Building A Community / Tout à bâtir

In 1604, Pierre Dugua's colonists cleared the island, fetched wood, cut timber, carried earth, and did other work needed to construct their settlement. On the island they built a French-style community with a central square surrounded by houses and service buildings, while on the mainland they planted gardens and erected a water-powered mill. They prepared as best they could for life in the New World, and at the end of August the ships returned to France, leaving the settlers with the knowledge that if the ships sank, nobody would know where they were. The French had brought many building materials with them, and archeological excavations on the island have uncovered yellow bricks from Normandy.

Calais, Maine · United States