Islesboro Central School students visit island

October 1, 2008
Shelia Coombs 7th and 8th grade Social Studies class visited 700 Acre Island (which, according to one student, Dustin Reidy, is only comprised of 635 acres).

The focus of the visit was to learn more about the daily activities of our boat yard, as well as learn about the island. The students came armed with questions about the history of the island and the families that first settled here.

The class also camewith a significant amount of knowledge and in the end taught John and Michelle new facts about the island.

They were given a tour of the boat yard by John Gorham and Michelle Hooper and history of the boat yard. The students were interested in the boats that were built here back during WWII, as well as how boats are hauled and maintained here today. They were able to watch the crew haul a powerboat during their visit.

The tour then took them to Gibson Point, with an exterior look at the home of Charles Dana Gibson and a hands on look at the family chapel. The students were very intrigued by the chapel and even climbed the precarious staircase to the top of the tower. There was a look inside the play house that Charles Dana Gibson built for his grandchildren.

Their visit ended with hot chocolate and banana bread in the boat yard store, as they warmed up from the cold, rainy day. Shelia, said she hopes to continue the class research about 700 Acre Island, the settlement patterns and the economic development of this region. We enjoyed their visit and look forward to making this a yearly visit.