Landscape Information
South Portland’s New England Shipbuilding Corporation built 236 World War II Liberty ships and employed 30,000 people at its peak. The federal government built numerous housing complexes for the city’s massive influx of shipyard workers. One such complex was Mill Cove Terrace, a neighborhood of 24 two-story apartment buildings about one mile from the shipyards. Buildings were set back an equal distance from the street, creating a uniform appearance, similar to military barracks. Clusters of three buildings bordered courtyards of lawns bisected by paths, but there was no landscaping, since the complex was considered temporary. Wide streets allowed parking on both sides. A narrow right-of-way led to a recreation area on a small point of waterfront land, but it was never improved and has remained a thicket of native trees and shrubs.
The federal government liquidated defense housing after World War II. Many complexes were torn down, but Mill Cove Terrace became housing for individuals and families in need, a use that continues today. The neighborhood’s 1940s appearance is largely unchanged, with the exception of street trees added in the 1990s and a gradual increase in paved parking areas over the decades. Located along the South Portland Greenbelt Walkway abutting Mill Cove, the neighborhood has extensive views of the Portland skyline and waterfront.
