Thomaston was the town where more ocean-going sailing vessels were built than any other place in the country. Thomaston ships sailed across oceans and brought back all manner of goods from ports around the world....the finest silks from . . . — — Map (db m260234) HM
To commemorate the voyage of
Captain George Waymouth
to the Coast of Maine
in 1605
His discovery and exploration of the
St. Georges River
and planting a Cross on the
northerly shore of this harbor
where the river "trended . . . — — Map (db m54665) HM
The Wealthiest Man in Town
Captain Samuel Watts was not only the wealthiest man in Thomaston, according to the United States Census report of 1840, he was also the wealthiest man in the United States. Three of the only seven millionaires in the . . . — — Map (db m259473) HM
1605
Capt. Geo. Waymouth explores and names the St. Georges River
1630
To trade with Indians native to area post built near Wadsworth St. Bridge
1692
St. Georges River is boundary between the French and English territories . . . — — Map (db m55475) HM
Welcome to Thomaston, Maine, the town that went to sea
Thomaston is known for its historic white houses. Both Main and Knox Streets are on the National Historic Register. Of the slightly more than 700 homes in town, approximately . . . — — Map (db m55531) HM
Thomaston's Business Block
The original center of town was located at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and Route 131 South, known as the "Lower Corner". In the mid-nineteenth century, the town center moved west to its present location. The old . . . — — Map (db m259495) HM
Two Historic Churches and Good Neighbors
The Thomaston Baptist Church to the right was chartered in 1816. The Episcopal Church, St. John Baptist, has been its neighbor for its entire life. The two set the tone for the degree of cooperation . . . — — Map (db m259503) HM
Victorian Splendor
Thomaston has very few truly Victorian houses. Several older homes, however, were modified when Victorian architectural styles became popular. Windows were changed to the narrower variety and people built bay windows into their . . . — — Map (db m259471) HM
The Construction of a public library was made possible in 1888 by a bequest of $20,000 from merchant Paul R. Hazeltine. He directed that a handsome, substantial, fireproof building be erected on a suitable spot. Built of red granite . . . — — Map (db m59389) HM
Memorial Hall was built in 1890 by Civil War veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic to honor their fallen leader Colonel Thomas H. Marshall. While in command of the 7th Regiment of Maine Volunteers, Marshall distinguished himself . . . — — Map (db m59497) HM
The Williamson House was built in 1845 for prominent Belfast lawyer, businessman, and State Senator Joseph Williamson. It was later the house of his son, Joseph Williamson, Jr., who followed in his father's footsteps as a country . . . — — Map (db m59390) HM
Welcome to Belfast
In the spring of 1770 Belfast was settled by Scots-Irish families from Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Legend has it that the name Belfast, after the Northern Ireland city, was chosen by a coin-toss.
Fear of . . . — — Map (db m116117) HM
Despite the decline in ship building, the port of Belfast remained busy at the turn of the 20th century. Rapid industrial development took place all along the west side waterfront, and steamships and railroads became the primary . . . — — Map (db m59508) HM
Belfast in the mid-20th century was firmly established as "Broiler Capital of the World". Hundreds of thousands of chickens were raised in giant barns throughout Waldo County. At the peak of the industry 22,000 birds per hour were . . . — — Map (db m59548) HM
Famed aerial photographer and Belfast native Army Air Corps Captain Albert W. Stevens captured his hometown on film in September 1923. It is interesting to see the newly built Memorial Bridge, the open fields of the east side and the . . . — — Map (db m59530) HM
The Belfast Ladies Improvement Society lobbied the city council in April of 1904 to establish a seaside park for the benefit of the public. The purchase price of the 15 acre lot was $3,000 and, once secured, prominent Boston . . . — — Map (db m59392) HM
Colonel Philo Hersey, born in Canton, Maine, came to Belfast in 1861. He entered Civil War service as a captain in the 26th Maine Regiment. Severely wounded at the battle of Irish Bend, Louisiana, he returned to Belfast and in 1865 . . . — — Map (db m59395) HM
The Downtown Historic District is recognized as a 19th century architectural gem that is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Main Street provided an early route through the dense forests, allowing the farmers and . . . — — Map (db m59495) HM
The Original Town Hall (left) and Academy (right) were both built in the early 1800s on the Town Common and served as schools into the 20th century. As student enrollment increased, the buildings became over-crowded and out-dated . . . — — Map (db m59398) HM
