Islesboro

Islesboro is an island in which one can conveniently escape the stresses of daily life for a close-knit scenic island community where peace and solace are easily attainable for all.

 

Located just three miles off the coast of Lincolnville in the upper Penobscot Bay area of midcoast maine, Islesboro is a narrow 14 square mile island community that can be easily accessed via a 30 minute ferry ride or air taxi service. Islesboro hosts a year-round population of about 550 that soars substantially to about 1000 in the summer months as it is a popular summer colony and tourist destination. Even when confined to the island itself, there is never a shortage of sights and activities. Within Islesboro’s villages of Dark Harbor, Pripet, and North Islslesboro (also known as Guinea) lies many harbors, coves, lighthouses, beaches, small islands, ponds, museums, and even a state park to be explored by those visiting the island. Nature walks, hiking, bicycling, and exploration along the coastline are common activities for residents. Warren Island State Park is a 70 acre separate island located just ½ from the southern tip of the main Islesboro Island that is part of the town which offers hiking trails and campsites. The park has a pier for private boat access as it was the first state park in Maine specifically designed for boaters as there is no viable public transportation to access it. This, in combination with the fact that there are no phones available on the island, reinforces the feeling of peace and solitude that visitors attempt to attain when visiting both the park and Islesboro as a whole, and this feeling is hard to replicate and one that is very hard to come by in the modern day. Regardless of whether your roots to the island span multiple generations or you are a new resident, Islesboro renders more than enough to keep you active, entertained, and content.

 

Unlike many tourist and vacation communities in Maine, Islesboro has consciously halted commercialization and remains profoundly akin to the way it was around the turn of the 20th century, allowing residents to retreat to a much simpler lifestyle that holds that values and culture of the old traditional New England island community in which it was founded on. Shipping and shipbuilding were significant parts of Islesboro’s economy in the first half of the 19th century. While this industry is no longer central to the island’s economy, it surely left its mark on the culture. Sailing is very popular in Islesboro as the area continues to offer sailors some of the best conditions in the world. The summer months bring a number of unique showings of art and musicals available to the community, just as they did in the early 1900’s. Many community organizations carry the traditions of the time period when the island peaked in population when it was home to the largest shipping fleet in the area during the late 19th century. For instance, the private Tarratine Club is among other clubs and summer resort communities on the island that embody traditions of this time period. Founded in 1896 and named after the first people to arrive on the island, the Tarratine Club of Dark Harbor has for over 100 years engendered the promotion of tradition and high standards in the recreations of golf, tennis, boating, dining, and other interests alike all while maintaining a culture of congeniality, camaraderie, and atomity through the club’s facilities where it is fundamental that they remain simple and unostentatious.

 

While a simple lifestyle in Islesboro is common, the island community offers a number of state-of-the-art amenities parallel to life off of the island. Islesboro is home to number of conveniences available to the entire community, namely: a newly built cutting-edge community center that includes an athletic and fitness facility, a cafe dining eatery, and a cultural arts program. The island holds a variety of stores, businesses, and dining options that allow residents to access most every necessary supply one might need. The island also offers access to a health center, and joins three other Maine islands to offers access to a K-12 school, the Islesboro Central School, which is updated and modernized and attracts both teachers and tuition-paying magnet students from the mainland to be part of the school and island community. Not only does Islesboro cater to the community’s youth, but to the elderly as well. The Boardman Cottage is an eldercare needs resource that allows the elderly to remain on Islesboro and receive the daily help and comfort they need to remain apart of the island community. With destinations like Camden and Rockport at such close proximity, there are many conveniently located resources that allow Islesboro to embody the quaint and low-profile community that it always has been and preventing it from commercialization.

 

Life on an island depends on a strong sense of community, which Islesboro is fortunate to have. The community is very diverse in that there are both year-round and seasonal residents who have called the island home for generations, as well as a great deal who have been recently welcomed into the community. Many residents have practiced traditional trade professions for the preponderance of their lives, such as craftsman, painters, and lobstermen among others. These residents live closely and embrace those who have lived and worked in places across the globe before calling Islesboro home to spend time with their families and friends, often holding executive positions in large corporations and government. These two socio-economic groups live co-dependently in harmony and engender the unique community that Islesboro has been for centuries. Regardless of a potential resident’s walk of life, it can be assured that everyone finds their way of enjoying life on islesboro and that they will be welcomed and accepted into the tight-knit and diverse community.

 

Can you picture yourself being welcomed with open-arms into this tight-knit island community? We can. Browse Islesboro, ME homes for sale and contact us so that you can start your peaceful lifestyle.