The Home Plate, 1989 and 1993

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Creator

Collection

Portland Press Herald Still-Film Negatives Collection

Document Type

Still Image

Call number of Original

EX 02 MAY 1989 and TL 21 FEB 1993

Contributing Institution

Portland Public Library Special Collections & Archives

Location

Portland, Cumberland, Maine, USA

Creation Date

5-2-1989

Description

Views of the The Home Plate diner, 5 Dana Street. Owned by Cathy Ames and Calvin Ames, The Home Plate opened for business in April 1989 serving breakfast and lunch. Their hours were 5am-2pm weekdays, 6am-2pm Saturdays, and 6am-1pm. The restaurant's baseball theme was emphasized from the decor, to the menu, to the daily trivia quizzes with baseball-related (especially Boston Red Sox) prizes. "At first I bought a game about baseball as a source for my questions," remarked Cathy Ames, "then the customers started coming up with them, and now that's all we use. Everybody loves it."

The Home Plate added dinner hours to their schedule, and was open 24 hours from Wednesday through Saturday. Their menu items had baseball names (such as their desserts known as "Extra Innings"), and each tabletop was decorated with baseball memorabilia under the glass coverings. A panoramic mural of Fenway Park graced the interior of The Home Plate, painted by Portland artist Stephen Pratt.
The Home Plate closed in 1996.

Left image: Left to right: Tom DePeter, Cathy Ames, and Calvin Ames, in The Home Plate diner.
Photo published in the Evening Express, on 2 May 1989.

Right image: Exterior view of The Home Plate, 5 Dana Street.
Photo published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, on 21 February 1993.

Recommended Citation

"The Home Plate, 1989 and 1993" (1989). Businesses & Buildings - Portland Newspapers (Guy Gannett) Still Film Negatives. 596.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/pphnegs_images_business/596