The Rosa E. True School is an historic building on Park Street in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

's West End. It opened as a public elementary school in 1844 and closed in 1972; upon the closing of the school, it had been in continuous use longer than any other school in the country. In 1971, school principal Rodney E. Wells was charged with violating Maine's

right to know Right to know is a human right enshrined in law in several countries. UNESCO defines it as the right for people to "participate in an informed way in decisions that affect them, while also holding governments and others accountable". It pursues ...

laws when he withheld the school's enrollment information from a parent concerned over the hiring of a school employee. In 1987, the historic preservation group Greater Portland Landmarks began involvement with the Rose True School with a $5,000 revolving loan to help convert the property into a multi-unit apartment building. In 1992, the property was converted into 8 low income apartments primarily through local anti-

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...

efforts and the availability of tax credits. The redevelopment of the property also resulted in $900,000 put into the local economy and job training for young people.

References

Educational institutions established in 1844 Educational institutions disestablished in 1972 Defunct schools in Portland, Maine Apartment buildings in Portland, Maine West End (Portland, Maine) School buildings completed in 1844 Portland Public Schools (Maine) School buildings in Maine {{Maine-school-stub