19 Libby St #11

**UNIT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN AUGUST** Newly developed apartments in the repurposed Thomas B. Reed elementary school building available for rent in Portland's Riverside neighborhood - Birthplace of Portland's craft beer scene. Consisting of eight 1 bedroom apartments, the Thomas B. Reed school features amenities such as 9' tall historic replacement windows, original refinished hardwood floors, tile bathrooms, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. In addition to premium finishes, every apartment includes laundry hookups in unit, efficient heat pumps with central air conditioning, private storage, and two off-street parking spaces. This apartment DOES NOT COME FURNISHED. Finally, residents of the Reed School will have access to rent two guest suites located in the building for friends and family coming to visit. Each suite is furnished and includes a private bathroom. Building History: Portland Maine in the early 1900's was a City on the move. Like many other Cities at the time, it had suffered a devastating fire on the waterfront in the late 1800's which forced the City to rebuild. During that reconstruction, the City took off as a transportation hub. Rail and a thriving seaport connected the City to resources in the North and people to the South. What we know as The Peninsula today grew commercially and swelled with residents. The Portland Railroad Company ran a trolley line out Forest Avenue and developed Riverton Park. It was theme park-like Casino at the end of the line built to attract the city folk out to a bucolic setting on the Presumpscot River. That access to transportation allowed or the expansion of the Riverton area which began filling in with families looking to live with more space than the downtown offered. And with all of those families came the need for more schools. The Thomas B. Reed School (TBR) was built in 1926 to serve that need. The School was named in honor of a Portland native who became a firebrand in the US House of Representatives. Thomas B. Reed was a huge presence both physically and influentially on the national political scene in his day. He rose to be the Speaker of the House and even ran for president. The school itself was cutting edge for the time. Its design followed a national standard that was established to create well lighted and heated spaces, a healthier environment for improved curriculum.