Peaks Island, Maine
|
|
Peaks_Island,_Maine,_Boardwalk,_postcard.jpg
Peaks_Island_Maine_landing,_11-11-2004.jpg
Peaks Island is the most populous island in Casco Bay, Maine. It is part of the city of Portland, and is located approximately 5 km (3 mi) from downtown. The island became a popular summer destination in the late nineteenth century, when it was known as the Coney Island of Maine, home to hotels, cottages, theaters and amusement parks.
Portland native Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was inspired to write one of his most famous poems The Wreck of the Hesperus after seeing the wreck of the schooner Helen Eliza, which sank off the island's southeast side in 1869 where "the cruel rocks...gored" her.
Hollywood film director John Ford (born John Martin Feeney) was known as "The Mayor of Peaks Island" because of his great affinity for the island and the fact that he vacationed there through the early 1960s, worked as an usher at the Gem Theater and was a deckhand on the Casco Bay Line ferries in his youth. Ford family members still live on the island.
Besides the Gem, which featured famous performers including the Barrymore family, two other summer theaters were located on the island. One, the, Pavilion, opened in 1897, is said to be the first summer theater in the county. The Greenwood Garden Amusement Park sported the Greenwood Garden Playhouse.
George M. Cohan tried his productions out at the island's theaters before taking them to Broadway. Circa 1908, D.W. Griffith was torn between continuing to appear in plays produced at the island's playhouses as he frequently did or heading to Hollywood. Jean Stapleton's first professional appearance in the summer of 1941 was in a production at Greenwood Garden. Martin Landau also made his professional stage debut in a 1951 production of "Detective Story" at Greenwood Garden where for several seasons he was a resident cast member.
Most of the hotels were lost to fires over the years. The Gem Theatre was destroyed by fire on September 7, 1934. 17 buildings burned to the ground on June 2, 1936, including the new Union House Hotel. The only original hotel structure remaining on the island is the Avenue House, which has been converted into condominiums.
During World War II, the island was home to a large military defense installation, including the largest structure, Battery Steele, which housed two 16 inch (406 mm) guns.
According to the 2000 census, Peaks Island is home to 843 year round residents, but in the summer its population swells to 5-6,000. The island is served by Casco Bay Lines ferry service, and is home to its own elementary school and library.
References
- Clough, Leon S., editor; Peaks Island 1776-1976 Bicentennial Directory
External links
- Peaks Island FAQ (http://www.cascobay.com/peaks/faq.htm)
- PeaksIsland.com (http://peaksisland.com)
- Casco Bay Lines (http://cascobaylines.com)
- Peaks Island Maine (http://peaksislandmaine.com)