On a dreary, overcast day in late September the 65-foot Elizabeth Anndeparted Port Clyde for the ten-mile trip to Monhegan Island carrying a group of 17 Road Scholar birders and their two guides–Seth Benz and George Kleuber.

Elizabeth Ann in Port Clyde
The wind was blowing (note the flag), and the seas were rolling. Many of us huddled on the upper deck hoping the fresh air would keep our stomachs under control during the one-hour ride to the island.

Double-crested Cormorants and a Great Black-backed Gull
This 1.75 mile by .6 mile piece of isolated rock at the entrance to Penobscot Bay had been noted in the journals of Samuel de Champlain (1604) and John Smith (1614).

John Smith plaque on Monhegan Island
English traders and fishermen began using the island soon thereafter, but there were never many year-round, long-term residents until 1807 when Henry Trefethren and his two sons-in-law Josiah Starling and Thomas Horn bought the island for 300 pounds.

Sketch map of Monhegan Island
As of the 2000 census, the island had a resident population of 75, living in 46 households with 21 families. The island’s population swells in the summer with both tourists and summer people who own many of the 177 housing units on the island.

Monhegan Island shrouded in fog

Arriving at Monhegan Island
Some of the houses are available for rent–if you qualify.

House for Rent Weekly--No Water Wasters!
Most of the houses are relatively modest, especially in comparison to the “cottages” of the gilded age at resorts like Bar Harbor or Campobello Island.

Summer home on Monhegan

A modest cottage on Monhegan
Even the homes of the rich and famous are fairly modest here.

Wyeth home on Monhegan
There are a handful of “hotel” accommodations including the classy Island Inn,

Island Inn is in the background
the very modest Monhegan House,

Monhegan House
and the Trailing Yew where we stayed. The main building shown below was built in 1850; over the years 10 other assorted buildings were added to the complex. Some of the rooms at the Trailing Yew have no electricity, but most of our group were housed in an annex with electricity and a shared bathroom for each floor which had 4-5 rooms. The hostess rang a bell on the lawn to summon everyone to breakfast and dinner. The food was generally very good, although I got a little tired of baked haddock with some rather blah flavored butters.

Trailing Yew

Trailing Yew's Office
To be continued–







































































































































Hall of Public Audience