2023 marks a substantial milestone for Harpswell Heritage Land Trust: we are now 40 years old! From our formation by the Harpswell Historical Society, to our evolution from Harpswell Heritage Trust to Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, to our shift from an all-volunteer to a staffed organization, and our increase in the depth and breadth of… Read more
Introduction Harpswell Township is home to almost half of Casco Bay’s more than 200 islands, listing 98 islands within its borders. Four of these are the heavily-populated Great Island (formerly Sebascodegan Island), Dingley Island, Orr’s Island, and Bailey Island. That leaves 94 “outer” islands, accessible only by water or air. The exact count can be… Read more
Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys might have had a heyday at the Doughty Point and Island Preserve. Nancy and her friends George and Bess would try to drive her convertible roadster there and would be foiled! Dashed! You can’t get there by road. Instead, they’d kayak!! Frank and Joe Hardy might have zipped west… Read more
Sam Alexander, Sr. knows Harpswell pretty well, which is not surprising since he’s spent most of his three score and ten years here (so far). His ancestor, William Alexander, was one of the first persons of European descent to live here, moving from Topsham after his father was killed in a raid by Native Americans… Read more
See below for video recordings of past webinars in our 2021 “Stories of Change” series. Rockweed Research from the Bottom up with Hannah Webber Click here to watch a webinar recording from October 26, 2021. Rockweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, covers much of the rocky intertidal in Maine; it is ecologically and economically important. This talk… Read more
This gift comes from a long heritage and a deep connection to and love of the land. The donors’ family has owned the land since 1763 when Michael Sinnett bought 30 acres on Orr’s Island. The land was divided over the decades as each new generation built homes for their families. Next to the gift… Read more
As I have researched the property that Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) is working to preserve, two questions have niggled at me. The first is, “Why is this tidal creek named Strawberry Creek?” Like with Mill Cove or Widgeon Cove, can we simply assume the obvious — that the creek was known for wild strawberries?… Read more
This is one in a series of articles exploring the history of HHLT preserves. What makes Johnson Field Preserve precious is that it’s only a field—a field preserving a view that makes the hearts of locals and visitors sing. It’s a view to dream about when you’re longing for the best places of your life,… Read more
This is one in a series of articles exploring the history of HHLT preserves. Little Ponds is the wild Maine blueberry of preserves. Its 22 acres in East Harpswell burst with goodness in the realms of nature; historical agriculture, fisheries, and industry; and literature. Yes, even literature. Several Great Island family names tie into the… Read more
One of a series of articles exploring the natural and human history of Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s protected land. For a sweet morsel of a park with delicious tidbits of human and natural history, I recommend Houghton Graves Park on Orr’s Island. You can walk under boughs of ancient apple trees to a picnic table… Read more