Visiting History in Central Maine
There are many Maines, as people are fond of saying, and I think that one of the things they mean is that each region of Maine speaks to a different part of the visitor’s expectations. What Central Maine speaks to, at least for me, is history, since so many of the important sites in Maine history are located in this region.
Augusta is the capitol of Maine but like so many capitol cities, such as Albany, Sacramento and Springfield, it is not among the largest cities in the state. Augusta is essentially a small town, but with some very interesting and worthwhile places to visit.
Old Fort Western
Even before I mention the Capitol building, I feel I must talk about my favorite site in Augusta – Old Fort Western. Built in 1754 and situated along the Kennebec River, Fort Western is the last surviving French and Indian War fortification in Maine.
That alone would interest an historian, but there is so much more. The Fort Western experience is the draw for me. For example, a year and a half ago, volunteers at the Fort (who always dress in period costume) began building a bateau, the flat-bottomed boat used by the French in this, and other, regions. This bateau was built using the same type of hand tools used in the eighteenth century, when the French settlers were building these boats. The bateau was launched with great fanfare, and is truly a beautiful boat.
Likewise, Fort volunteers are constantly demonstrating other skills and activities circa 1800’s, including gathering sap for maple syrup, open hearth cooking and weaving. The Fort itself consists of a reconstructed dwelling and store and two blockhouses, and in the early days this was the commercial center of Augusta. Well worth a visit.
The Capitol Building and the State Museum
The Maine Capitol Building has recently been beautifully restored, although all that remains of the original Bulfinch design is the columned façade.
The Maine State Museum, which is next to the Capitol, features a wide array of exhibits, including products and industries of nineteenth and early twentieth century Maine. Many of the exhibits employ incredibly realistic modeling, right down to the bandages covering the cuts on the sardine packer’s fingers. The museum also includes displays of early automobiles, boats, and trains, exhibits on the Paleo-Indians and other Maine-related topics. Admission is free.
Outside the Museum is a statue of Samantha Smith, who some of you might remember as the young Maine girl who was gutsy enough to write to Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov and tell him “enough is enough.” She later visited him in the U.S.S.R. and became very involved in activities promoting peace. Samantha Smith and her father died in a 1985 plane crash. Go to this site, it is very touching.
Blaine House and Pine Tree Arboretum
Blaine House is the home of Maine’s governor, although the current governor, Angus King, has chosen to continue living in his home in Brunswick, Maine. Blaine House’s reception rooms are open to the public and it is a beautiful building directly across from the Capitol.
The Pine Tree Arboretum is in Augusta, but on the opposite side of the Kennebec from the Capitol, as is Fort Western. The Arboretum consists of beautiful, open land, mostly forested, and just walking through it is a calming experience. Many of the trees and plants are identified with small signs. Yet, unlike so many other similar sites, there are typically few people visiting, particularly during the week.
There are benches to rest on and a small outdoor theatre, where I like to get up on the stage and perform (providing there is no one nearby). In the winter, visitors can cross country ski and snowshoe on site, providing they bring their own equipment. This wonderful place is free, but stop in at the office and get a map.
The following site has some good links to places of interest in and around Augusta.
The Kennebec River
In the summer of 1999, the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River was breached and eventually demolished. Nationally, this was one of the first dams to be removed, following increasing recognition that many dams have outlived their original purpose and now only serve to negatively impact our rivers and the fish that swim in those rivers. Since the removal of the dam, many positive signs have been seen, particularly the return of many species of fish.
There is an Augusta waterfront park on both sides of the Kennebec, off Water Street in downtown, and next to Fort Western on the eastern side of the river. There is also a playground and boat launch on the eastern side. These are fine places for have a picnic or just rest awhile.
Any Deadheads Out There?
I am continually amazed at the number of Grateful Dead stickers on Maine cars (my own included). Maine is surely a per capita rival of California. Downtown Augusta has a fine store offering Grateful Dead, Phish and other music related items. Check out Cosmic Charlie’s, on the corner of Bridge and Water Streets.
Eating
Unfortunately, I honestly cannot recommend any of the restaurants in Augusta. There are a few on the way out of town, such as Margarita’s on outer Western Avenue (Route 17), but nothing special in town. You won’t starve, but this capitol is not a culinary capitol.
Getting There
Vermont Transit, part of the Greyhound Bus network, runs buses to Augusta from Boston, Portland to the south, Bangor to the east, Brunswick on the coast, and other Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire cities.
The bus stops on Water Street, in downtown Augusta, which is about one mile from the Capitol Building, State Museum and Blaine House, right across the river from Old Fort Western, and up the block from the waterfront park and Cosmic Charlie’s. The Pine Tree Arboretum is some distance, across the river and about two miles further, along Route 9. However, it is such a beautiful place that you might want to hop in a taxi.
Augusta can be reached by Route 17 from Rockland, Route 3 from Belfast, and Interstate 95 from Portland and Waterville.
“He who rides and keeps the beaten track studies the fences chiefly.”
–Henry David Thoreau, The Maine Woods, 1853
Welcome to my Guide to Maine, very much a four seasons state. Although Henry David’s three visits to Maine were to inland Maine, the mountain and lakes regions, the majority of visitors these days follow Route One, the coastal route, and miss over ninety percent of this beautiful state.
If I do anything with these discourses, I hope it is to introduce you, the reader, to the Maine that many travelers do not know. That includes coastal towns with walkable downtowns, inland lakes favored by locals, walks and hikes in impossibly beautiful areas and, a favorite of mine, specialty railroad runs.
Getting to Maine
Unfortunately, the car is king in Maine, as there is little public transit. The typical routes into the state are Interstate 95 and Route One to coastal Maine, and Route 2 to Western Maine. Maine is bordered on the west by New Hampshire, on the northwest and north by Quebec and on the east by New Brunswick.
A visitor could also fly into Maine, either to the Portland Jetport and Bangor International Airport. There are very comfortable Concord Trailways buses, which travel from Boston’s Logan Airport, and Boston’s South Station (the bus and Amtrak terminus), to various points in Maine. (1-888-741-8686, or their website for schedules and fares).
A wonderful development in Maine transportation is the imminent return of passenger rail to Maine. Although railroads were prevalent in Maine from the mid-1800’s on, and a key factor in the popularity of Maine as a visitor destination, the advent of auto travel put an end to Maine’s passenger rail system.
However, Amtrak will be returning to Maine, most likely in early 2001. There will be a line going from Boston to Portland, Maine, with a number of stops in New Hampshire and Southern Maine.
Even more exciting, is that there are plans to extend that line up to Rockland, most likely in mid- 2002, and link it to numerous ferries traveling to Downeast Maine, the Maine islands and the Canadian Maritimes. I will keep you informed.
Telephone
The area code for the whole state of Maine is 207.
About the Author
Lynne Williams, a resident of the Rockland area, is an attorney and writer. She travels extensively throughout the United States and Canada, most often by “alternatives to airplanes”, including trains, ships, riverboats, ferries, kayaks and snowshoes.
You can contact her by email at LWILL@earthlink.net.