Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site facts for kids
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Pemaquid Archeological Site
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Foundation holes of the colonial settlement
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lincoln County, Maine, USA |
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| Nearest city | Bristol, Maine |
| Area | 24 acres (9.7 ha) |
| Built | 1610 |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000022 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 2, 1969 |
| Designated NHLD | April 12, 1993 |
The Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site is a special place in Maine. It is located near Pemaquid Beach in Bristol, Maine. This site is owned by the state and is open to the public.
At Colonial Pemaquid, you can see a rebuilt fort called Fort William Henry. You can also explore the old foundations of village buildings. These buildings were here in the 1600s and 1700s. There is also a museum with cool items found at the site. These items include old coins, pottery, and musket balls.
Pemaquid was a very important spot long ago. It was a place where English and French settlers often clashed. There were also conflicts between English settlers and the local Native American people. People have been interested in this site's history since the late 1800s. It became a state park in 1903. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1993.
Contents
What You Can See at Pemaquid
Colonial Pemaquid is on a small piece of land. This land sticks out into the Pemaquid River. The area is mostly flat and covered in grass. You can drive to the site and find parking.
There is a visitor center and a small museum. You can also see an old house from the 1700s. This house is now used by archaeologists. They use it to study and store items found at the site. The rebuilt Fort William Henry is at the very tip of the land.
The eastern part of the site was once a busy colonial village. Today, you can only see dips in the grass where buildings once stood. The western part of the site held two forts. These were Fort William Henry from the 1600s and Fort Frederick from the 1700s. You can still see parts of their foundations.
Archaeologists believe that many old items are still well-preserved here. This is because they were buried deep. Even when the land was used for farming, the items stayed safe. Farming also helped fill in old cellar holes, which protected the artifacts even more.
Pemaquid's Early History
Pemaquid has a long history of being settled by Europeans. This began in the early 1600s. Over time, conflicts caused the settlement to be attacked many times. It was even completely abandoned twice.
English and French traders and fishermen used the area first. They came only during certain seasons. The first known permanent home was built in 1628. The Pemaquid area was important because of its location. It was between the Kennebec River and Penobscot Bay. The French believed this land was part of their territory, called Acadia.
Early English settlers traded with other English towns to the south. They also traded with the local Abenaki people and the French. Sometimes, this trading went against the rules of the bigger English colonies.
Conflicts and Forts
In 1664, King Charles II gave this land to his brother, James. James later became King James II. At that time, Pemaquid had fewer than 30 houses. By 1673, there were over 40 houses and many people living there.
A big war called King Philip's War started in 1675. Pemaquid was attacked, and the community was left empty in 1676. After the war, New York took control again. They set up a formal government.
In 1688, a wooden fort was built. But this fort did not stop an attack in 1689. During King William's War, French and Native American forces attacked Pemaquid. They completely destroyed the settlement.
In 1692, Massachusetts built a strong stone fort. This was Fort William Henry. It cost a lot of money. But conflicts with Native Americans and the French continued. In 1696, there was another big attack. French ships and soldiers, along with Native American allies, captured and destroyed the fort and settlement. Pemaquid was not settled again until 1729. This was because of ongoing Native American resistance.
Later Years and Discoveries
In 1729, a man named David Dunbar tried to start a new colony here. He built Fort Frederick. But Massachusetts leaders did not like this idea. They asked the king to give them control of the area again, and they succeeded.
People continued to live in Pemaquid. But the area became less important for military reasons. This was especially true after the French lost their lands in North America in 1759. This happened during the French and Indian War.
During the American Revolutionary War, Fort Frederick was torn down. This was done to stop British soldiers from using it. After that, Pemaquid became a quiet, rural area.
People became interested in Pemaquid's history again in the late 1800s. Early digs found the foundations of the old fort. The state of Maine bought the site in 1903. The large round part of Fort William Henry was rebuilt in 1908. This was based on old drawings from 1699.
Archaeologists like Warren K. Moorehead studied the site in the 1920s. But serious archaeological work did not begin until the 1960s. This important work continues even today.