The First Church congregation built this meeting house and dedicated it on November 15, 1818. The frame was raised by men from Belfast and neighboring towns. The parish committee provided a barrel of punch for the workers. Notable . . . — — Map (db m59493) HM
A brief shipbuilding boom following WWI put the shipyard owned by the Mathews Brothers woodworking mill back in business. The building of the Jennie Flood Kreger, Belfast's largest and only five-masted ship, was overseen by . . . — — Map (db m59549) HM
The intersection of Main and High Streets formed the commercial crossroads of Belfast and in 1799 it was the site of the first store. Sometimes known as City Block in honor of the impending new city charter, the James Y. McClintock . . . — — Map (db m59388) HM
Colonel Philo Hersey (panel #9) and two business partners built this imposing shoe factory during the post Civil War period of industrial expansion. At peak production, over 500 workers stood side by side producing several thousand . . . — — Map (db m59382) HM
The first bridge to span the Passagassawakeag River at this site was built by private investors in 1806. Known as the Lower Bridge and made of wood, it featured a drawbridge which allowed schooners to travel up the river as far as . . . — — Map (db m59527) HM
On this site generations of workers made windows, built ships, and processed poultry. Passengers and freight were carried by sailing ships and steamships to the four corners of the world. In 1999 Belfast Commons was generously given to the citizens . . . — — Map (db m59658) HM
The Post Office and Customs House was built in 1857. Until then offices were housed in various businesses around town. The building still has many original features, including ornate fireplaces and iron fireproof shutters. Post . . . — — Map (db m59494) HM
Steamboats first made scheduled stops in Belfast in 1824, carrying passengers and freight along the coast. The Eastern Steam Ship Company of Boston built the wharf pictured here in 1888. The "Great White Flyer" steamer Belfast . . . — — Map (db m59550) HM
The Thomas Whittier house was built in 1803 as both a house and tavern. It was long considered the finest inn in eastern Maine, popular for drinking, dining and dancing. Famous for the abundant produce from her gardens, Whittier's . . . — — Map (db m59502) HM
When James Langworthy built this Federal style structure in 1835, Market Street, which the building faces, was little more than a cow path leading to a watering hole. But as both a home and store, it was one of more than thirty businesses in . . . — — Map (db m59501) HM
Circuses and Caravans of wild animals appeared in Belfast as early as 1816. In 1885, Barnum's "Greatest Show on Earth," featuring 16 elephants including Jumbo, pitched its tent on Congress Street where over 8,000 people enjoyed the . . . — — Map (db m59384) HM
The abundant lumber, steam-powered sawmills and stretches of wide, flat beach, Belfast became a ship building center with shipyards lining the waterfront. In 1793, Robert and James Miller built the schooner Jenny Miller, the . . . — — Map (db m59531) HM
Ralph Cross Johnson built this house just as the War of 1812 was beginning. He and his brother, Judge Alfred Johnson, were active in all manner of Belfast's businesses and politics. Ralph Johnson was a representative in Maine's first . . . — — Map (db m59503) HM
Belfast artist William M. Hall's drawing of the "Great Conflagration" was published in Harper's Weekly magazine a week after the fire. At 10:30 on the night of October 12, 1865 a fire that started on the waterfront rapidly . . . — — Map (db m59528) HM
Designed by architect Calvin Ryder and built in 1840, the James Patterson White House is considered the finest example of domestic Greek Revival architecture in Maine. Born in 1800 in a log house not far from this site, James White . . . — — Map (db m59391) HM
Originally a cigar making factory, the building shown became Perry's Tropical Nut House when owner Irving Perry started selling pecans in 1926. The business flourished as automobile traffic along Route 1 grew and it soon became . . . — — Map (db m59506) HM
Mathews Brothers Company, started in 1854 by Spencer Mathews and his two brothers, is the oldest manufacturing company in Belfast. After fire destroyed the original factory in 1873 (panel #24), the company reopened just 70 days later . . . — — Map (db m59547) HM
Hayford Hall was built between 1866 and 1868 by Axel Hayford, a local contractor and businessman. It housed businesses on the lower level and a ballroom/theater with a balcony on the second level. Renamed the Belfast Opera House in . . . — — Map (db m59496) HM
The burgeoning appeal of the silver screen led to the construction of the Colonial Theatre which opened the night the Titanic set sail from England in April 1912. A fire in 1923 following a showing of the film "Way Down East" . . . — — Map (db m59500) HM
By the mid-19th Century Belfast was becoming a popular destination for travelers. The
