Damariscotta as seen from Newcastle

Damariscotta and Newcastle, Maine, the "Twin Villages" on opposite sides of the Main Street bridge across the tidal Damariscotta River just off US Route 1 (map), form the gateway to the long peninsula extending south through Bristol and Pemaquid to Pemaquid Point.

The Damariscotta River, a tidal estuary of the Gulf of Maine, attracted European settlers early in the years of colonization. Traders from Bristol, England received permission to found a trading post at Pemaquid (now called Bristol) in 1631, and by 1640 colonists had moved up the peninsula to found Damariscotta.

Both Damariscotta and Newcastle have histories of shipbuilding. Today, they serve as the commercial and transport hubs for the peninsula and the region.

Follow ME Route 130 south from Damariscotta to drive 15 miles (24 km, 25 minutes) to the southern tip of the peninsula and its famous, picturesque Pemaquid Lighthouse.

—by Tom Brosnahan

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