Each summer, since being introduced to the coast of Maine in 1991, our family finds time to make the trek to the Boothbay Harbor region and specifically to Capitol Island. Capitol is a narrow islet of about 25 acres shaped somewhat like a barbell with a narrow neck connecting the two larger ends. There are 45 summer homes and cottages occupied mostly by third and fourth generation owners. The island is connected to Southport Island by a small wood bridge first built in 1932 at a cost of $1,200. A new bridge was built in 1953-54 for $7,000 and rebuilt in 1977 for $35,000. Our own introduction to Capitol Island was through a friend and neighbor whose grandfather was among the island association's founders.
Island legend says sheep were the islet's first residents, grazing on the island after swimming across the Gut from Southport. The earliest known human settler was someone named David Reed around 1785. Since then, the Island has had a variety of names. In earlier times it was dubbed Pig Island, Tea Cove Island and Grover's Island respectively. The name Grover's Island was given it by Freeman Grover, one of the original owners, who sold it in 1874 for $1,000 to four men from Gardiner, Maine. These men built the island's first hotel (Sidney House) in 1878. The oldest cottages on the island date from 1870.
Sidney House was owned by “Pirate King” John Sidney, who acquired his name from his habit of appropriating goods from homes on Squirrel Island, one of the larger inhabited islands in the Bay and where Sidney once lived. Sidney House burned down between 1890-1900, opening a new chapter in the island's history.
In 1894 the Capitol Island Association, a stock company, was formed by a group of businessmen from Augusta, Gardiner and Richmond, Maine. Their charter granted them the right to buy and sell real estate, maintain the docks, and operate steam boats. The Association intended to purchase all remaining land and sell it off into lots at a
profit. By 1905, 30 cottages had been built; by 1930, the entire seaward side of Capitol was developed.
The island has a unique blend of outdoor activities. There is boating, fishing, a tennis court, a basketball court, and a “casino” which now is a combined community building, canteen, and post office. Enjoy a walk through the small woods in the center of the island and forget anyone is remotely near. More traditional activities include shopping Booth Bay's unique shops, visiting the historic rail museum and village, or any of the many points of historic and scenic interest. If photography is your passion, Maine is the place. The lighting changes throughout the day altering colors and perception. Every direction you look is a picture to capture.
In the morning you awaken to the smell of pine scented forest carried on a cool, gentle breeze, listen to the gulls in the distance, and watch the lobster fishermen as they visit their traps. The smell of salt air alternates with pine scented forest. There are no planes, trains or trucks. The stillness is broken only occasionally by a car lumbering down the island lane at five mph or less, or the lobster boats. In summer, sail boats fill the bay during the day. The Albenegon Inn, a “decidedly old fashioned” New England Bed and Breakfast, occupied a rocky point just beyond the island's narrow neck. It was our favorite place to stay, meet people and soak in the ambiance of the island until it was sold as a private family cottage a few years ago.
In 1906 a room at the The Albenegon Hotel was $14 week; lobster cost 25 cents each. Our friends own a cottage on the south part of the island connected to the north by a narrow neck little more than the width of a one lane road protected by a seawall. Essential services to the island are provided by the community of Southport from April through October. The island is closed the rest of the year.
