Located on the scenic Maine coast, Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site is one of New England’s earliest European settlements, rivaling Jamestown, Virginia. The site originally was used as a seasonal settlement, if not year-round, by American Indians and later was colonized as a fishing station and then as a village in the early 17th century. Three forts were built at the site starting in 1677 and English soldiers were garrisoned there. This treasure trove of history, located on the Pemaquid peninsula, still exists to educate visitors, through programs for young and old alike, about a time and a place so significant in the European development of the New World.

The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid are pleased to announce the summer 2015 calendar of events scheduled to take place at this historic site. Programming centers on the theme of Pemaquid’s Place in the Colonial World, using the site as a touchstone for further investigation into our collective past. Living history events and lectures throughout the summer will explore different aspects of Pemaquid’s “place,” from a bagpipe concert reflecting the influence of the British Isles to a talk on Maine’s early Tidal Mills and the early fishing industry on Monhegan and Damariscove.

Likewise, on guided evening lantern walks, visitors will have the chance to learn about the archaeological remains at the site and plans for future excavations. On these evening tours, visitors will also make contact with some costumed 17thcentury inhabitants who are eager to tell their stories of life at Pemaquid. Additional presentations during the summer will explore patriotism and the Declaration of Independence and the Forts along the Kennebec.

Other lectures will consider the geological variations in Maine during the past 10,000 years and clues to the lifestyle of Maine’s Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. A 17th century encampment will showcase civilian and military aspects of 17thcentury life and a living event will find historical reenactors interacting with the public to tell the stories of an early Maine Scouting Company from Thomaston. To round out the calendar of events, there is a lively living history re-creation of the pirate Dixie Bull who attacked and sacked Pemaquid in 1632. The season will end with an outdoor concert of Celtic music by popular musical duo Castlebay.

Also at Colonial Pemaquid this summer, the Bureau of Parks and Lands has completed the on-site construction of a 12 by 16-foot wattle and daub structure with a thatched roof, representative of the early 17th century building techniques found in early European Maine.

Most living history events take place outdoors, and while there is no charge for these events, other than the customary state park fees if touring the museum and the fort. History lectures take place at the adjacent restaurant, Contented Sole, on Mondays at 7:30 p.m., with a $5 admission. The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid, the volunteer arm supporting the state historic site, works tirelessly to guarantee a slate of quality summer programs and welcomes fellow history lovers to join them in continuing this effort.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site offers a glimpse of English frontier settlement life in the New World during the 17th and 18th centuries. The park is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Park personnel and interpreters are available to answer questions and to direct visitors to the site’s museum, historic structures, gift shop and permanent exhibit entitled, “Guns, Politics and Furs” and a unique exhibit of coins found on the site. Also on display as of 2011 is a 380-year-old horsehide trunk that survived a 1635 shipwreck in Pemaquid Harbor, caused by one of the most terrific storms ever to occur along the Maine coast. Reservations for school or group tours can be arranged with the park manager at 207-677-2423.

For directions, more information about individual events and about Colonial Pemaquid in general, please visit our website at www.friendsofcolonialpemaquid.org. You may also contact the park manager at 207-677-2423.