(207) 774-6177
Open: June 17 through October 17, Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Group tours and school tours may be arranged by appointment from April through October.
Location: across street from Tate House.
Directions:From the south, take I-295 to Portland, Exit 5-A, follow Route 22 (Congress Street) west. From the north, take Exit 5-B to Congress Street. From Downtown Portland, drive west on Congress Street (Route 22). Turn Right onto St. John Street, then Left onto Park Avenue. After passing under I-295 Park Avenue becomes Congress Street again. Once on Congress Street: after crossing the Fore River, turn Left onto Waldo Street. At the top of the hill, make a sharp right turn onto Westbrook Street. Tate House is the second house on the left. Parking is available in a lot across the street.
After Captain George Tate's death in 1794 and following the Revolutionary War, Captain James Means (1753-1832) in 1797, built a splendid new home on a triangle of land overlooking the site of the mast yard. Captain Means had been at Valley Forge and supposedly "served long" with George Washington during the revolution. According to tradition, Lafayette, in 1825, visited the Means House.
A beautiful Federal-style home, with a hipped-roof and high interior ceilings, Means House remained a private residence until March of 1996, when, marking the 100th anniversary of their founding, the Colonial Dames in the State of Maine embarked upon an exciting new project. The Means House was purchased by the Colonial Dames to be a support arm for the Society and for general operations of the Tate House Museum. Today, Means House is available for rental by community groups, businesses, or individuals. The space is well-suited for a variety of functions--whether a small, casual meeting or a more formal evening event.
Across the street from Tate House, Means House is home to the Museum offices and also houses a museum shop and meeting space for the Maine Dames.
