Rockport: Town in the Middle
The time has come to give Rockport, Maine its place in the limelight. It’s a town in the middle of a popular region: Camden-Rockport-Rockland. Though these towns and city have familiar names, folks outside of the area can easily confuse the two Rocks. However, once you visit each of them, the distinctions will become clear. Both contain great beauty and interesting history. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at Rockport which is south of Camden and north of Rockland.
Rockport previously was part of Camden, but became independent in 1891. The new town needed a gathering place so it built the Rockport Town Hall the same year as its incorporation. Today the hall is known as the Rockport Opera House and can be found at 6 Central Street.
If ever there was a structure that could be considered “multipurpose,” this is it! Over the years, the opera house has been used for town meetings, theatre, and concerts; it also served as a home for the public library and as the center for the Y.M.C.A. during which time it contained a basketball court and bowling alley.
The town of Rockport graciously accepted my request to tour the building (no bowling was involved). The walkthrough was fascinating. The auditorium, which includes a balcony, seats up to 350. The design is somehow both simple and grand—ornate, but not gaudy. As I stood in the center of the large room, I was struck by the vast number of memories that have been created and moments that have been celebrated within its walls over all these years. That continues to the present day as the opera house still hosts events and rents the space for special occasions.
The opera house overlooks scenic Rockport Harbor, one of many points in town where you can enjoy views of the ocean. I headed down to Marine Park to explore more of Rockport’s history. Within the park is a statue of the town’s most famous mammal: Andre the Seal, as pictured in the highlight photo for this feature. For decades, children (and some former children) have been fascinated by the true tale of this fun character. A popular book (A Seal Called Andre) was written in the 1970s, followed by the movie Andre in 1994.
Directly behind Andre’s statue are important relics of Rockport’s past. Perhaps some of you noticed the nod to local history in the opening line of this feature. The lime industry was a key chapter in the story of Rockport and its neighbors to the south.
Incidentally, I was unfamiliar with the meaning behind the phrase “in the limelight” until I did the research for this town. A small volume in the Images of America series was helpful. In a section of Rockland Area Lime Industries, I learned the following:
Lime has had some specialized uses, too. One use was as a “magic lantern,” a precursor to the spotlight in the theater, in the days before electricity. When heated, the lime gives off an intensely white light, which spotlighted the person on stage. This gave rise to the term “in the limelight,” which we still use today. (p. 7)
And now you know.
But back to the lime. In the park you can find the remains of several lime kilns, along with the Vulcan locomotive. The Vulcan was built in Pennsylvania in 1923 and used in the transportation aspect of this local industry which shaped the region. All these years later, Rockport is working to move into its future while still retaining a record of its past. In 2004, a nonprofit called Legacy Rockport was formed to facilitate capital improvement projects. Both the lime kilns and the locomotive are on their list of restoration projects so keep an eye out for developments in this part of town.
The Marine Park isn’t the only area in town that has history on display. Rockport contains five villages – Glen Cove, the Harbor Village, Rockville, Simonton Corner, and West Rockport. They hold many treasures. One example is the Rockville Community Chapel which was built in 1851; it is the last remaining public building in Rockville. Another is the 1770s homestead known as the Conway House which the Camden-Rockport Historical Society acquired in the 1960s (check out the virtual tour of the building on their website which is listed in the links at the end of this piece).
In addition to these, Rockport has businesses which have both rich histories and ongoing operations. Bohndell Sails started in Thomaston in 1870, but relocated to Rockport a few years later. Remarkably, it is still run by the same family!
Perhaps the most well-known historic building is one that is often thought to be in Rockland: the Samoset Resort. It originally opened in 1889 under the name Bay Point Resort. In 1902, the Rickers bought the place and changed the name. If you recognize that family’s name it is likely due to their other property: Poland Springs. Though the Samoset is located on the edge of town, it is indeed in Rockport.
We’ve only scratched the surface of all this town offers. I hope it is enough to convince you that Rockport shouldn’t be skipped over, but has much to offer on its own. I’m already looking forward to a return visit. If this is the first time you’ve arrived at Maine Features, you should know that Rockport is only part of the story. I’m on a grand adventure with the goal of visiting EVERY town in the state of Maine. You can visit the INDEX page to see the other towns I’ve covered. Come along with me and discover the treasure that is Maine.
LINKS to places mentioned in this feature: