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About
The York River > Historic and Geographic
Sites
Historically,
the York River was the lifeblood of the community, providing inhabitants
with food, transportation, and water-power. The original human settlers
were Native Americans who spoke Abenaki. Europeans settled the areas
in the 1630s and built their town along the harbor and the river.
Along
the York River you can see the following historic and geographic
sites:
- Stage
Neck – where fish were historically dried and salted
on racks or “stages.”
- Harris
Island – once a quarantine area for immigrants, now
hosts a restaurant, marina, lodging,
and Town Dock #2.
- Town
Dock #1 - east of Route 103 bridge. This site serves as
a public boat launch.
- Former
site of York’s historic wharf and marketplace. Ships
brought molasses, rum, sugar, coffee, cloth, and china –
and exported lumber, dried fish, flour, potatoes, tallow,
and cattle.
- Sayward-Wheeler
House (1718, white clapboard) built by a local merchant.
Historic building open to the public.
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The
Wiggley Bridge
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- Wiggley
Bridge (1930’s), one of the smallest suspension bridges
in the US – spans the outlet of Barrells Millpond.
Caution: Tides often form a rapid.
- The
footpath from Wiggley Bridge leads to Steedman Woods.
- John
Hancock Warehouse (1740s, brown clapboard) and Marshall
Store (yellow). Historic building open to the public.
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- Sewall’s
Bridge – original bridge built in 1761 by Captain
Samuel Sewall to replace a ferry at the same spot. Caution:
Limited clearance at high tides.
- Elizabeth
Perkins House (dark red clapboard) – with a late 19th
century wood carving of a Native American. Historic building
open to the public.
- Rice’s
Bridge Boat Launch – public boat launch on east side
of Route 1 and the Bridge.
- The
Grant House in Goodrich Park – picnic tables provide
a lunch spot for canoeists and kayakers.
- Two
tidal creeks diverge from the river. Dolly Gordon Brook
powered the first tidal mill in the colonies. Caution: Creeks
unnavigable even for kayaks at low tides.
Upstream
of the Scotland Bridge, the river is passable only to very
small boats, even at high tides. The beautiful salt marshes
are interesting to explore, and birds are abundant. Caution:
Watch the tides, and take care not to disturb wildlife.
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Sewall's
Dock
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