- published: 27 Dec 2012
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Deering Oaks is a 55 acres (22 ha) public park in Portland, Maine, which has a baseball diamond, tennis courts, a playground, and a pond. It is located west of downtown Portland and is bordered by Deering Avenue on the west, Forest Avenue on the east, Park Avenue to the south and Interstate 295 to the north. State Street bisects the park. Access is from State Street, Deering Avenue, or Park Avenue. The Portland Farmers Market is located on the Park Avenue side of the park.
The area was the site of a September 1689 battle between the British, French, and Native Americans.
The City of Portland largely acquired the land from the Deering, Preble, and Fessenden families in 1879 as part of the rebuilding following the devastating 1866 fire. Deering Oaks Pond at one time filled and drained with the ocean tides; it was naturally connected to Back Cove until altered to suit roadways in the late 19th century. Deering Oaks also hosts the city's monument to the Spanish-American War, a casting of The Hiker by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson. During the winter, one can ice skate on the frozen pond, and until the late 1990s, paddle boats could be rented during the summer season to explore the confines of the pond and enjoy the scenery.