Vital Records Restoration Project $1,500 - $3,000

1/29/2007 - If you want a copy of your original birth certificate, a marriage license or minutes from a City Council meeting that happened more than a century ago, you can obtain a copy in the Municipal Clerks office in City Hall. The vital records of peoples lives are catalogued here. No matter where you lived at the time, if the event occurred in the City of Portland, we have a copy.

These original records have begun to deteriorate either because of the ink used in yesteryears or the ingredients used to make the paper. The air and our handling of the documents break them down. Not only is it required by law but it is crucial that these original records be well maintained so they will last forever.

The City of Portland has received an estimate of $700,000+ to restore these books and preserve them for centuries to come. The restoration process will remove the acid from the pages and encapsulate each vital record in acid free mylar. Once restored, the record itself will never be touched again, but certified copies will still be available.

Whether someone is doing a genealogy search or doing historical research about the City of Portland, these books are invaluable as an educational tool. This is not just the history of Portland; it is the genealogy of an entire region.

Donations will gladly be accepted in any denomination.

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Contact Information: Linda Cohen City Clerk's Office email:lcc@portlandmaine.gov