Where Exactly Is Cundy’s Harbor? Border Confusion

(Photo-Courrier-McEwen-family)-E.-Farrington-Abbott-family-in-its-chauffeur-driven-car-in-1916

by David Perrier

Our library is called the “Cundy’s Harbor Library” because it exists to serve the people of Cundy’s Harbor. But what makes up Cundy’s Harbor?

For many places, these questions are easily answered. Even the borders of Harpswell are well defined. But, the various areas within this Maine town are not so easily determined, and it requires a little work to try to make sense of where the borders are.

So, we decided to ask patrons of the library where they thought the borders were. While we were expecting slightly different answers, we believed that the answers would be similar. But we got such a wide variety of answers that we decided to try a different way of figuring out the borders.

We made a six foot tall map of Sebascodegan Island and asked people attending to put a pin in the map where they lived. Once their address was known, we asked them whether they considered their home to be within the borders of Cundy’s Harbor.

On the next few pages we will see the different views on where the Harbor beings and ends.

Saturday, August 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Neck, Islands and Cundy’s Harbor. See the graves of Harpswell’s Revolutionary War soldiers, ship captains and local characters. Slate, sandstone and granite markers with designs from skulls to anchors and flowers span colonial Harpswell until today. Meet at Town Hall from 11 a.m. until 12 noon for tour booklet and map or pick up at flagged Burying Grounds.