Welcome to Belfast Maine

Belfast Maine Photo Gallery Snap Shots

Belfast Maine Photo Gallery

Belfast Maine

Belfast Maine was once territory of the Penobscot tribe of Abenaki Indians, which each summer visited the seashore to hunt for fish, shellfish and seafowl. In 1630, it became part of the Muscongus Patent, which granted rights for English trading posts with the Indians, especially for the lucrative fur trade. About 1720, General Samuel Waldo of Boston bought the Muscongus Patent, which had evolved into outright ownership of the land, and was thereafter known as the Waldo Patent.

Waldo died in 1759, and his heirs would sell the plantation of Passagassawakeag (named after its river) to 35 Scots-Irish proprietors from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Renamed Belfast after Belfast, Northern Ireland, it was first settled in 1770, and incorporated as a town in 1773. The village was mostly abandoned during the Revolution while British forces occupied Bagaduce (now Castine).[2] The British military burned Belfast in 1779, then held it for 5 days in September 1814 during the War of 1812.

Following the war, the seaport rebuilt and thrived. It was a port of entry, and designated county seat of Waldo County in 1827, although land would be set off in 1845 to form part of Searsport. Belfast was incorporated in 1853 as a city, the 8th in Maine. It developed into a shipbuilding center, producing hundreds of three, four and five masted schooners. Materials for wooden boat construction were shipped down the Penobscot River from Bangor, the lumber capital of North America during the later 1800s.

Shipbuilders became wealthy, and built the Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate mansions and civic architecture for which the city is noted, including the 1818 First Church by master-builder Samuel French, and the 1857 Custom House and Post Office by noted architect Ammi B. Young. Wooden ship construction would fade about 1900, but with the advent of refrigeration, the local economy shifted to harvesting seafood, including lobsters, scallops, sardines, herrings and mackerel for the Boston and New York markets.

Churches in Belfast Maine: Saint Margarets Church, Ford Chapel.

Cemeteries: Simmons Cemetery, South Belfast Cemetery, Smart Cemetery, East Belfast Cemetery, Grove Cemetery, Pitcher Cemetery, West Belfast Cemetery.

Reservoirs: Passagassawakeag River Reservoir, Belfast Reservoir Number Two, Belfast Reservoir Number One, Goose River Reservoir, Mason Pond, Upper Mason Pond.

Streams, rivers, and creeks: Passagassawakeag River, Piper Stream, Marsh Fork, Goose River, Warren Brook, Webster Brook, Wescot Stream.

Tourist attractions: Belfast Historical Society & Museum (10 Market Street), School Administrative District No 34 - Troy A Howard Middle School- Crosby Lib (Cultural Attractions- Events- & Facilities; Lincolnville Avenue), Water Walker Sea Kayaks (Tours & Charters; RR 1 Box 5682).

Hotels: Belfast Bay Meadows Inn by the Sea (192 Northport Avenue), Colonial Gables (Searsport Avenue), Gull Motel (Searsport Avenue), Comfort Inn Ocean's Edge (159 Searsport Avenue), Yankee Clipper Motel (Route 1), Colonial Gables Oceanfront Villa (7 Eagle Avenue), Wonderview Cottages (Searsport Avenue), Londonderry Inn (133 Belmont Avenue).

Courts: Maine State - Courts- District Court- Belfast (103 Church Street), Maine State - Courts- Superior Court- Belfast (137 Church Street).

Two Day Weather Forecast Belfast Maine

Belfast Maine Weather Center

Featured Businesses

Belfast Guides & Reviews

      Accommodations
      Aircraft Charter Tours
      Art Galleries
      Bike and Cycling Shops
      Canoes and Kayaks
      Golf Courses
      Historic Sites
      Horse Stables
      Hunting and Fishing
      Massage/Spa
      Miniature Golf
      Museums
      Nightclubs and Bars
      State & Local Parks
      Pet Services
      RV Park/Campgrounds
      Restaurant/Lounge
      Shopping
      Sightseeing Tours
      Taxicab Service
      Theatres

Belfast Goverment & Community

      Belfast Profile
      Churches
      Hospitals
      Non-Profit Organizations