New Bedford’s sea of three-deckers. Photo by George Riethof on m.imagekind.com

In this post we will look at the urban environment of the Portuguese Americans: housing, gardens and the ‘yardscape,’ and efforts to attract tourists through a Portuguese cultural district and museums. We’re continuing our expedition to learn about a different culture, that of Portuguese Americans, and how aspects of that culture are visible in the landscape of southeastern New England.

Many Portuguese Americans live in what are called “three-deckers” — wooden three-story buildings with an apartment on each floor. Almost all of these were built within walking distance of the mills, as can be seen in the background of the photo above. The construction of three-deckers closely coincided with mill construction, especially during the second wave of the textile mill boom in New England, 1901 to 1925. In the local idiom, people will say “I live over my mother on Nash Road” or “She lives under her sister on Tinkham Street.” The three-deckers are densely packed. About one-half acre of land will sprout four three-deckers housing twelve families. With three families per house, increasing auto ownership, and limited parking on the street, many front yards, and some back yards, have been turned into driveways and parking lots.

A street view of the three deckers. Photo by the author

Portuguese American homes are well cared for, and, in owner-occupied units, sometimes the exteriors are decorated with architectural touches as if they were single-family homes. White or cream stucco may replace siding; brick or stone steps may be added along with mosaic work, wrought iron and red clay roof tiles.

This home attempts to bring some Portuguese style features to a traditional three-decker in Fall River. The home features an arch, lantern, ball finials, red Mediterranean tiling, wrought iron gate and an arched stone wall. Photo by the author

Many Portuguese American homes have ‘outdoor rooms’ built into the backyard. These Mediterranean (technically, Southern European) influences are added to both three-deckers and single-family homes to make them more reminiscent of homes in the old country. To some extent this reflects a “cultural rebound” where, over time, a cultural or ethnic group has greater financial means to reestablish or to revert to ethnic ways.

One architectural adaptation is called “Portuguese dormers’ as shown above. A two-decker was expanded to a three-decker by pushing out the sides of the attic and adding windows. Photo by the author

The backyard of this three-decker in New Bedford shown above is crowded, yet neat and multifunctional. The yard includes an old garage now serving as a storage shed, a shrine, doghouse, picnic table, grapevine, hanging laundry, trash can storage, toys, lawn ornaments and garden (behind the fence). Photo by the author

Many Portuguese American homes have grapevines and use the grapes to make home-made wine. Photo by the author

A flower garden and a shrine, with grapevines behind the house to the right of the photo. Photo by the author

In New Bedford a whole backyard has been devoted to a garden including kale, center left. Also note the grapevines and hanging laundry. Photo by the author

Many Portuguese Americans have gardens that combine the functions and characteristics of the island gardens they left behind in the Azores. The horta (kitchen garden) and the jardim (formal flower garden) blend into a quintal or “backyard garden” in the United States. All kinds of vegetables and fruits are grown but most common is kale, a staple in Portuguese soups, especially kale soup, sopa da caldo verde.

The display of sidewalk goods gives Portuguese neighborhoods a European flavor. Photo by the author

The textile mills often featured discount mill outlets, as in this photo from Fall River. Now most mill outlets have closed and many of the remaining mills have been turned into apartments, especially senior and assisted-living apartments. Photo by the author

A mural in downtown Fall River. The red banner has an inscription in Portuguese and in English that reads “The world is ours — not to slave in but to own.” Photo by the author

In an effort to attract tourists to the Portuguese districts, museums have been built and Fall River has recognized a Portuguese Cultural District on Columbia Street including street signs marking Santo Cristo Square in front of the Santo Cristo Church.

Santo Christo Square in Fall River. Note the distinctive black and white Portuguese-style tiling of the street and sidewalk known as “calçada à portuguesa.” Photo by the author

Cities like New Bedford and Fall River have experienced population decline along with the loss of employment first in the textile mills and then in the apparel industry that moved into the empty textile mills. Both New Bedford and Fall River had their peak populations in 1920: each about 120,000 people. Now New Bedford has about 95,000 people and Fall River, about 90,000.

The Madeira Museum in New Bedford features an adjoining garden with a miniature house in the distinctive style of the island. Photo by the author

Due to the loss of jobs these two cities did not attract many new immigrant groups to replace the Portuguese Americans. Usually immigrants move up the economic ladder and out to the suburbs. Boston, for example, has neighborhoods that have housed over time, and in turn, Irish, Italians, African Americans and Hispanics. While many Portuguese have indeed suburbanized, the wave of Azorean immigration from 1960–1980 due to the earthquakes and volcanoes on the islands reinvigorated the traditional communities with the remarkable result that Portuguese neighborhoods today can be found in the identical streets and blocks they were in 100 years ago.

Portas da Cidade, a reconstruction on the Fall River waterfront of the City Gates of Ponta Delgada, Azores. The Braga Bridge is in the background. Photo by the author

Dighton Rock Museum in Rehoboth MA. Photo by the author

In the Dighton Rock Museum above, visitors can see a stone about the size of a car that many Portuguese Americans believe was inscribed by Miguel Corte Real, a Portuguese explorer who sailed along the New England coast in the early 1500’s. It’s a kind of cultural counterpoint to Plymouth Rock, 40 miles to the east.

I’ve outlined these ideas in detail in my book Making History – Creating a Landscape: The Portuguese American Community of Southeastern New England. I grew up in this area in the Portuguese American culture. Now I am a retired geography professor. 

The author’s book available on Amazon.com: com https://www.amazon.com/Making-History-Creating-Landscape-Southeastern/dp/1722258462/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title