The Summerguide 2008 for Portland Magazine has an interesting article about the history and family dynamics of the of the Portland Company, located on Portland Harbor. The property houses many 19th century brick buildings that were used over the years to make steam locomotives, artillery shells, 30,000-pound propellers for Liberty ships, and now home to small businesses and Portland Yacht Services. The property, owned by Phineas Sprague, Jr., is for sale and the future of this historic site is unknown. Sprague says that any offers on the property must meet certain conditions; mainly that PYS can stay & that many of the old buildings will be preserved. Any future plan will have to be approved by city hall and politics often get in the way of creating a master plan, the article says. The city has tended to want to piecemeal out tiny increments of development, rather than creating a master plan. This is a good read, so if you are interested in the article, look for the Portland Magazine Summertime Guide 2008 at your local newsstand for more information.