Main Street Bath, Maine

Articles about Bath, Maine

WELCOME TO OUR CITY!

Nestled along the sparkling stretches of the Kennebec River, Bath is a town where ships have been built through four centuries. Our small jewel of a city has recently been celebrated as one of the best small cities in America and a distinctive destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Shipyards once lined the river’s edge where bald eagles fly over the ice flows moving upstream, stripers(?) run in the spring, fireworks light the summer sky, and the rich colors of autumn reflect in the water. Bath’s vessels have sailed the seas of the world, hugged the American coasts, and even carried timber-framed homes to the colonial West Indies and other Bath-built ships to Gold-Rush California.

Bath, still flying the pennants of her past, has sailed into the present as home of the world-class shipbuilder, Bath Iron Works. At the south end the nationally acclaimed Maine Maritime Museum is often visited by Tall Ships and offers a glimpse not only into a vital part of our nation’s history, but a look into the domestic world of one of her shipbuilding families. Downtown Bath has a unique mix of shops, restaurants, and services. The 19th-century brick buildings and narrow streets have the charm of childhood revisited … a slower pace and a friendly pedestrian atmosphere. The city’s tree-lined avenues are graced by modest and grand examples of classic American architecture. Parks invite spectacular views of Merrymeeting Bay and quiet hikes. Be a part of Bath’s continuing renaissance.

Robin Haynes