David Gay's Wharf at Rockland, Maine in 1873; Horizontal View

David Gay's Wharf at Rockland, Maine in 1873; Horizontal View

David Gay's Wharf at Rockland, Maine in 1873. Wharf is piled high with cordwoood; a schooner-2 and a sloop are are alongside. View looks southeast across to Crocket Point Lime Kilns. Bringing in the Wood, Rockland, Maine. In the 1870s and æ80s, Rockland was all about wood, the great bulk of it brought in by water to fuel the city's lime kilns. Timber wharves lined the waterfront and generally jutted out only far enough for high tide use. Here at David Gay's Lermond's Cove wharf, the tide is out and both vessels lying to it are hard aground. Across from them at the Crockett's Point kilns, however, there's more water depth and those vessels remain afloat. Instead of lime kilns, the FMC biopolymer plant now occupies that spot, and the Maine State ferries pass its wharves daily on their way to and from Vinalhaven and North Haven. note on reverse says lime kilns on location in 1980 of Marine Colloids, later purchased by F.M.C. (seaweed processor). 

"This photo is of the Rockland wharf owned by David Gay. He was the first one to ship limestone from Rockland to points south. His kiln is still standing across the street from Dunkin Dounuts. His house is the opposite side of D&D's. Made from clay from his land on the south end of town. He was my 4th great uncle." -- Betsy Rich,  2025