The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union’s chapter in Portland has been upgrading the historic home of Neal Dow. Now it’s ready to hold a holiday open house.

The group will hold a Christmas gathering Saturday to show off the Portland mansion that belonged to the Union general, entrepreneur and Prohibitionist.

The Rev. David Perkins and his wife, Janet Perkins, have been working to rebuild the WCTU’s Portland chapter. The process has included overhauling the Dow mansion by replacing the roof, applying new paint, installing new windows and overhauling the heating system.

Dow was a teetotaling crusader who led the push for Maine to ban alcohol in 1851. That was years before national Prohibition was enacted in 1918.


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