Called Goose River Village until a name change in 1852, Rockport was part of Camden until they split 39 years later. At the time, quarrying limestone and converting it to lime was the major industry. In 1817, 300 casks of Rockport lime were shipped to Washington for the restoration of the US Capitol after it was burned in the War of 1812. Another major enterprise was exporting pond ice. About 50,000 tons of it was harvested and shipped around the world each year. However, a 1907 fire in the waterfront lime kilns spread and destroyed the Rockport Ice Co., a tragedy that crippled both industries. Since then, Rockport has established itself as a destination for tourists, owing in part to its setting along picturesque Penobscot Bay. It also has a long tradition of attracting and fostering artists. In 1973, Maine Media Workshop was founded as a small center for film and photography; today it has its own campus for multimedia education.
Pretty as a picture
Town on the bay focuses on tourism and its rock-solid history
DoThe nonprofit Center for Maine Contemporary Art (162 Russell Ave., 207-236-2875, www.cmcanow.org) converted the village firehouse into a home for visual arts, with constantly changing exhibits. Among them are the juried "Biennial," running through Oct. 4, and "Work of the Hand: Craft Show and Sale," an annual invitational with New England's glass, metal, fiber, wood, and jewelry artists from Oct. 10-19. Down the hill, Maine Media Workshops (70 Camden St., 877-577-7700, 207-236-8581, www.theworkshops.com) uses its original home at Union Hall (2 Central St., 207-236-8581) as a seasonal gallery, although that may change next year. This year's final exhibit, "35 Years of Photography in Union Hall," celebrates the workshop's founding and runs through Oct. 10. In a rural setting on Route 90, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (25 Mill St., 207-594-5611, www.wood school.org) offers courses in making fine furniture. Founded by Peter Korn, the center attracts students of all ages. The current exhibit at the school's Messer Gallery is "Legacy of Talent: A Moser Reunion," running through Nov. 28.
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