In the 1830s, the Maine coast was a destination for those seeking to improve their health with pure air and seawater. Out-of-state visitors either camped or boarded with local families until after the Civil War, when the development of summer colonies became popular. Located just 200 feet off the mainland, Capitol Island is three-quarters of a mile long and 700 feet at its widest. The native landscape includes high bluffs, sandy beaches, and woodlands.
The island was developed in the 1870s by four partners from Gardiner, Maine, a town adjacent to Augusta, the state capital (hence the island’s name). A hotel and rows of tents came first, followed by 30 simple cottages built before 1905. A 1916 survey shows 80 cottage lots, plus typical summer facilities: a casino, hotel, store and post office building, croquet and tennis courts, bowling alley and ice cream parlor. Cars were originally forbidden on the island, which was traversed only by footpaths, but a pedestrian bridge was widened in the 1950s to accommodate automobiles.
Many of Capitol Island’s architectural and landscape features remain, and are owned by descendants of the 1870s developers, making the island one of Maine’s most intact historic summer colonies.