Rebuilding with Brick: The Story of Portland's Old Port
Maya: Look at all these beautiful red brick buildings! The Old Port feels like stepping back in time.
Sam: It really does, Maya. And look under our feet! These streets are made of real cobblestones.
Narrator: Maya and Sam were standing in the heart of the Old Port in Portland, Maine. Surrounding them were bustling shops, historic wharves, and rows of Victorian-style brick structures.
Historian Ed: Welcome to Portland's historic waterfront, young travelers! Did you know these brick buildings actually tell a story of disaster and recovery?
Maya: A disaster? What happened here?
Historian Ed: In July 1866, on Independence Day, a terrible fire started. Strong winds swept the flames across the city. By the next morning, over fifteen hundred buildings were completely destroyed.
Sam: Wow, fifteen hundred buildings? That must have ruined the whole city!
Narrator: The Great Fire of 1866 was the most destructive urban fire in American history up to that point. Thousands of citizens were left homeless, and the commercial district was reduced to ashes.
Maya: How did they rebuild after losing so much?
Historian Ed: The people of Portland were remarkably resilient. Instead of giving up, city leaders created a strict rule for construction. They decided that new buildings in the commercial district had to be built with fireproof materials, especially brick and stone.
- cobblestones:
- Rounded stones formerly used to pave street surfaces.
- resilient:
- Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.
- fireproof:
- Able to withstand fire or resist damage from high heat.
- commercial:
- Related to buying and selling goods, business, or trade.
- maritime:
- Connected with the sea, shipping, or ocean trade.
More sheets from this passage
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fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed — rewrite each one correctly.
vocabulary worksheet
Match the passage words to their meanings, then fill the missing words back into real sentences.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
- All 4 sheets as one workbookPro
One PDF with a cover, contents page and every answer key at the back.
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About this reader's theater passage for Upper Elementary
“Rebuilding with Brick: The Story of Portland's Old Port” is a reader's theater reading passage about Portland's Historic Old Port Architecture, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (432 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.