The Lunch Box Journals

Lubec, ME to Ellsworth, ME (US 1)

“Downeast” is the label applied to the coastal area of northeastern Maine because sailing ships leaving Boston and points south heading east had to sail down wind and east. Downeast is combined with “Acadia” because this area of Maine was part of the early French colony “Acadia” which stretched north of the Maine coast into the present day Maritime Provinces of Canada.

Lubec, Maine
Lubec is a small town on a peninsula that juts out into Passamaquoddy Bay, and is the easternmost town in the United States and is actually the point of the closest contact to both Europe and Africa. Across the salt flats to the south of Lubec (it’s low tide when I visit) is West Quoddy Head where the Lubec lighthouse has been guarding the entrance to the bay since 1858.

To the north of the point across the empty inlet, Lubec crowns a distant bluff.

First settled in 1775, like many towns in the remote parts of Maine the population peaked in the early 1900’s and today around 1,300 people live in the area. The small commercial strip along the bay front and docks are now clearly dependent on tourism and after Labor Day the activity dwindles quickly. It’s a bit lonely on a sunny mid-week afternoon.

One of the little details that I have found interesting in my travels in the hinterlands of Maine is that frequently I have noticed that the curbs (when they exist) are actually made from blocks of granite, not concrete…

The main draw for tourists that brings them to this out of the way place is that Lubec is actually the gateway to Campobello Island, the famed summer retreat of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. A bridge leads from Lubec to Campobello with the Campobello lighthouse on the far side of the strait guiding boats through the narrows.

I learned something new while in Lubec: Campobello Island is actually in Canada and at the far end of the bridge is the custom’s entry. Who knew FDR and Eleanor actually spent summers in Canada? Unfortunately since it is in Canada I was unable to visit the Roosevelt retreat as regular readers may recall, I left my passport sitting on my desk back in Billings. Returning to US 1 the road takes us southeast along the Downeast coastline. Again we are plunging through dense forest with an occasional rare look at the ocean. This part of the coast of Maine is very rugged, with the fingers of granite reaching out into the ocean separated by narrow fjord-like shards of bright blue water decorated with small islands. Seemingly at the tip of each of these estuaries is a small village, sometimes a remnant of a fishing or logging past. The brief views are spectacular but pass quickly as the forest encroaches all around.

Most of the drive is through the woods but occasionally the land opens to reveal another one of Maine’s jewels, blueberry barrens. Most of the blueberries harvested in Maine are “wild” blueberries that actually are farmed. The “wild” designation refers to the type of plant, which is a low bush with tart, flavorful berries as opposed to the cultivated bush blueberries found elsewhere. The harvest is long over and the plants have been pruned but are a riotous carpet of many colors amongst the forest.

One of these islands, Mount Desert Island, is the next stop of our journey. Mount Desert is a large island, home to two of Maine’s most popular destinations: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert is separated from the mainland by Frenchmen’s Bay. This is the view from the mainland looking towards Mount Desert Island. The mountain on the left (Champlain Mountain) is separated from the main island by a sand spit that is underwater at high tide. The two mountains on the right are Dorr Mountain and Mount Cadillac. The village of Bar Harbor rises from the small harbor between Champlain Mountain and Door Mountain.

As I cross the causeway that connects Mount Desert Island to the mainland construction allows me to pause and take a picture of the bay. A cruise ship is anchored in Frenchmen’s Bay and the sparkling water is dotted with pleasure boats. The village of Bar Harbor is in the upper right.

Bar Harbor turns out to not really be my kind of place (Oregonians think Cannon Beach on steroids!). During the late 1800’s Bar Harbor became a fashionable summer destination for the wealthy of the cities of the east coast and by 1888 there were over 18 hotels in the small village. As time passed on, the hotels went into decline and the number of summer cottages grew as that vacation style became more popular. Today Bar Harbor is a tight cluster of small hotels, bed and breakfast cottages, expensive little stores and restaurants rising sharply from the small harbor. Even in the middle of the week after Labor Day the place is jammed with tourists. I didn’t linger long…

The “hub-bub” of Bar Harbor is quickly left behind and the rest of the island is a beautiful drive, the granite mountains plunging to the pulsating ocean, with the occasional small harbor hamlet hugging the rugged shore. This is Seal Harbor.

Leaving Mount Desert Island and going back to the mainland Ellsworth is the main commercial center for the region.

Ellsworth, ME
Ellsworth is the first substantial town along the northeastern Maine coast, gateway to Mount Desert Island and historically important in the early development of the shipping and logging industries in Maine. The French first settled a colony on Mount Desert Island in 1613 and the British fought over the area for the next one hundred years before the British won control. The area around the Union River was settled in 1763 and the first ship was built on the banks of the river in 1773. In 1800 the village of Ellsworth was incorporated in 1800 and in the next century flourished as home to shipyards and various mills. Two disasters in the early 1900’s lead to the decline of those industries. In 1923 a flood on the Union River wiped out the docks and shipyards and a decade later in 1933 a fire destroyed most of the downtown area. Most of the buildings that line the main street today were built in the 1930’s.

