Overlooking Christmas Cove

It was built some 200 years ago on an island (accessible by a bridge) in one of the oldest and most desirable summer communities on the Maine coast … ne rather chilly spring day a couple of months ago, we decided to mosey “down east.” After a short visit to L.L. Bean in Freeport (how could anyone go through Freeport without doing that?), we proceeded east on U.S. Route 1 to Damariscotta, where we began our lovely winding drive on Route 129 down the Pemaquid Peninsula to the picturesque little fishing village of South Bristol. From there we crossed a small bridge over to Rutherford Island. Less than a mile beyond, we arrived at what we immediately recognized as the deepwater harbor known as Christmas Cove. Voilà—we were where we wanted to be. We’d been corresponding with Stephen Mohr, one of the owners (with his brother and sister) of a historic 1820 cottage overlooking Christmas Cove, and there was no mistaking it—particularly with Stephen standing on its front deck whistling and waving!

We’d arrived at what has been known in the area for more than a hundred years as “The Homestead.” Incidentally, the reason Christmas Cove is so named is that the famous seafaring explorer Captain John Smith (remember him from your highschool history?) sought shelter here one stormy Christmas Eve back in about 1614. “Christmas Cove” he proclaimed it, and the name has stuck through all the years since.

: Known for more than 100 years as “The Homestead,” this cottage off the coast of Maine’s Pemaquid Peninsula includes four bedrooms : Growing up, co-owner (with his brother and sister) Stephen Mohr and his family were an integral part of summer-colony life

A few minutes later, we were sitting with Stephen at the dining-room table near the adjacent living room,