Pentagoet Archeological District

At Castine, Maine, where the Bagaduce River meets Penobscot Bay, Fort Pentagoet occupied a strategic frontier between French Acadia and New England within the homeland of the Abenaki, especially the Penobscot people. First used as a trading post, it became an important fortified French post in 1635 and a major center of exchange with local Abenaki communities until 1654, while also being drawn into Acadian political conflict. English control followed from 1654 to 1670, though French traders apparently remained active, and Dutch raiders destroyed the site in 1674. Archaeological work has uncovered key buildings, making it an unusually clear record of early Acadian trade, colonial rivalry, and frontier life.

Castine, Maine · United States