Little Diamond Island (2018)
Once bearing the name Hog Island, Little Diamond has overcome its past and has been a respectable community of the City of Portland for decades. Few people make it their year-round home, even though there are 50+ homes and cottages on the Island. A major reason is that the City turns off the water supply in winter.
The Diamond Island Casino was built in 1905. It serves as a communal space for islanders, primarily when waiting for the Portland ferry, but occasionally the site of a wedding. According to a 1924 image description of The Casino on the Maine Memory Network, “Casino and Wharf at Fessenden Avenue in Little Diamond Island, Portland, was owned by Little Diamond Island Association in 1924. Club House, Dance Hall, Dining Hall, Kitchen, 2-3 Sleeping Rooms, toilet.”
The Casino (2018)
The Casino and Pier (2018)
Summer residents take advantage of the protected area opposite Peaks Island with wharves and moorings for their boats.
Shore between Little Diamond and Peaks Island (2018)
Linked to its neighbor Great Diamond Island only by a sand bar at low tide, private property dominates its interior.
Additional resources
“Little Diamond Island Association property, Fessenden Avenue, Little Diamond Island, Portland, 1924.” https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/88582.