"The story of the coast east of the Piscataqua is the story of old houses long since vacated by their builders, the laying of whose sills began shortly after the visit of Capt. John Smith to the Isles of Shoals, and practically contemporary with the founding of the Plymouth colony. Looking out upon this historic stream are more ghost walks almost than can be counted along the entire coastline of Maine, from Cape Porpoise to the St. Croix." The author takes readers on a guided tour of the old houses that includes detailed, vivid descriptions of the dwellings, significant figures and the surrounding geography, woven together in a fascinating historical account. Chapters include: The Voyagers, "So far as York is concerned, the period of its discovery began with Cabot and ended with Smith;" Accomenticus, "here was the scene of one of the earliest endeavors at colonization along this section of the coast;" The Bells of York, "a savage episode it is: a reminder of the days when the musket and the prayer-book were boon companions;" Saddle-bag Days, which touches on Quakers, Puritans, witchcraft, formalities and restrictions; Old Ketterie, "these people of Kittery were loyalists as well as liberalists;" Back-log Stories, "in 1722, there were thirty-six garrisons;" and The Pleiads of the Piscataqua, "Ten miles offshore, and in sight of White Island Light, are the Isles of Shoals, seven sister-islands grouped closely, like the Pleiads of the Constellation of Taurus." A wealth of charming illustrations and several poems enhance this beautifully written narrative history. Herbert Milton Sylvester (1906, 1909), 2012, 5.5" x 8.5", paper, 426 pp.ISBN: 9780788426056 101-S2605
