The Tate House, The Capt. James Means House

Back
  • Tate House 1
  • Tate House
  • Tate House2

The Tate House, The Capt. James Means House

1267 Westbrook Street

The Tate House was built for Capt. George Tate, his first wife Mary and their four sons in 1755. They were the first family to live in the Stroudwater district. While Capt. Tate managed the busy mast trade below their home, where the Stroudwater and Fore River merge, Mary managed a lively household of boys. The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America for Maine maintains and operates the Tate House and its garden in back overlooking the Stroudwater River. The Tate House is now a museum and the only home of the Colonial period in Portland open to the public, The Capt. James Means House across the street houses the museum gift shop, office and event space and is also run by the Colonial Dames. The historic property is open for architecture, garden and school tours from June through October, holds an annual plant sale in May, and conducts “rambles” to historic sites elsewhere in New England twice a year. A pair of mast wheels were moved from Storyland in New Hampshire, restored and relocated to the Tate House property for exhibit in 2014.

Women from the trail who were involved in the Colonial Dames included Fran Peabody (site W03), Edith Sills (site W15), and Mary Flagg (site W16).