X. Clapp Memorial Building

The Clapp Memorial Building was constructed in 1923 and contained offices and retail spaces inside. The building was dedicated to three people. Asa Clapp, 1762-1848, Asa William Henry Clapp, 1805-1851, and Mary Jane Emerson Clapp, 1835-1922. There isn't a lot of information on the Clapp family but I did gather some information on Asa Clapp through the Maine Memory Network and the plaque on the building. According to the plaque, Asa was a "seaman of the American Revolution, merchant, an upbuilder of Portland." It says that his son, Asa William Henry Clapp, was a "citizen of portland, a conservator of its interests, member of the Congress of the United States, colonel in the militia of Maine." Finally, Mary Jane Emerson Clapp was an "upholder of the traditions of her forefathers, a doer of good works."

From the Maine Memory Network, I gathered that Asa Clapp "was a prominent Portland businessman and founder of the Maine Bank, and also had been a Revolutionary War soldier, a mariner and ship builder, legislator and philanthropist." Under the picture of an engraving of Asa Clapp done by Thomas Donney it states that Asa was "a prominent and wealthy businessman in Portland, had been a mariner and soldier. He was prominent in shipbuilding, banking, and other businesses. He also served in the Maine Legislature."

Though I couldn't gather much more than that basic information about the Clapp family, their prominence must have been great to the city of Portland at the time they were alive in order to have this building dedicated to them on Congress street.

When I visited the building, there was no one there to admire it. It was just another building of offices in the area. It was by mistake that I actually happened to look up and see the plaque and become interested in its history.