Plan of St. Georges Fort
Maine Historical Society
On August 19, 1607, two ships carrying colonists arrived at the mouth of the Kennebec River and began the Popham Colony, a settlement effort that lasted one year, hampered by the group's arrival at the end of the growing season and the harsh winter.
The plan, a copy of one created by colonist John Hunt shows the fortified village they built. It shows cabins, the admiral's house, a chapel, a storehouse, a cooperage, and a guardhouse.
George Popham and Raleigh Gilbert led the group that hoped to take advantage of fishing, fur trading, timber resources, and other pursuits.
Popham died during the winter, some colonists left, the remaining group had difficult relations with the native population, and the colony was abandoned after about a year.