Windsor Hotel, originally built as a private home in 1807, was enlarged to accommodate the influx of guests and lodgers. First known as the New . . . — — Map (db m59385) HM
The largest combined infantry-naval operation undertaken by the American colonists during the Revolution met with disaster along this waterway. Two thousand colonials failed to capture Fort George at Castine with its contingent of 750 British . . . — — Map (db m21458) HM
Eunice & Hezekiah French came here from Billerica, Massachusetts in 1799 built a log cabin nearby and ten children were born there — — Map (db m59657) HM
Lincolnville Center was a busy place in the 19th Century with three general stores, two blacksmith shops, a couple of sawmills, several shoemaking shops, a one-room school, two churches and a wheelwright shop. In 1904 the Lincolnville Telephone . . . — — Map (db m55827) HM
Nathan & Lydia Knight built a log cabin and became the First Settlers of Canaan Plantation which in 1802 was incorporated as Lincolnville — — Map (db m55825) HM
The idea of a fort on the Penobscot was not new when the U.S. government purchased land for Fort Knox in 1844. The Board of Engineers, established and charged by the Secretary of War to make a plan for the defense of the United States, had listed a . . . — — Map (db m260115) HM
Granite, brick, and other supplies used to build Fort Knox, as well as the 74 cannons and carriages eventually placed here, all arrived by water. As a result, the wharf area was undoubtedly the scene of busy activity throughout most of the fort's . . . — — Map (db m260124) HM
The United States planned Fort Knox to prevent another attempt by the English to control Maine lands east of the Penobscot, as they had successfully done in the American Revolution and War of 1812.
Fort Knox's construction had not yet begun when . . . — — Map (db m260114) HM
It may be surprising to know that the entire weight of the bridge deck and any vehicles on it is supported by a system of wires only 1/5 inch in diameter, Seven of these pencil-thin wires are twisted together, then coated with epoxy to prevent . . . — — Map (db m259632) HM
Over the 20 years that Fort Knox was under construction, plans for the fort changed and parts of it had to be rebuilt. Such changes occurred in Battery B. This battery, built in 1845 for 15 guns, was the first place ready for cannons. Even though . . . — — Map (db m260121) HM
Today's peaceful view of the Penobscot River and the community of Bucksport holds few hints of the early conflicts that plagued the area. For nearly two centuries, the river served as a border between clashing interests - French and English, Native . . . — — Map (db m260110) HM
People, machines, and animals all played a part in the slow process of raising the walls that shaped Fort Knox. But before these walls could be built, people, machines, and animals also worked to prepare the site by earth, blasting ledge, and . . . — — Map (db m260117) HM
Eight soldiers were needed to fire a 10-inch Rodman, including a chief of detachment (who gave the commands), a gunner, and six cannoneers.
The steps in firing the cannon are shown here. The gunner is indicated by "G" and the other six . . . — — Map (db m55337) HM
has been designated a
Registered National
Historic Landmark
under the provisions of the
Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935
This site possesses exceptional value
in commemorating or illustrating
the history of the United . . . — — Map (db m55157) HM
The hot shot furnace was built in 1858 to heat cannonballs for the 32 pounder cannons originally planned for but never installed at Fort Knox. These cannons would have fired heated cannonballs at enemy ships in order to set the ships on fire. . . . — — Map (db m260123) HM
Native Americans first paddled dug-out canoes up and down the Penobscot River about 8,000 years ago. Seeking rich hunting and fishing grounds, these people had come to live on the wooded shores of the river and bay.
Archaeology has revealed . . . — — Map (db m260111) HM
A Rich and Productive Estuary
Just south of here, the Penobscot River widens and flows into Penobscot Bay. The mixing of fresh- water and ocean water in an area over 37 miles long and 45 miles wide makes the bay one of the largest and most . . . — — Map (db m259630) HM
Bridge Opened on December 30, 2006
Observatory opened on May 19, 2007
This award-winning structure was planned, funded, permitted, designed, built and opened to traffic in only 42 months, a testament to the remarkable vision and extraordinary . . . — — Map (db m259628) HM
During your visit to Fort Knox, you will see dramatic evidence of hundreds of millions of years of geologic history.
The site's bedrock, a rust-colored schist known as the Penobscot formation, is the rock that builders blasted and moved in . . . — — Map (db m260112) HM
This is a full-size segment, identical to those that make up the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.
