Search the Site

Penobscot Bay

Islesboro

Islesboro is a long, narrow island in Penobscot Bay directly across from the town of Lincolnville. The location of the famous summer colony and yachting center of Dark Harbor, the island hosts a year-round population of lobstermen, carpenters, caretakers, and other professionals.

Our People

Some of our talented people working in this area.

 
Shey Conover
GIS Specialist
 

Galleries

Click on a thumbnail to view the entire gallery.

CREST Career Fair, University of Maine at FarmingtonCREST Career Fair, University of Maine at FarmingtonCREST Career Fair, University of Maine at Farmington

Grindle Point Light in 2004 - photo by Kyle MacLea - courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Penobscot Indians called Islesboro  Pitaubegwimenahanuk, meaning "the island that lies between two channels." Situated in upper Penobscot Bay, the narrow, 14-mile island is the marker between East and West Penobscot Bay. It was part of the Waldo Patent. First called Long Island Plantation, and was settled in 1769. It would be incorporated as Islesborough on January 28, 1789, although over time the spelling was contracted to Islesboro.

Grindle Point Light in 2004

With many harbors and coves, the island was home to the largest commercial shipping fleet in the bay during the 19th century. Following the Civil War, however, Islesboro developed as a Gilded Age resort community, and many large summer homes were built by the wealthy. Their large yachts cruised and raced throughout the Gulf of Maine. The town remains a seasonal enclave to many notable residents.

Sites of Interest

  • Sailors' Memorial Museum, located in the former keepers' house at Grindle Point Lighthouse.
  • Sprague’s Beach located near Turtle Head

 

Publications & Resources

 
small document icon Island Institute 2008 Annual Report
small document icon 2009 Island Journal Volume 25
small document icon Island Indicators 2008
 Implementation Strategies in Place-Based Education Projects Webcast
 Most Recent Maine Commercial Landings (2007)
 Maine Housing Coalition Reports
 IT Across the Nation Webcast -- CREST & Urban Ecology Institute
 Islesboro Historical Society
 The Alice L. Pendleton Library, Islesboro, Maine
 Island Legislators
 Islesboro News
 Warren Island State Park
 Islesboro made products - Archipelago Products
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #1 (PDF, 173 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Parent Newsletter #1 (PDF, 161 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #2 (PDF, 176 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Parent Newsletter #2 (PDF, 102 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #3 (PDF, 183 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Parent Newsletter #3 (PDF, 113 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #4 (PDF, 183 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Parent Newsletter #4 (PDF, 182 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #5 (PDF, 141 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Parent Newsletter #5 (PDF, 382 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Parent Newsletter #6 (PDF, 171 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #7 (PDF, 133 KB)
PDF An Analysis of the Recent Economic History of Maine’s Island Communities - 2009 (PDF, 3 MB)
PDF 2009 Island Fellows Report (PDF, 1 MB)
PDF 2010 Island Institute Scholarship Fund Application (PDF, 105 KB)
PDF Island Scholars Student Newsletter #6 (PDF, 155 KB)
PDF Community Sustainability in the Islands of Maine (PDF, 85 KB)
PDF 40-Year History of Island Economic Development (PDF, 2 MB)
PDF Island Scholars Network Scholarship Brochure 2009 (PDF, 144 KB)
Google Earth File Island Tour (Google Earth is required to view this file) (KMZ, 3 MB)
PDF No Island is an Island - Maine's Island Housing Groups Collaborate (PDF, 97 KB)
 

Sign Up for E-newsletters

Enter your email address:

Privacy Policy
 
Get Involved
Metal Heart Earrings by Gail Miller