding until 1978, when the Library moved to another location on Congress Street. The building went unused from 1978 to 1983, when it was purchased by the Maine College of Art (MECA). MECA utilized the space for studio space, dark rooms, as a computer lab and library. In 2010, MECA sold the building to Northland Enterprises LLC, which then leased it to the VIA Group. The building was designed by local architect

Francis H. Fassett Francis Henry Fassett (June 25, 1823 – November 1, 1908) was an American architect in Maine who built as many as 400 homes and buildings throughout the state. Working in the Victorian High Gothic and Queen Anne styles, he especially influ ...

. It was built in the Romanesque Revival style which was prominent during the mid-19th century. It was updated in 1928 by Portland architect

John Calvin Stevens John Calvin Stevens (October 8, 1855 – January 25, 1940) was an American architect who worked in the Shingle Style, in which he was a major innovator, and the Colonial Revival style. He designed more than 1,000 buildings in the state of Main ...

. In February 2010, the building was renovated based on designs from local firms Scott Simons Architects and

Archetype Architects The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ot ...

, which was partially funded through a $272,000 tax break from the City Council as well as through federal historical tax credits.

References

Library buildings completed in 1888 Romanesque Revival architecture in Maine Libraries in Portland, Maine Former library buildings in the United States Maine College of Art & Design Baxter family Office buildings in Portland, Maine Francis H. Fassett buildings {{Maine-struct-stub