The Penobscot Narrows Bridge span consists of 181 segments, suspended on cables from 442-foot-high pylons. Crews worked to build these segments in all . . . — — Map (db m260108) HM
Fort Knox's roof, or terreplein, has emplacements for thirty cannons. These cannons would have been smaller than the guns planned for the casemates on the main level below.
The 30 gun circles on the terreplein were all laid and ready for guns in . . . — — Map (db m260120) HM
The nation's Third System forts, including Fort Knox, all shared similar design features. These features combined to guard against attack by ships, make it impossible for the fort to be taken quickly, [and] provide protection from a land-based, . . . — — Map (db m260113) HM
If you were to visit the nation's masonry forts built during the Fort Knox era, you would see many features common to most of them. One such feature is the casemate, a large enclosed space with a high, arched ceiling and places for cannons to fire . . . — — Map (db m55278) HM
Fort Knox's thick granite walls were designed to deflect cannon fire from ships passing through the Narrows of the Penobscot River. These walls also enclosed a pentagon-shaped center that contained the heart and soul of the fort.
All of the . . . — — Map (db m260118) HM
In the early days of the automobile, travel along this section of U.S. Route 1 involved a choice: to cross the Penobscot River, motorists could wait in long lines for a ferry or travel 27 miles north to cross the river between Bangor and Brewer. . . . — — Map (db m198629) HM
In the early days of the automobile, travel along this section of U.S. Route 1 involved a choice: to cross the Penobscot River, motorists could wait in long lines for a ferry or travel 27 miles north to cross the river between Bangor and Brewer. . . . — — Map (db m259633) HM
This bridge was innovative in its use of Vierendeel truss towers and was among the first suspension bridges to use prestressed wire rope strand cables.
Completed 1931
Designated 2002 — — Map (db m260109) HM
Fort Knox never had soldiers living within its walls, except for a few weeks during the Spanish American War (1898) when some Connecticut Volunteers probably camped on the parade ground or in adjacent rooms. During the Civil War, when the largest . . . — — Map (db m260119) HM
The Waldo-Hancock Bridge, together with the Bucksport-Verona Bridge (completed in the same year), linked the communities of the two counties, connecting Winterport, Prospect, Bucksport, Stockton Springs, Searsport, Belfast and Ellsworth. . . . — — Map (db m257784) HM
The "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" of 1931
A Stunning Modern Engineering Achievement
Opened to Traffic November 16, 1931
Closed to Traffic December 30, 2006 — — Map (db m257785) HM
Samuel Waldo & The Waldo Patent
By the early 17th century, Native Americans and early French and English settlers clashed over land around Penobscot Bay. In 1730, Boston merchant Samuel Waldo asked the English King's Council for a land grant. . . . — — Map (db m257818) HM
Captain George A. Carver was born in 1836. He was, in turn, a ship's carpenter, builder, owner and master. Later Carver helped found a successful New York ship chandlery business.Retiring in 1893, Carver returned to Searsport, . . . — — Map (db m46646) HM
Originally erected in 1870 between Mt. Ephraim and Goodall Streets, this monument displays the names of 18 fallen Searsport men. It was dismantled in 1896 and moved to the current location in front of the new Masonic and Odd Fellows . . . — — Map (db m46641) HM
Early financial business in Searsport was transacted in Counting Houses. The growth of commerce and industry in the mid 19th Century created the need for a bank. On August 1, 1853, Jeremiah Merithew organized the Searsport Bank which . . . — — Map (db m46652) HM
"First came the short white undershirt and underpants. Next came the vest with two rows of buttons the first of which held up the underpants, then the white blouse with a large Buster Brown collar tied with a very wide bow. The . . . — — Map (db m46642) HM
For 40 years Clara sailed, first with her father at age nine, then with her husband, Captain William Blanchard, aboard 13 vessels in all. She enjoyed one of the longest documented lives at sea and sailed to all parts of the world. . . . — — Map (db m59280) HM
Over many years, Bob and Marietta Ramsdell have made
countless enduring contributions to the Town of
Searsport, with a focus on marine life, the environment.
