A Federal style home restored and decorated in simple elegance to capture the ambiance of an earlier time. Located in the charming village of Damariscotta, it is within walking distance of quaint shops and refreshing restaurants. Your hosts are Ray and Mimi McConnell.
In August of 2004, we discovered the house that we lovingly restored and made into our home and Alewives & Ales Bed & Breakfast. The original home was built circa 1847 in a town whose atmosphere was permeated with the sights and sounds of shipbuilding. It sits on a hill on High Street, which is possibly the highest location in town. At the foot of High Street and across the Bristol Road, Joseph Day’s shipyard bustled with skilled workers creating beautiful maritime vessels along the shore of the Damariscotta River. Each of our three guest rooms is named after a wooden sailing ship built in a Damariscotta shipyard.
In nearby Damariscotta Mills, every spring thousands of alewives make their way up the Damariscotta River and Salt Bay to struggle up the fish ladder and spawn in Damariscotta Lake. It is quite a sight to see the gulls, ospreys and eagles swooping down to feast on the multitude of fish and to hear nature’s symphony of rushing water and the cries of the gulls. According to legend, the name “Damariscotta” is an Indian word that means “the meeting of many alewives”.
Between the abundance of historic sites and the natural beauty the Maine midcoast offers, you could spend countless days in this area and not exhaust all the possibilities.
