Before and After: Baxter Library Building

Here's a before and after set of Congress Street, looking West from Congres Square:

Photo via the Library of Congress website. 

From a similar spot, taken by me. 

I love the plentiful street trees and the trolley system present in the before photo. The ornate brick building on the right is the Baxter Library building. It was built in 1900 and housed the main branch of the Portland Public Library system until the late 1970's when it moved to it's current location in Monument Square. The Joanne Waxman Library, part of the Maine College of Art, occupied the building from the 70's until 2000 when it consolidated with the rest of MECA in the Porteous building.  Upon completion of a beautiful restoration project in 2010, the Via Agency moved into the building and is still going strong.