BELFAST

Area Information:

Belfast was a shipbuilding town in the 19th century, with 11 shipyards turning out the best transportation of the day. It was also a time for overnight steamers and opera houses.

Somewhere around 300 pleasure and working craft moor off the Belfast waterfront. The waterfront is under ongoing improvements with lots of restaurants, taverns, shops, boutiques, art galleries, museums, boat and train excursions, parks, and theaters. So much to do in a small city of 6,300 residents, not counting the dogs and cats.

Searsport was the leader of Maine's maritime industry in the 1800s, boasting 11 shipyards producing over 200 ships between 1810 and 1890. They actually produced more shipmasters than any other town of its size in the entire world.

Many of the fine homes built by the shipmasters of Searsport still stand today.

The town of 2,500 residents enjoy the four seasons of beautiful Maine. Antiquing in the summer, leaf peeping in the fall, and winter offers some of the best cross country skiing. This small town has lots to offer: restaurants, antique shops, a park, a town wharf for boat boarding, launching and a great spot for mackerel fishing. Grab your picnic basket and visit soon.

Lincolnville and Lincolnville Beach just south of Belfast where the drive is one of the most spectacular in Maine. A rural town where you can enjoy the antique, gift and craft shops, the restaurants, the rocky shore line and the sandy white beaches. The best of all worlds.

The Belfast Area is rich in history dating back more than 200 years. In 1765, John Mitchell was making a voyage from Boston to points east and was captivated by the wilderness at the head of Penobscot Bay. He decided the area would be ideal for a settlement. Mitchell, who was a resident of Londonderry, New Hampshire, 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 John Miller of Belfast, Ireland, made a protest and a coin was flipped. Needless to say, Belfast won.

In the 1800's, Belfast had very strong and busy industry. Bustling 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 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 per day.

For more information about the History of Belfast, please visit the Belfast and/or Penobscot Museums for a more in-depth look at our past.

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