Maine Memory Network

Interior view of Cumberland Shipbuilding Company, South Portland, ca. 1917

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1917 Location: South Portland Media: Photographic print

Future location of the Cumberland Shipyard, South Portland, 1917

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1917-06-01 Location: South Portland Media: Photographic print

J. C. Hamlen house, ca. 1890

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1890 Client: J. C. Hamlen Architect: John Calvin Stevens and Albert Winslow Cobb Architects

Galen C. Moses house, Bath, 1901

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1901 Location: Bath Client: Galen C. Moses Architect: John Calvin Stevens

South Portland's Wartime Shipbuilding

Two shipyards in South Portland, built quickly in 1941 to construct cargo ships for the British and Americans, produced nearly 270 ships in two and a half years. Many of those vessels bore the names of notable Mainers.

A Tale of Two Sailmakers

Camden has been home to generations of fishermen, shipbuilders, sailmakers, and others who make their living through the sea. The lives of two Camden sailmakers, who were born nearly a century apart, became entwined at a small house on Limerock Street.

Historic Hallowell - Shipbuilding

"Shipbuilding Jordan Gardner, Nick Hanley & Grant Bowen Shipbuilding Hewing Axe, Shipyard. Hallowell, ca. 1850'sCourtesy of Sumner A."

Biddeford History & Heritage Project - Shipbuilding in Biddeford: Lore, Leaders, and Legacy

"Shipbuilding in Biddeford: Lore, Leaders, and Legacy 3-masted schooner towed by tug boat in Saco River, ca."

Maine and the Atlantic World Slave Economy
by Seth Goldstein

How Maine's historic industries are tied to slavery

A first encounter with Bath and its wonderful history
by John Decker

Visiting the Maine Maritime Museum as part of a conference

Primary Sources: The Maine Shipyard

Grade Level: 9-12 Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson plan will give students a close-up look at historical operations behind Maine's famed shipbuilding and shipping industries. Students will examine primary sources including letters, bills of lading, images, and objects, and draw informed hypotheses about the evolution of the seafaring industry and its impact on Maine’s communities over time.