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At
Work and at Play
The sea has always been a fact of life for the people of Winter
Harbor. Schooners transported lumber and laths back and forth to
Boston and the Canadian provinces in
the 1830s. The brig Pilgrim, built at
Stave
Island in the 1850s, acquired fame when F.H. Dana sailed around the
Horn and recounted his experiences in “Two Years Before the Mast.”
Today, lobster boats ride at their moorings, giving life to the
quiet days on the water surrounding the coastal town. Lobster
fishing is the number one industry in Winter
Harbor, supporting the families that live year-round in the
town.
Other important aspects of community life for the year-round
residents are the churches and schools.
In 1878, the people of Winter
Harbor built a Union Church on
Main Street. They raised money for the building
through suppers, fairs, and extracting pledges of money and labor. A
lengthy dispute after the building was complete resulted in the
church becoming Baptist.
The Channing Chapel, Unitarian in origin, was then built in 1889 by
David B. Flint of Boston.
Flint gave
this structure, and the library contained in one part of the
building, to the town. The library was in use until the 1950s.
Today, the property belongs to a local resident and is not used for
services.
St. Margaret’s Catholic Church is used for services in the summer
months by visiting priests. It is located on the upper approach road
to Grindstone.
Regarding schools, children in the town have been receiving
education since 1808 when a school was first mentioned in town
records.
The earliest schooling was in residents’ homes. In 1838, the first
schoolhouse was built on the left side of the lane leading to
Woodlawn
Cemetery.
Today, students from Winter
Harbor attend the Winter Harbor
Grammar School for their early
education. They go on to Sumner
Memorial
High School for secondary education.
For summer residents, the town is quite different. Many of the
people who spend only the warmer days here live on Grindstone Point.
Grindstone became a popular summer resort in the late 1880s. After
Bar Harbor became famous, a company of wealthy men promoted Grindstone as a
“naturally charming old time
Bar Harbor.” |
