The Maine Arts Commission, acting for the Maine Bicentennial Commission, informed the town of Westport Island last week that the Westport Island History Committee had been successful in their application for a grant celebrating Maine’s 200th birthday. The Westport Island History Committee will receive up to $3,700 to pay for nine interpretive displays describing key historical sites on the island. The displays are intended to support this year’s celebration of Maine’s Bicentennial, but will be a permanent addition to the town’s ability to tell the story of its history.

Dennis Dunbar is the leader of the History Committee’s Bicentennial planning and grant proposal and Jean Wilhelmsen-Exter is the lead for the graphic design of the interpretive displays. They are working with other members of the Westport Island History Committee to research and create the interpretive displays.

Westport Island is joining other communities and historical organizations in Lincoln County with a Bicentennial “Pilgrimage” the week of August 10-16. The pilgrimage on Westport will feature a driving tour of nine historic sites. At each site, Bicentennial themed interpretive displays will be mounted to showcase the history of the site. The displays will include "QR" codes that will allow interested visitors to access more in-depth historic information from a web-based data site with stories about people and activities at the site in 1820.

Pilgrimage sites will include:

1. Old Town Hall (ca. 1790) and Church (ca. 1830's), both on the National Registry of Historic Places.

2. Clough Point

• Fur Trading Post (1676 – 1772)

• Decker/Clough House (Otherwise known as the “Marie Antoinette” House) (1774 – 1838)

• Fort McDonough (1814)

• Molly Molasses Clam Bake Site (~1855, where a native clam bake was taught to local residents)

• Camp Molly Hall Site (1895- 1905, social hall named for Molly Molasses)

3. North End Church (Baptist worshipers began in 1771)

4. Ferry Landing (1844, now called the Wright Landing, telling the history of transportation to the island)

5. Dunton Family Settlement at Squam Creek (Circa 1740, 4 homesite cellar holes for descendants of Timothy Dunton, part of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT)’s Segerstrom Preserve)

6. Heal’s Upper Mill at Heal Pond (Started in 1784 by Daniel Dunton)

7. Heal’s Lower Mill and “the Junction” Steamboat Landing

8. Hodgdon Mill at Long Cove (Mill started in 1793, new dike and mill built in 1808-1812)

9. Squire Tarbox Inn (1763 for the "ell" and 1825 for the main house). On National Registry

The History Committee will be engaging with other Westport Island organizations and businesses to create a town-wide Bicentennial celebration on Sunday, August 16. Visitors will be able to tour the historic sites in caravans accompanied by docents knowledgeable of Island history, returning to the area of the Town Hall and Squire Tarbox Inn for refreshments.