The fire did not greatly impact structures on the hill above the central core and the 1847 Congregational Church still dominates the skyline of Ellsworth after 170 years.

The 1897 public library is down the street from the church.

Between the library and the church is the 1886 Hancock County Courthouse.

Below the church and above Main Street sits the 1935 Ellsworth City Hall, built after the great fire of 1933.

A small sample of historic homes converted to commercial use…

The Union River runs along the western edge of the village enter. After taking the picture of the main commercial strip I turn to my right and walk maybe 100 feet to stand on the bridge over the river.

One is never very far from nature when in Maine! After exploring Ellsworth I head west across the river and up the hill to the estate of Colonel John Black, Woodlawn, which proves to be one of the highlights of the entire trip.

Woodlawn
After the Revolutionary War Philadelphia businessman William Bingham purchased two million acres of what was then the Massachusetts Colony and is now Maine. He consequently sold half of it in 1792 to a London bank who sent a young 18-year old man, John Black, to serve as its agent in the area. Black flourished, married Bingham’s agent David Cobb’s daughter (David Cobb was also one of George Washington’s generals during the Revolutionary War) and quickly became extremely wealthy from logging and shipping interests. In the period 1824-1827 Black built Woodlawn, a three story mansion designed in a combination of Federal and Greek Revival styles built of brick shipped up to Ellsworth from Philadelphia. What makes Woodlawn unique is that it had no other owners other than the Black family for three generations until 1928 when George Nixon Black willed the estate to the Hancock Country Trustees of Public Reservations. The house is virtually intact with many of the original 1827 furnishings in their original settings. It really is an outstanding experience to walk through and see so many items of such historical importance in their original setting. Come with me as we tour Woodlawn.

The house sits on a hill with views to the east over Ellsworth and the Union River. A porch runs along the front of the house, the main entrance is actually in the small southern wing on the left that housed Colonel Black’s office.

Entering through the rather unassuming door one is in a short entry hall.

To the left is Colonel Black’s office from which he managed his vast forests and associated businesses. The room is furnished with the original office furniture used in 1827 (Colonel Black did not use a desk, referring to work at the drop leaf table) and the open book on the table is a ledger kept by Colonel Black documenting business transactions.

Opening off the entrance hall to my right is the entrance to the main home that would have been used for social visitors. This entrance opens onto a hall that runs the length of the house.

The first room on the left is the library, complete with the original collection of books on the shelves.

Next is the heart of the house, the great elliptical central staircase. The staircase is anchored to the wall so there is no visible means of support, every sixth baluster is made of metal for additional support. The wall is lined with portraits, one of which is a copy of the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington. Stuart actually painted over 130 copies of his famous painting and sold them for $100 each. About 60 of the original copies survive. This is a “second generation” copy of an original copy owned by the Black family. Their “original” copy was painted by Stuart in 1810 for John Quincy of Boston and the Black’s acquired it for their collection in the late 1800’s.

Climbing the staircase to the second floor one enters another long hall which runs the length of the house. The family bedrooms line the east side of the hall, guest rooms are on the left. The home remained in the Black family for three generations and modifications were made throughout that time to bring the house up to what were then current standards. Originally the house would have been lit by candlelight, then by gas light, and finally by electricity. All of the changes were done in the least obtrusive manner possible regardless of the costs as the Black’s wanted to live with the comfort and convenience of the times as they evolved. The large suite on the north end was the master bedroom used by the last Black family member to live in the house, George Nixon Black.

At the other end of the hall was the bedroom used by Colonel Black and his wife. It is a stunning example of early American life as the room exists pretty much as it did in the 1800’s as the family kept the room in its original condition. The bed hangings, carpets and other furnishings were created in 1827 and are in outstanding condition. Just amazing! The large paintings of Colonel John Black and his wife Mary were painted in 1840 and kept in the Black’s Boston house until they were willed to Woodlawn upon George Nixon Black’s death.

Back downstairs the north end of the first floor was remodeled in the early 1900’s and, though known as the Middle Kitchen room, was actually originally a hall and dining area. The kitchen actually used for cooking would have been off the back of the main house to minimize fire danger (that area is now used by the foundation that runs Woodlawn as offices). The “Middle Kitchen” was used by Nixon as a game room and place to entertain friends in a casual manner.

The Butler’s Pantry off the Middle Kitchen still holds the original china used by the Black family. The first shelf contains Canton china used for breakfast, the blue Staffordshire china was for lunch, and the polychrome Mason’s china on the top shelf was used for dinners.

The remainder of the east side of the first floor contains the north and south parlors, connected by large pocket doors. Each parlor has a large fireplace carved from marble quarried near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The north parlor was often used for formal dining parties and the south for conversation.