MCHT Helps Make Historic Coastal Property Become Whole
Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) recently announced the permanent protection of a small parcel of land surrounded by Maine’s Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site. Acquired in February of this year, the property was transferred in November to the Maine Department of Conservation’s (MDOC) Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL).
BPL has long sought acquisition of this small, but strategic 1/3-acre lot. Late last year, BPL approached MCHT when the landowner, the Pemaquid Fisherman’s Cooperative, placed the property on the market. MCHT agreed to pre-acquire the tract of land on behalf of the state and hold onto the property until BPL could secure the requisite funding. Recently, with help from the state’s Land for Maine’s Future program, the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, Loon plate funds, and a donation from the Friends of Maine’s State Parks, BPL meet its fundraising goal.
Home to Native Americans dating back at least one thousand years, Colonial Pemaquid later became the site of a very early English outpost and fishing station. Today, Colonial Pemaquid is an important State Historic Site located in the town of Bristol. The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid, a non-profit organization, provides important assistance to the state in caring for and interpreting the site.
The newly acquired parcel, which was surrounded by state-owned land, contains two colonial structures and a hearth. Colonial artifacts have been found there, including a barrel that lined a well at the settlement. Once transferred to the state, the new acquisition will become an integral component of the existing historic site.
Speaking at a gathering celebrating this conservation success, Patrick McGowan, MDOC commissioner, said that the land purchase “needed to be done” and the possible loss of the parcel -- as one of the most significant historic sites in Maine – to development would have been “very tragic.”
MCHT’s regional project manager Chris Fichtel said, “We are pleased to be a partner in the conservation of this significant historic landmark. This project is a perfect example of how land conservation organizations can work with state, federal, and local partners to meet the needs of coastal communities in Maine.”
“We believe that in today’s uncertain world, it is so important to be aware of where we came from,” Bob Howell, president of the Friends of Colonial Pemaquid, added. Commenting on the early settlers who inhabited the site, Bob elaborated, “They had little time to think of anything more than survival, and yet they planted in this new land a love of liberty that is still the envy of the world.”
