Deering Oaks
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Deering Oaks
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Entrance to Deering Oaks from Deering Avenue
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| Location | Portland, Maine |
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| Area | 42.71 acres (17.28 ha) |
| Built | 1879 |
| Architect | William A. Goodwin; Olmsted Brothers |
| NRHP Reference # | 89001708 |
| Added to NRHP | October 16, 1989 |
Deering Oaks is a 55-acre (22 ha) public park in Portland, Maine, which has a baseball diamond, tennis courts, a playground, and a pond. It is located west of downtown Portland and is bordered by Deering Avenue on the west, Forest Avenue on the east, Park Avenue to the south and Interstate 295 to the north. State Street bisects the park. Access is from State Street, Deering Avenue, or Park Avenue. The Portland Farmers Market is located on the Park Avenue side of the park. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During King William's War, Benjamin Church helped defend the British settlers on this site in September 1689 against Canadiens, and tribes of the Wabanaki Confederacy.
The city had for some time been interested the Deering Oaks property, part of a larger estate owned by the Deering family since the early 19th century. In 1875, the Deerings offered the city 50 acres (20 ha) of land in exchange for a tax abatement, and the city agreed to the deal in 1879. The park was developed by William Goodwin, the city's civil engineer, as part of an overall master plan for city parks developed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Goodwin's vision largely survives today, except only for the loss of a small portion of the park's north side, for the construction of Interstate 295.
Deering Oaks Pond at one time filled and drained with the ocean tides; it was naturally connected to Back Cove until altered to suit roadways in the late 19th century. Deering Oaks also hosts the city's monument to the Spanish–American War, a casting of The Hiker by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson. During the winter, one can ice skate on the frozen pond, and until the late 1990s, paddle boats could be rented during the summer season to explore the confines of the pond and enjoy the scenery.
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