"View of the Castle" at Pemaquid Beach, Bristol, ca. 1910

Contributed by Penobscot Marine Museum

Description

The "Castle" was a popular tourist attraction on the Pemaquid Peninsula in the early 1900s. It was a 1908 reconstruction of the stone western tower of Fort William Henry, built to protect English settlers from strikes by Wabanaki people and their French allies who had interests in the land and resources the English were attempting to profit upon.

In 1910, visitors could arrive by steamboat at a landing near the fort. The wooden sidewalk and railing kept pedestrians out of the uneven and sometimes muddy road. Throngs arrived on summer weekend outings after the historic site opened to the public. The site was a popular subject for photographs, as attested by the photographer's vehicle from the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company, a postcard company in Belfast.

Fort William Henry was the second of three forts built at this location. Fort Charles (1677-89) and Fort William Henry were both taken by the enemy and destroyed. Fort Frederick, the third fort, was built from the ruins of Fort William Henry in 1729, decommissioned in 1759, and later dismantled. Archaeologists have undertaken excavations at the site for decades.

Now Colonial Pemaquid State Historical Site, visitors in 2020 explore the tower and walls and view thousands of artifacts in the museum from the early fishing villages and forts, the Wawenock Tribe (culturally related to the Penobscots) of Wabanaki, and other periods of local history.

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About This Item

  • Title: "View of the Castle" at Pemaquid Beach, Bristol, ca. 1910
  • Creator: Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co.
  • Creation Date: circa 1910
  • Subject Date: circa 1910
  • Location: Pemaquid, Bristol, Lincoln County, ME
  • Media: Glass Plate Negative
  • Dimensions: 12.7 cm x 17.8 cm
  • Local Code: LB2007.1.109055
  • Collection: Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co.
  • Object Type: Image

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For more information about this item, contact:

Penobscot Marine Museum
PO Box 498, 5 Church Street, Searsport, ME 04974
(207) 548-2529
Website

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.

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