Where in Maine?

Where in Maine?
Photographed by Benjamin Williamson

Can you name this venerable resort and the historic town surrounding it?

It’s easy to see why summer folk have flocked to this coastal village for years: a historic seaside resort overlooks a quiet harbor and its islands, blanketed with whispering pines. After visiting in 1941, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her diary, “I can well see that this is a marvelous summer resort for children and grownups alike.” Although the resort itself was founded in 1930 by a retail-baking mogul, the area had long beckoned pilgrims and travelers. Tourists explored the peninsula on steamships and schooners during the Gilded Age, and before that, the region was the site of the first English settlement attempt in New England. Though the settlement lasted only from 1607 to 1608, colonists managed to erect the first English ship ever built in the New World. When the area was resettled with a new name (its current one) in the early 19th century, shipwrights continued the tradition of producing quality wooden boats. Though it isn’t a working lighthouse, the resort’s distinct octagonal edifice has acted as a beacon and landmark to mariners ever since its construction in 1945. With 10 bedrooms and views of the harbor, it’s a favorite of guests enjoying a summer escape.

❯❯ If you can identify this venerable resort and the historic town surrounding it, write us at P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843 (with “Where in Maine” on the envelope); send an email to [email protected]; or post a comment below. We’ll feature our favorite letter in an upcoming issue — and send the winner a Down East wall calendar.