Nautilus Island, Maine

Nautilus Island, Maine
Island Farm
Nautilus Island, Maine

Location within the state of Maine

Coordinates: 44°22′30″N 68°48′25″W / 44.37500°N 68.80694°W / 44.37500; -68.80694
Country United States
State Maine
County Hancock
Elevation 45 ft (14 m)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 04421
Area code(s) 207

Nautilus Island is a privately owned island in Penobscot Bay, Maine. It is part of the Town of Brooksville, in Hancock County.

Overview

Lying 0.5 mi (0.80 km) south of Castine and guarding the entrance to Castine Harbor, the island has a long, rich history. During the Revolutionary War the American vessel Hazard engaged the British sloop of war Nautilus off the island's shores and the island has been known as Nautilus ever since. It was captured from the British on July 26, 1779 by men of the Continental Marines commanded by Paul Revere as part of action undertaken by the Penobscot Expedition.[1]

It is 38 acres (15 ha).[2] It has century-old buildings and tennis courts.[2]

The island features in the opening of the famous poem "Skunk Hour" by Robert Lowell: "Nautilus Island's hermit heiress still lives through winter in her Spartan cottage; her sheep still graze above the sea. ... Thirsting for the hierarchic privacy of Queen Victoria's century, she buys up all the eyesores facing her shore, and lets them fall."[3]

See also

References

External links

Coordinates: 44°22′29″N 68°48′20″W / 44.374821°N 68.805571°W / 44.374821; -68.805571


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 04, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.