John J. Nissen Baking Company, 1995

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Creator

Collection

Portland Press Herald Still-Film Negatives Collection

Document Type

Still Image

Call number of Original

1995 PH 3 Aug

Contributing Institution

Portland Public Library Special Collections & Archives

Location

Portland, Cumberland, Maine, USA

Creation Date

8-3-1995

Format of Original

35mm color negative

Description

Full exterior view of J.J. Nissen Baking Company building, 59 Washington Avenue, viewed from east.
The core of the large building was built in 1947, expanding John J. (Jürgen Jepsen) Nissen's bakery, which began on Woodfords Corner (ca1900), later moving to a small shop at the Washington Avenue site in 1912. Nissen emigrated to Portland from Denmark; at the time Portland's East End and Bayside had a significant Scandinavian community.

At the company’s peak, employment reached 250 workers. By 1980, an average of 35 tractor-trailer trucks set forth from the 12 loading-dock bays on Washington Avenue, delivering nearly 200 varieties of baked goods. Nissen had grown to be the largest Maine wholesale baker, striking the balance between a local touch with large-production, outpacing counterparts in Lewiston (Lepage) and Waterville (Harris). Beyond the large markets and small grocery stores, there were Nissen outlets- notably the one at 43 Washington Avenue.

The Nissen Baking Company was sold to the national firm Interstate Bakeries, Inc., in 1997. Interstate closed the 2.9acre property in May 1999.

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Photo published in the Portland Press Herald on 3 August 1995

Recommended Citation

"John J. Nissen Baking Company, 1995" (1995). Businesses & Buildings - Portland Press Herald Still Film Negatives. 38.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/pphnegs_images_business/38