Jeff Lyons, left of grave marker in foreground, leads a Jane’s Walk tour in the Eastern Cemetery in Portland on Saturday. It is the fourth year that Maine has officially participated in Jane’s Walk, which was held in over 200 cities this year. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

Scurrying to work, an afternoon stroll, a night out — whatever the occasion may be, a walk through Maine is often a walk through history.

On Saturday, more than 50 free walking tours highlighted the fabric of 29 of Maine’s communities as part of Jane’s Walk, “a global festival” of free walking tours in 200 cities, all inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs.

Jacobs was an activist and writer who is best known for rallying her neighbors to stop a highway from being built in their community. Her works have greatly influenced modern-day urban planning and highlight the power people have to shape their communities.

“Jane’s Walk is a wonderful way for everyday Mainers to celebrate the importance of place and place-keeping in their communities,” said Tara Kelly, executive director of Maine Preservation. “We are all experts in our own experience and the festival provides the opportunity to share that with others.”

It is the fourth year that Maine has officially participated in Jane’s Walk, which was held in over 200 cities this year. The local effort was orchestrated by Maine Preservation, Friends of Congress Square Park, Portland Downtown, Greater Portland Landmarks, Maine Downtown Center and the Maine Sesquicentennial Commission.

Whether you look up, down or straight ahead, there is plenty of history to be found in Portland, where nine tours were held Saturday.

“Portland is one of those very few places where people make a living giving tours, which just speaks to our rich story and background,” said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown. “People come here from all across the country and the world and pay to do this. With Jane’s Walk, we’re able to do it for free.”

The oldest marked grave at the Eastern Cemetery is of Mary Green, who died in 1717. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

THE EASTERN CEMETERY

With just over 20 minutes to go until his tour of the Eastern Cemetery on Saturday, Jeff Lyons questioned how many people would attend — while it wasn’t required, only five signed up online.

Minutes later, people began trickling in.

By the 11 a.m. start time, there were nearly 20 people gathered and, as more arrived during his introduction, Lyons led nearly 30 people through the cemetery grounds.

“I’m so enthusiastic about the history of Portland,” Lyons said in an interview ahead of the tour. “I just really love sharing it with people.”

The Eastern Cemetery is the “earliest historic ground on the peninsula,” Lyons said.

“Evergreen Cemetery arose in the 1800s, Western Cemetery also arose in the 1800s. This one is 200 years older.”

Lyons is president and tour programs manager for Spirits Alive, the Friends group of the Eastern Cemetery. The group’s regular tours focus on the history of the cemetery itself, from markings on gravestones to the individuals buried there.

In honor of Jane’s Walk, “this one’s different,” Lyons said. “It’s about how the cemetery fits in the community.”

Why was this location chosen for a burial ground in the first place? What did the city look like around the cemetery in the late 1600s? How could a pine tree (that was later struck by lightning and burned in a fire) act as a navigation aid for ships?

Those were some of the questions that guided Lyons’ tour — and perhaps some good ones to ask at a future one.

Anastasia Azenaro-Moore talks about the W.L. Blake & Co. ghost sign while standing in the parking lot of The Standard Banking Co. in Portland during a Jane’s Walk tour on Saturday. Azenaro-Moore’s master’s thesis was on Portland’s ghost signs, the painted company names on the sides of buildings in the Old Port. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

GHOST SIGNS

History often surrounds us in the form of architecture, and one hint of a building’s age in Portland lies in 100-year-old paint.

“Tracing the Ghost Signs of Downtown Portland,” led by Anastasia Azenaro-Moore, saw dozens of people strolling down Commercial Street and up to Congress Street, to see 17 stops. That included the E. Swasey and W.L. Blake & Co. buildings, and the role those companies and structures played in the city’s young economy.

The subject was the focus of Azenaro-Moore’s project when she was working toward her master’s degree in historic preservation.

The E. Swasey & Co. ghost sign. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

“I find ghost signs in particular to be a really tangible way to see what our city looked like in the past,” Azenaro-Moore said in an interview after her tour. “You’re able to see these beautiful buildings, but it’s hard to picture what Portland was like a hundred years ago. These signs remind you that, ‘Oh yeah, Commercial Street was a commercial street with grocery stores.'”

To her, connecting with one’s community is essential.

“I think we are in a time where community is super, super important,” Azenaro-Moore said. “I think that we’re all kind of feeling a little distance from each other. Jane’s Walk, and being able to explore the community in a new way, I think it’s now more important than ever. I’m really happy to be part of this.”

George Rheault talks about Edward Preble, a famous naval officer in the late 1700s, and his impact on the buildings and architecture along Preble Street in Portland. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

A FIRST TOUR

George Rheault has always loved history and, on Saturday, he led his first-ever walking tour.

“Jane’s Walk and Maine Preservation basically gave me a good excuse to jump out on a limb,” Rheault said following his tour of Preble Street.

Over a dozen attendees learned about Preble Street’s connection to the many sections of the city it runs through — from Monument Square to Back Cove — over the centuries.

“People really love to learn about history and, sometimes, it takes an event like this for them to be able to experience it,” Rheault said. “Once they do, they’re grateful to learn more about their community.”

There were threats of rain in the forecast on Saturday, but a light drizzle around noon quickly fizzled, making for a great day to get to know the places we call home.

For more information on Jane’s Walk, go to janeswalkme.org.