Mackworth Island is an approximately

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an bay, open bay of the Gulf of Maine on the coast of Maine in the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chart for Casco Bay marks the dividing line between the bay and the Gulf of Maine as running from ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. Politically, it is part of the town of Falmouth, which is adjacent to

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

. In 1631, Sir

Ferdinando Gorges Sir Ferdinando Gorges ( – 24 May 1647) was a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the ma ...

, who first attempted to colonize Maine, gifted the island to Arthur Mackworth, his deputy in Casco Bay, and the island has retained his name. A

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

, which carries the traffic of Andrews Avenue, connects the island to Mackworth Point on the mainland. Visitors to the island must pass a state park entrance tollhouse and pay an entrance fee; cars can enter the island, but parking is limited. There is a footpath around the perimeter of the island with views of Falmouth, Portland, and other islands surrounding the bay. The island is heavily wooded and one portion of those woods is dedicated to "

Fairy Houses Fairy houses are small outdoor structures intended to look like residences for fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorp ...

" which are constructed by visitors using natural materials found on the island. Although most areas of the island are State Park lands, there is a school area that is not open to the public. The island is also home to the Governor Baxter Dog Memorial, a pet cemetery where fourteen of the former governor's Irish Setters and one of his horses were buried, accompanied by two bronze markers and a gravestone, all enclosed by a circular stone wall.

Governor Baxter School for the Deaf

In 1943, Maine's governor Percival P. Baxter deeded the island and causeway, including his summer home, to the State of Maine. In 1957, the state created the Governor Baxter School for The Deaf (formerly known as the Maine School for The Deaf) on the island.Gannon, Jack. 1981. ''Deaf Heritage–A Narrative History of Deaf America'', Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf, p. 45
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) The school is infamous for a sexual abuse scandal which became public in 1981 and involved the school's principal and superintendent.Features , Why I hate Mackworth Island
There is currently still a school operating at this site.

Friends School of Portland

Friends School of Portland, an independent Quaker preschool through eighth grade school, was located on Mackworth Island from 2006 to 2015, when it moved to new facility in nearby

Cumberland, Maine Cumberland is a New England town, town in Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area, Maine. ...

References

Bibliography

* Soares, Liz. ''All for Maine: The Story of Governor Percival P. Baxter''. Windswept House Publishers (1996).

External links

Mackworth Island State Park
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry {{Protected areas of Maine Baxter family Coastal islands of Maine Falmouth, Maine Islands of Casco Bay Islands of Cumberland County, Maine Islands of Maine Parks in Cumberland County, Maine Protected areas established in 2002 Protected areas of Cumberland County, Maine State parks of Maine

Governor Baxter School for the Deaf

Friends School of Portland

See also

References

Bibliography

External links