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(12) Belfast Belfast Bay Commons The Belfast Area is rich in history dating back more than 200 years. In 1765, John Mitchell - a resident of New London, NH, sailed from Boston to points east and was captivated by the wilderness at the head of Penobscot Bay. He and 35 friends, decided to relocate to the area. Many of the founding fathers wanted to name this new settlement Londonderry, but a strong-willed settler, James Miller of Belfast, Ireland, made a protest and a coin was flipped. Belfast won. Belfast was for the first hundred years of its organized history a ship building center, sending hundreds of three, four, and five masted schooners into the world and making the fortune of many New England shipping and whaling families. Its location the western shore of idyllic Penobscot Bay is far enough from the open ocean to be sheltered but close enough to make for an ideal shipbuilding location. |
Searsport Charters, LLC (1) Stockton Harbor
(2) Fort Point
(3) The River
(4) Narrows Bridge (5) Fort Knox (6) Bucksport
(7) Verona |
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In the 1800's the harbor and waterfront were the hub of commercial activity. The Belfast area had many active shipyards.
During this time of great prosperity, shipbuilders and merchants built beautiful Greek Revival, Colonial, and Vistorian mansions throughout the area. Captains decorated spectacular mansions with treasures carried home from exotic lands. Belfast carried the spirit of enterprise into the 20th century. Shipbuilding declined as road and rail travel improved. During the 1940's the area embraced the shoe business and two busy poultry processing plants were built. Waldo County took to chicken rearing in a big way as local farms supplied the factories with up to 200,000 birds a day. Today, Belfast is quickly becoming a tourist destination with many small eateries and shops along its quaint streets.
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 Belfast was originally known as the Settlement of Passagassawakeag, the name of the small river that runs into its bay. When tire war of the Revolution commenced the inhabitants of Belfast took a decided stand on the side of independence; some refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the King, they were driven from their homes, and did not return until Peace was declared. In the war of 1812, the inhabitants again suffered from the enemy, but not so seriously as in the Revolution. Tire first settlement in Belfast was on the eastern side of the river, but the greater convenience for communication with the country southward diverted business to the site of the present city proper. |
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