Portland is a historic district, neighborhood and former independent town northwest of downtown Louisville, Kentucky.

In its early days it was the largest of the six major settlements at the falls, the others being Shippingport and Louisville in Kentucky and New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville on the Indiana side.

Lytle authorized Joshua Barclay and Alexander Ralston to design the town, which featured a Northeast to Southwest street grid.

The advent of steamboats on the Mississippi occurred simultaneously with Portland's development, allowing the Ohio River to be used as a major freight shipping route in what was then the American Frontier.

With a captive audience and a need for freight hauling, Portland's Wharf flourished as numerous taverns, warehouses, and shipyards were built.

However, after the new line collapsed into bankruptcy in 1840 having only reached as far as Louisville, Portlanders voted in 1842 to become independent again, although ten years later the area was annexed a second time.

Plans began immediately to protect the area with a flood wall, but World War II occupied the priority of the government's engineers.

Although many older mansions exist in Portland, the vast majority of homes built in the area were shotgun houses.

Changes over time in the neighborhood are largely attributed to white flight and the devastating Ohio River floods of 1937 and 1945.

Communities designated through the program are allowed to use the Preserve America logo on signs and promotional materials and are eligible to apply for grants that will be administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Although currently not open to the public, the United States Marine Hospital of Louisville is considered one of the most architecturally important historic sites in the US.

The Table has provided gourmet, nourishing food for homeless people and encourages working instead of handouts.