Description:
The Eastern Real Estate Company was an association of African-Americans who bought and sold real estate in the Portland area from 1912-2001. The records in the Archives include articles of association, minutes, financial records, stock records, listings of stockholders, tax records, bank books and legal documents.  Date Range:
1912-2001  Size of Collection:
1 ft

Mooney, Patrick J

English

University of Southern Maine: Digital Commons@USM

University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons Search the Manuscript Collection (Finding Aids) The African American Collection 5-2009 AA MS 04 Eastern Real Estate Archives Finding Aid Patrick J. Mooney Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/aafinding_aids  Part of the African American Studies Commons, American Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Eastern Real Estate Company Archives, African American Collection of Maine, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The African American Collection at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Search the Manuscript Collection (Finding Aids) by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact jessica.c.hovey@maine.edu.        UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE LIBRARIES SPECIAL COLLECTIONS   JEAN BYERS SAMPSON CENTER FOR DIVERSITY IN MAINE AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLECTION OF MAINE   EASTERN REAL ESTATE COMPANY ARCHIVES AA MS 4   Total Boxes: 1 Linear Feet: 1   By Patrick J. Mooney   Portland, Maine May, 2009   Copyright 2009 by the University of Southern Maine               1  Eastern Real Estate Company Archives, African American Collection of Maine, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries Administrative Information  Provenance: The Eastern Real Estate Company Archives were donated by the family of Leonard W. Cummings, Sr. and Mary Jane Hill Cummings, in August 2006.  Ownership and Literary Rights: The Eastern Real Estate Company Archives are the physical property of the University of Southern Maine Libraries. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the creator or his/her legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Head of Special Collections.  Cite As: Eastern Real Estate Company Archives, African American Collection of Maine, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries.   Restrictions on Access: None.   Historical Note   The Eastern Real Estate Company may be one of earliest African American businesses in southern Maine.  It was formed on May 25th, 1911, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine but moved its operations to Portland, Maine, soon after.  The company began by selling stock in order to garner enough money to purchase property which they then managed.  They owned and managed various apartment complexes in the greater Portland area.  The Eastern Real Estate Company continued functioning until 1983, when the board of directors voted to begin liquidating all of its properties.  Description of the Papers  The Archives documents the history of the company from its inception in 1911 until 1983 (the beginning of the liquidation process); however there are no records for 1927-1941.  The  Archives are arranged in the following order: legal documents establishing Eastern Real Estate (1911), minutes of the meetings including that of special stockholding meetings (1911-1917, 1941-1983), certificate lists of those who owned or transferred stock for Eastern Real Estate (1911-1955), all business conducted with National Savings Bank (1979-1983), Casco Bank & Trust (1979-1988), and Maine Savings Bank (1969-1983).  There is also additional financial documentation dealing with various bills and invoices (1980-1984), income tax documentation (1981-1984), property transactions (1982-1984), and documentation of Eastern Real Estate’s court-related legal documents (1982-2001). The minutes of Eastern Real Estate meetings record the monthly gathering of all Eastern Real Estate officials to discuss potential ownership and financial/legal issues.  In the first ledger containing the regular meeting minutes, there are documents dealing with the legalities of creating a new company (Articles of Association, list of by-laws, etc.).  The regular meeting section is concluded with the metaphoric Last Supper of the company, where all stockholders and directors gathered to confirm the disbanding of Eastern Real Estate.  2  Eastern Real Estate Company Archives, African American Collection of Maine, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries The certificate lists show the names of stockholders being listed alphabetically and were compiled to keep track of who bought stock from the company, how much was bought, and when it was bought.  Beginning in 1969, the Archives contains records of all of their financial transactions with outside sources, specifically with banks and the Internal Revenue Service. From 1969 until the dispersion of Eastern Real Estate, there are very detailed records of all aspects of the company’s transactions. It is unclear why records of this nature prior to 1969 are not present.  Lastly, the Archives contains the property transactions of Eastern Real Estate, followed by court-related legal documents. This is significant (and organized back-to-back) because the legal issues that would eventually arise for Eastern Real Estate would stem from miscommunication with regard to the transfer of property. These sections contain letters from law offices and accountants regarding legal action.   Box Folder  Description Date(s)  1 1 Minutes of the regular meetings of the company 1911 May 25 -            1917 Dec 26   2 Minutes of the regular meetings of the company 1941 Jun 10 -           1948 Dec 14   3 Minutes of the regular meetings of the company 1949 Jan 11 -           1957 Jan 8   4 Minutes of the regular meetings of the company 1957 Feb 12 -           1963 Jun 14   5 Minutes of the regular meetings of the company 1963 Jul 12 -             1970 Mar 13   6 Minutes of the regular meetings of the company 1970 Apr 10 -            1983 Apr 8   7 Minutes of the Joint Special Meeting of Stockholders 1983 Mar 31   and Directors   8 Certificate list 1911 Jun 27 -           1955 Jun 14   9 Certificate list 1911 Apr 25 -            1955 Jan 14   10 Financial records: National Savings Bank, bills,  1979 Feb 28 -          receipts, statements 1983 Jan 31   11 Financial records: Casco Bank & Trust, statements,  1979 Feb 6 -            deposit slips, checkbook register 1988 Feb 18   12 Financial records: Maine Savings Bank, check  1969 Nov 18 -          receipts and Liquidating Trust passbooks 1983 Jan 22    3  Eastern Real Estate Company Archives, African American Collection of Maine, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries  Box Folder  Description Date(s)  1 13 Financial records: Liquidation documents (contains  1982 Oct 21 -           restricted materials in very back of folder) 1986 Sep 14   14 Financial records: Accounting summaries, invoices  1980 Jun 27 -          from City of Portland, maintenance 1984 Apr 30   15 Financial records: Corporate income tax records 1981 Jan 1 -             1984 Oct 15   16 Legal records: Property transactions 1982 Aug 7 -             1984 Dec 3   17 Legal records: Court-related 1982 Oct 13 -            2001 Jan 30 

AA MS 04 Eastern Real Estate Archives Finding Aid

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AA MS 04 Eastern Real Estate Archives Finding Aid

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