South Bristol

All photos by Mimi Bigelow Steadman

In the eastern side of the South Bristol Gut, lobsterboats moor close to the Fisherman’s Co-op.

When the pocket-sized South Bristol Gut drawbridge raises its bascule arm skyward, we wave a thank-you to the bridgetender and slip through the narrow, walled passage between the mainland and Rutherford Island. Arriving in the small harbor to the east, we’re surrounded by a fleet of handsome fishing boats resting near the salty docks of Osier’s Wharf and the South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op. 

A decade ago, the specter of dramatic change threatened this classic Maine scene near the bottom of the western branch of the Pemaquid peninsula. State officials announced intentions to replace an unreliable 80-year-old swing bridge with a much larger drawbridge that would have towered over the tiny village. Fortunately, a resident hired an architect and proposed an alternate design for a more suitably sized replacement, and a compromise was reached. I’m grateful every time we motor through. 

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Walpole Meeting House was built by shipwrights two-and-a-half centuries ago. Transiting this wiggle of water in our 24-foot Sea Fox center-console is just one of the reasons I love to loop around Rutherford Island, which is part of the town of South Bristol, along with South Bristol Village, Walpole, Clarks Cove, and Inner Heron Island.

We usually go clockwise, beginning just to the west of the Gut in the Damariscotta River. We pass Gamage Shipyard, birthplace of numerous World War II wooden minesweepers; hundreds of fishing vessels; iconic schooners Mary Day, Shenandoah, Bill of Rights, and Harvey Gamage; and the sloop Clearwater, built for singer-activist Pete Seeger. If the tide is up, we hail the bridgekeeper to request an opening as we approach. She’s perfect for the job—cheery, but not shy about schooling boaters on proper protocol. 

The eastern Gut After leaving the eastern Gut and passing Witch Island—named in the early 1900s for then-owner Anna Chittenden, an actress and clairvoyant called “The Witch of Wall Street” because of her accurate stock performance predictions—we’re out into Johns Bay. Sometimes we head over to the eastern side for a gander at Fort William Henry and Pemaquid Beach. If we have friends aboard, we’ll likely detour around to Pemaquid Point Light.

Then we turn west again, zipping past Turnip Island and into the Thread of Life—the most poetic place name ever. As we arc through the little strait, I scan Rutherford’s shoreline for the cottage that was once home, I’ve been told, to the real Miss Rumphius, inspiration for Barbara Cooney’s beloved children’s book about a fictional woman who ventured to faraway places, returned home to live by the sea,  and set out to make the world more beautiful by sowing lupine seeds wherever she walked. 

Back in the Damariscotta River, we duck into picturesque Christmas Cove, a perennially popular port for cruisers. Legend has it that Captain John Smith named it when visiting on Christmas Day 1614 (though some historians say he was back in England by December). With its bevy of fine sailing vessels, classically elegant tenders, and restored wooden Lymans, the nearly circular inner harbor offers plenty of eye candy. 

Standing right next to the South Bristol drawbridge, Osier’s Wharf overlooks the eastern Gut. While Smith may have been one of the first visitors from away, Christmas Cove has drawn summering city dwellers since the turn of the 20th century. In the early years, getting there entailed an overnight steamship ride from Boston to Bath, followed by a smaller steamer to Boothbay. Then came a carriage ride to East Boothbay, where passengers boarded a sailboat to cross the Damariscotta River to Christmas Cove.

These days, of course, most people travel overland to South Bristol. That’s what we did on a lovely day last June, driving 13 miles down Route 129 from Damariscotta. Our first stop was the Old Walpole Meetinghouse, which has stood in white-shingled serenity since 1772. 

When I opened the heavy wooden doors, I stepped into the past. Below an arched, small-paned window, a gracefully curved pulpit created by ship’s carpenters rose above a roomful of gray-painted box pews adorned with carved panels. I pictured early congregants cocooned in blankets against the chill of a wintry Sunday morning. Up in the balcony, I sat in one of the simpler pews to which servants were relegated. I imagined a young maid enjoying a chance to sit beside her sweetheart. Older servants no doubt appreciated the opportunity for a little nap. 

The Thompson Ice Harvesting Museum still houses ice cut in the winter. Every July, the blocks are used to make ice cream for an old-fashioned social. Farther down 129, we came to the Thompson Ice Harvesting Museum, which, for two centuries, has provided storage for large blocks of ice cut from the adjacent pond. The operation is perpetuated in a traditional ice-harvesting day every February. The simple, peak-roofed structure—a partial replica of the original—was closed, but we knew there were blocks of last winter’s ice resting inside, awaiting their role in an ice-cream-churning party held every July.

