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Historic Preservation Board recommends Little Diamond Island Casino nomination to state
Summary
The City of Portland Historic Preservation Board voted to recommend the Little Diamond Island Casino (0 Fessenden Avenue) for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, citing its association with early 20th‑century island recreation and the building’s architectural typology; staff will forward findings and public comments to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.
The City of Portland Historic Preservation Board voted unanimously April 15 to recommend that the Maine Historic Preservation Commission list the Little Diamond Island Casino at 0 Fessenden Avenue on the National Register of Historic Places.
Staff framed the board’s role as an advisory review of whether the property meets National Register criteria. Board members focused on Criterion A — the property’s association with early 20th‑century island recreational development — and Criterion C, noting the building represents a diminishing typology of coastal casino and recreational structures.
Paul Stevens, chair of the Little Diamond Island Association’s building committee, told the board the association has sought engineering proposals to raise the building as a resilience measure and said listing could unlock financial tools. “We’re thinking about access to federal rehabilitation tax credits, which would allow the association to make improvements to the building that would make it more resilient,” Stevens said.
Allison Drazi, director of advocacy at Greater Portland Landmarks, urged support as a way to preserve coastal heritage and to help secure funding. “Listing on the National Register would help enable funding for the necessary work, to protect the building from the effects of sea‑level rise,” Drazi said.
After questions from board members and a public comment period that included supportive testimony and inquiries about documentation, Committee member (speaker 2) moved to recommend the nomination and another member seconded. The motion carried; staff will prepare a written recommendation and a summary of public comment for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.
The board’s recommendation does not itself list the building on the National Register — that decision is made by the state commission and National Park Service — but it forwards the board’s findings and the record of public comment for the next step in the federal review process.