and sensible town growth. Bob served as Chair of
Searsport's Shellfish Management . . . — — Map (db m257824) HM
Planted in honor of those who lost their lives in the tragic events on September 11, 2001
The American Liberty elm was named after "The Liberty Tree": Our Country's first Symbol of Freedom. On the morning of August 14, 1765, the people of Boston . . . — — Map (db m55341) HM WM
When Searsport was incorporated in 1845, Main Street consisted of 2 rows of shops and homes. The first brick building, Leach Block, built in 1834, is in center right of the photograph. To the left of that building is the tall three . . . — — Map (db m46650) HM
In the 19th Century, Searsport was a busy prosperous town. Although best known for shipbuilding and its supporting industries, there was a barrel factory, a spool factory and grain and lumber mills. In one block on Main Street there . . . — — Map (db m46648) HM
Master Shipbuilder, Marlboro Packard, built this house in 1851. He and his wife, Mary raised their children here.
To mark the sad occasion of Abraham Lincoln's
assassination in 1865, Marlboro and his friend Captain Nickels planted this northern . . . — — Map (db m257787) HM
For the better part of the 19th Century Searsport shores were busy with shipbuilding and supporting industries. Close to the yards were steam sheds for bending timbers and planking, blacksmith shops, oakum shops, an iron foundry and . . . — — Map (db m46651) HM
In 1850, 216 Searsport men listed their occupations as sailor. This work was what they knew; it was traditional in this and other maritime communities. The men were often gone for years at a time. Young men also left Searsport to go . . . — — Map (db m46653) HM
A Century of Sears
In 1806, several men owned shares in
Brigadier's Island. David Sears bought
out his partners in 1813. The island
passed down through four generations
of the Sears family, who owned
much land in the area now known . . . — — Map (db m257694) HM
It was about 1:30 PM - a hot still afternoon. Thunder clouds built up rapidly. A black funnel cloud appeared northwest of town. The air was full of dust and flying debris. The 1859 Phineas Pendleton House across the street was lifted . . . — — Map (db m46658) HM
Searsport House was one of the best hotels to be found outside the larger cities, according to The Industrial Journal, Dec. 1909. Built in 1831, the original building was occupied as a private dwelling until 1835 when it was . . . — — Map (db m46654) HM
Until 1800, Settlers in the area were occupied in establishing themselves on the land. At the same time trade up and down the coast and with Massachusetts was by water in sloops and small schooners. These coastal farmers were as much . . . — — Map (db m46659) HM
Captain Freeman McGilvery (1824-1864) captained two ships prior to the Civil War. At age 38, at sea, he learned of the "Southern Insurrection" and returned to Maine to offer his services to the governor. Assigned to command the 6th . . . — — Map (db m46661) HM
On the site across the stream, there was first a grain and then a lumber mill. The dammed up stream provided power to turn the wheel to grind the grain or saw the logs. The stream also provided a conduit for logs floated down to the . . . — — Map (db m46657) HM
Local entrepreneur Frank Lane constructed this building in 1860. A Boston architect, George Harding, designed it as a venue for traveling and local theater productions and community receptions. It was also used for basketball in the . . . — — Map (db m46644) HM
In the 1850s, with no public transportation, children had to walk to school or ride in a wagon. If Searsport families wanted to educate their children, facilities had to be provided within walking distance of their homes. There were . . . — — Map (db m46655) HM
Wabanaki Encampment by Judith Cooper
Sears Island was originally known as "Wassumkeag" by Native Americans, meaning "bright sand beach." Before the causeway was built, a shining sandbar connected the island to the mainland at . . . — — Map (db m257815) HM
Fort Point Light — An Early River Beacon Established in 1836 to aid the growing number of ships navigating the Penobscot between Bangor and Castine, Fort Point Light Station was built as the first river light in Maine. In 1857, the present . . . — — Map (db m170845) HM
Erected and named by Gen Thomas Pownall 1759 • • • Gen Samuel Waldo for whom Waldo County was named was buried here Removed to Kings Chapel Boston • • • Erected by John Cocran Chapter D.A.R. 1916 — — Map (db m170848) HM
In 1759, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pownall sought to plug the mouths of Maine's key rivers so as to keep the French and Indians well inland. In January 1758, he wrote to William Pitt, Prime Minister of England about the advantages of this site, . . . — — Map (db m170846) HM
The citizens of
Stockton Springs
honor those
who served
their country
in World War II
In Memoriam
★ Roy Arnold · ★ Dexter Black · ★ Jerry Dobbins · ★ Lynn Grant · ★ Eugene Harry, Jr. · ★ . . . — — Map (db m286762) WM
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