Just north of the bridge, we came to the restored one-room S-Road School, built in the 1860s and used until the 1940s. Seeing its traditional two front doors, I wondered whether youngsters continued to follow the rule—one door for boys; one for girls—even into the 20th century.

Soon after crossing onto Rutherford Island, we arrived in Christmas Cove, where the weekly Sunday-afternoon party at Coveside Restaurant and Marina was in full swing. Live music drifted up from the deck over the water. People laughed and danced. Others enjoyed the music from small boats tied up at the dock. Looking out at the harbor, my thoughts wandered to Captain John Smith. Too bad the old guy couldn’t stick around for the fun. 

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Contributing editor Mimi Bigelow Steadman lives a boat ride away from South Bristol on the Damariscotta River in Edgecomb.

If you go to South Bristol

On the Water

Convenient to coastal cruising routes, South Bristol has long been an appealing destination for transient yachts. Just inside the mouth of the Damariscotta River in Christmas Cove, Coveside Restaurant and Marina offers rental moorings and dock space coupled with a perennially popular restaurant. A little farther up the river on the western Gut, Gamage Shipyard has slips and rental moorings as well as showers, WiFi, and laundry facilities. Services include hauling, carpentry, electronics, mechanical, and rigging. Gamage was purchased in June by Maine Yacht Center of Portland. According to a news release, the new owners plan to add more marine technicians and continue to improve the facilities. It’s always wise to make mooring and dockage reservations in advance, especially in high season. The town maintains floating docks in the eastern Gut, in Christmas Cove (off CCIA), and at Hunter’s Landing in Walpole. The town landing and launching ramp are on the eastern Gut, just west of the Fisherman’s Co-op. Gas and diesel are available at the Fisherman’s Co-op. Also located in South Bristol are two highly regarded boatbuilders: John’s Bay Boat Co. and Farrin’s Boatshop.

Do

The Old Walpole Meetinghouse is open on Saturday afternoons in July and August. At other times, you can borrow a key from the shop owners at the Walpole Barn, located diagonally across Route 129. The DaPonte String Quartet presents an annual candlelight concert at the meetinghouse in early September; it’s a fundraiser for the meetinghouse. The S-Road School is also open on Saturday afternoons in July and August. Thompson Ice Harvesting Museum is open July through late August on Friday and Saturday afternoons. At the annual ice harvest on a mid-February Sunday, attendees are invited to help saw, prod, and stack the blocks of ice; there’s lots of warming hot chocolate, coffee, soup, and other goodies on hand. The annual ice-cream social, featuring hand-cranked ice cream using ice from the ice house, takes place in early July. 

Shop

The charming Walpole Barn is the place to go for a large and exceptional wine selection. You’ll also find fresh oysters, cheeses, and an appealing array of kitchen gadgets, crockery, cards, glassware, and gifts.

Eat 

Perched on the northern edge of Christmas Cove, Coveside Restaurant has long been a popular destination for summertime lunches and dinners. Its deck, bar, and dining room all provide views of the harbor. South Bristol Fisherman’s Co-op sells cooked lobsters and clams. Bring salads and drinks, and enjoy a picnic on the deck over the water. Live lobsters and clams are also available. Right next to the bridge, Osier’s Wharf sells scallops (in season), live and cooked lobsters, and fish, plus lobster rolls, sandwiches, pizza, and chili.

Paddle and Hike

South Bristol is home to numerous nature preserves stewarded or owned by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. Most of them offer easy access from Route 129. Fifty-acre Walpole Woods has an easy, one-mile loop trail to a manmade pond. Plummer Point Preserve’s 85 wooded acres cover an entire peninsula and run beside the Damariscotta River for more than a mile. Also edging the river, Tracy Shore Preserve’s network of trails includes one that leads to a promontory overlooking the water. Another trail links to the Library Park Preserve, whose sloping shorefront land offers views of Johns Bay and Witch Island. Seal Cove Shore Preserve has trails along beautiful Seal Cove, a haven for waterfowl and other bird life. The Rutherford Island Preserve, on the eponymous bridge-linked island, features an easy trail of less than a mile leading to a bench and lookout over the Damariscotta. There are also two preserves on islands lying just offshore: Stratton Island (called Hodgson’s or Hodgdon’s on charts) and Witch Island. They can be accessed by kayak or other small craft. The Damariscotta River, Johns Bay, and the Thread of Life are excellent for paddling. Midcoast Kayak, in Damariscotta, rents kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes, and also offers lessons and tours led by Registered Maine Guides.