Fort Point State Park

State park in Waldo County, Maine

44°27′58″N 68°49′53″W / 44.466197°N 68.831381°W / 44.466197; -68.831381^[1]Area156 acres (63 ha)^[2]Elevation33 ft (10 m)Established1974AdministratorMaine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and ForestryWebsiteFort Point State Park

Fort Point State Park is a public recreation area that overlooks Penobscot Bay from the easternmost tip of Cape Jellison in the town of Stockton Springs, Maine. The state park's 156 acres (63 ha) feature the Fort Point Light and the site of historic Fort Pownall. The park offers hiking trails, picnicking, and fishing.^[1]^[3]

History

The area was settled by English colonists in 1759 when Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Pownall brought in 400 men under the command of Jedidiah Preble to build Fort Pownall during the French and Indian War. The fort, which was meant to strategically protect English interests in the Penobscot River area, saw no action during the war. In 1775, after the British seized the fort's guns in the Burning of Falmouth, rebellious colonists destroyed the blockhouse and filled in its moat to keep it from falling into British hands.

In 1872, a 200-room luxury hotel was constructed on the site with the aim of attracting wealthy guests who would arrive mostly via steamboat. The hotel was not a success and burned down in 1898.

The site was opened as a state park in 1974.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Fort Point State Park". Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
^ "Outdoors in Maine: State Parks, Public Lands, and Historic Sites" (PDF). Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
^ Sarnacki, Aislinn (November 21, 2011). "1-Minute Hike: Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine". Bangor Daily News. Act Out with Aislinn. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
^ "Fort Point State Park Brochure" (PDF). Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands. Retrieved December 7, 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Point State Park.

Fort Point State Park Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Fort Point State Park Brochure Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Protected areas of Maine

Federal

National Parks and Historic Sites	Acadia National Park Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Saint Croix Island International Historic Site
National Wildlife Refuges	Aroostook Carlton Pond Waterfowl Production Area Cross Island Franklin Island Moosehorn Petit Manan Pond Island Rachel Carson Seal Island Sunkhaze Meadows
National Forests	White Mountain
National Cemeteries	Acadia National Cemetery Togus National Cemetery
National Trails	Appalachian Trail
National Estuarine Research Reserves	Wells
National wild and scenic rivers	Allagash Wilderness Waterway York River

State

State Parks	Allagash Wilderness Waterway Androscoggin Riverlands Aroostook Baxter Birch Point Bradbury Mountain Camden Hills Cobscook Bay Crescent Beach Damariscotta Lake Ferry Beach Fort Point Grafton Notch Holbrook Island Sanctuary Lake St. George Lamoine Lily Bay Mackworth Island Moose Point Mount Blue Mount Kineo State Park Owls Head Light State Park Peacock Beach Peaks-Kenny Penobscot River Corridor Popham Beach Quoddy Head Range Ponds Rangeley Lake Reid Roque Bluffs Shackford Head Sebago Lake Swans Falls Campground Swan Lake Two Lights Vaughan Woods Warren Island Wolfe's Neck Woods
State Historic Sites	Bible Point Colburn House Colonial Pemaquid Eagle Island Fort Baldwin Fort Edgecomb Fort Halifax Fort Kent Fort Knox (Penobscot Narrows Observatory) Fort McClary Fort O'Brien John Paul Jones Katahdin Iron Works Mayall Mills Whaleback Shell Midden
State Forests	Durham