Welcome to Belfast

Welcome to Belfast (HM26QO)

Location: Belfast, ME 04915 Waldo County
Buy Maine State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 44° 25.526', W 69° 0.429'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 236 views
Inscription

The Museum in the Streets

In the spring of 1770 Belfast was settled by Scots-Irish families from Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Legend has it that the name Belfast, after the Northern Ireland city, was chosen by a coin-toss.
Fear of British attach led these original proprietors to abandon the settlement during the American Revolution, but they returned in the 1780s to build a vibrant, prosperous outpost that would become the market center for the outlying area.

Abundant timber, a gently sloping waterfront and proximity to varied agriculture gave rise to shipbuilding and maritime commerce, with fortunes made in both.
Hundreds of wooden sailing ships were built by local shipyards and, during the 19th century, as much as 30% of the male population was employed in the maritime trades.
In 1868 construction began on the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad, which connected Belfast to the Maine Central Railroad at Burnham Junction.
Belfast merchants sold a variety of goods, and steamship operators who provided transportation between coastal towns advertised shopping "excursions" to Belfast.
Prosperous shipbulders and merchants constructed the architecturally significant houses that dominate our residential neighborhoods today.
Two disastrous fires consumed much of the downtown area in 1865 and 1873, but merchants rebuilt with brick, creating



a pleasing and long-lasting commercial district.
The Belfast Historic Districts, residential and commercial, are included on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city's prosperity, built on shipbuilding and commerce in such unglamorous cargoes as hay, ice, apples and fertilizer, began to fade as the 20th century unfolded.
A four-story shoe factory dominated the industrial area, and Belfast became a blue-collar town.
By the 1950s, poultry, sardine and potato companies had set up processing plants along the waterfront.
Belfast called itself the "Broiler Capital of the World" and each July thousands came to eat barbequed chiken on Broiler Day.

In 1962 Route 1, which had come straight through downtown via High Street, was rerouted around the city and across a new bridge.
The rerouting was seen by some as the death knell for a once vibrant shire town, but in hindsight the bypass preserved the city's heart and soul and in the 1980s rebirth began.
Public and private investment restored some of the past luster.
The arts flourished, the railroad was revived for tourist excursions, and the stately houses and commercial buildings were restored.
In the early 90s USA Today named Belfast as one of America's "culturally cool" communities.
Today, Belfast is that rare combination of quiet small town with an active social and cultural life that is attractive to residents and visitors alike.

The Museum in the Streets is designed as a bi-lingual history walking tour. We have chosen French as the second language in recognition of the Franco-American community within Maine and our French speaking visitors.
The text on all the panels and the map panels is in both English and French.
Details
HM NumberHM26QO
Tags
Placed ByBelfast Historical Society and Museum, City of Belfast, the Belfast Community, MBNA Foundation, and Maine Community Foundation
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, April 11th, 2018 at 1:02pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)19T E 499430 N 4919126
Decimal Degrees44.42543333, -69.00715000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 44° 25.526', W 69° 0.429'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds44° 25' 31.56" N, 69° 0' 25.74" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)207
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 107 Church St, Belfast ME 04915, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?