I was in the Stroudwater Historic District to revisit the Tate House Museum. This time I walked around the District and took photos of some of the 18th and 19th Century homes, the dam, the Old Burying Ground, and the nearby Fore River.

I ended up here by mistake and thought I had entered another world. Wow, what a beautiful, incredible little district of 18th-century homes, along with a church, a dam, and the Stroudwater Burying Ground dating from the early 1700s. When I have more time, I'll go back and visit the 1755 George Tate House museum, the oldest house in the district.

Stroudwater is one of Portland’s best-kept secrets! It’s a compact, historic neighborhood on Portland’s western edge. The 15.2-mile (24.5 km) Stroudwater River runs through the district from its source at Duck Pond in Buxton. It flows into the Fore River at Stroudwater Falls, which course over a historic dam (built 1850). The neighborhood abuts the Portland International Jetport, formerly known as Stroudwater Field (founded 1931). The village itself dates from 1657, but its oldest house, the George Tate House, dates from 1755. It’s part of the Tate House Museum (fees). The Tate is Portland’s oldest building, older than anything found in the Old Port. The Museum hosts tours of the village’s historic sites. It has limited parking. History abounds here. The one-acre (0.4 ha) Stroudwater Burying Ground dates from 1727. Its earliest stone dates from 1739. It has 500 gravesites. In the historic district are also the Martin Hawes House (1835), the Francis Waldo House (c. 1765), the Samuel Ficket House (1795), the Capt. James Means House (1797), the Dr. Jeremiah Baker House (1799), the Jesse Partridge House (1786), the Capt. Daniel Dole House (c. 1785), and other buildings. Another prominent landmark is the whitewashed Stroudwater Baptist Church (1875). Also in the area is the Stroudwater River Dam (1845). All are worth finding and viewing. The now disused, 50-mile (80 km) long, 27-lock Cumberland and Oxford Canal (1832) connects Fore River to Sebago Lake and then Long Lake. It has 30 miles (48 km) of natural waters and 20 miles (32 km) of man-made canals and locks. Stroudwater has points of access to the canal, which was used until 1870 when railroads made it obsolete. Stroudwater has several parks and trails. The city-owned, 18-acre (7.2 ha) Capisic Pond Park borders a pond and wetlands. Despite the seasonal wetland wildlife, pet dogs run unleashed here. The park’s 0.5-mile (0.8 km) Capisic Brook Trail is dirt-surfaced with easy grades. It has benches. The 85-acre (34.4-ha) Fore River Sanctuary is nearby. It has 5.6 miles (9 km) of dirt-surfaced and marked trails on easy to moderate grades. It also has a map kiosk and limited parking at its trailheads. The nearby 2.2-mile (3.5 km) Stroudwater Trail has gravel and dirt surfaces. Trail grades are easy to moderate. The trail has benches and overlooks. Trailheads have parking for 5-8 vehicles. Finding a place to park in Stroudwater is a challenge; the best bet for it is the church lot. The district itself has no markets, restaurants, cafés, or bars – only nature and history. Be sure to bring your own food and drink if you feel you’ll need them. Other than these aspects, we liked everything about Portland’s historic hidden gem.