The Fletcher's Neck Lifesaving Station was a maritime rescue facility at Ocean Avenue and Fourth Street in the Biddeford Pool area of Biddeford, Maine. Established in 1874 by the United States Life-Saving Service, its original building is one of the best-preserved of the first five stations built by the service on the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. A larger station was built adjacent to the original in 1938. The station was in active use until 1971.
Biddeford Pool is a peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Maine just south of the mouth of the Saco River on the southern coast of Maine. The Fletcher Lifesaving Station is located on the southeast side of the peninsula, just west of the junction of Fourth Street and Ocean Avenue. The original 1874 station is a small garage-like structure with a gable roof, 1-1/2 stories in height. Its main facade faces toward the ocean, with a large two-leaf equipment door as its main feature. The gable roof has extended overhangs on all sides, with large brackets supporting the eaves, featuring a carved dolphin at their centers. The area under the eaves is finished in vertical board siding, while that below is clapboarded. The interior of the main floor was dominated by an equipment bay, with a common kitchen and lounge space behind, and quarters in the attic story for a keeper and six men.[2] To the left of this structure is the much larger 1938 station, a Shingle-style structure two stories in height, with two equipment bays on the right, and a prominent four-story tower with observation room at the top.
The 1938 station
The United States Life-Saving Service was established by an Act of Congress in 1874, as a means to provide rescue services along the nation's coastlines. Fletcher's was one of five such stations established along the coastlines of Maine and New Hampshire, entering service formally on December 1, 1874. The Service was later merged into the United States Coast Guard, which built the larger station in 1938.[2] The station was described as being still active in 1945, and all Coast Guard activity was recorded as ending in 1971.[3]
^ ab"NRHP nomination for Fletcher's Neck Lifesaving Station". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
^"Station Fletcher's Neck, Maine" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
January 01, 1970
fletcher, neck, lifesaving, station, maritime, rescue, facility, ocean, avenue, fourth, street, biddeford, pool, area, biddeford, maine, established, 1874, united, states, life, saving, service, original, building, best, preserved, first, five, stations, built. The Fletcher s Neck Lifesaving Station was a maritime rescue facility at Ocean Avenue and Fourth Street in the Biddeford Pool area of Biddeford Maine Established in 1874 by the United States Life Saving Service its original building is one of the best preserved of the first five stations built by the service on the coast of Maine and New Hampshire A larger station was built adjacent to the original in 1938 The station was in active use until 1971 Fletcher s Neck Lifesaving StationU S National Register of Historic PlacesThe 1874 stationShow map of MaineShow map of the United StatesLocationOcean Ave Biddeford Pool MaineCoordinates43 26 33 N 70 20 33 W 43 44250 N 70 34250 W 43 44250 70 34250Area1 acre 0 40 ha Built1874 1874 Built byUnited States Life Saving ServiceArchitectural styleStick EastlakeNRHP reference No 74000195 1 Added to NRHPNovember 1 1974Description and history editBiddeford Pool is a peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Maine just south of the mouth of the Saco River on the southern coast of Maine The Fletcher Lifesaving Station is located on the southeast side of the peninsula just west of the junction of Fourth Street and Ocean Avenue The original 1874 station is a small garage like structure with a gable roof 1 1 2 stories in height Its main facade faces toward the ocean with a large two leaf equipment door as its main feature The gable roof has extended overhangs on all sides with large brackets supporting the eaves featuring a carved dolphin at their centers The area under the eaves is finished in vertical board siding while that below is clapboarded The interior of the main floor was dominated by an equipment bay with a common kitchen and lounge space behind and quarters in the attic story for a keeper and six men 2 To the left of this structure is the much larger 1938 station a Shingle style structure two stories in height with two equipment bays on the right and a prominent four story tower with observation room at the top nbsp The 1938 station The United States Life Saving Service was established by an Act of Congress in 1874 as a means to provide rescue services along the nation s coastlines Fletcher s was one of five such stations established along the coastlines of Maine and New Hampshire entering service formally on December 1 1874 The Service was later merged into the United States Coast Guard which built the larger station in 1938 2 The station was described as being still active in 1945 and all Coast Guard activity was recorded as ending in 1971 3 See also editNational Register of Historic Places listings in York County MaineReferences edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b NRHP nomination for Fletcher s Neck Lifesaving Station National Park Service Retrieved 2015 06 15 Station Fletcher s Neck Maine PDF United States Coast Guard Retrieved 2015 06 14 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fletcher 27s Neck Lifesaving Station amp oldid 1110044414, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
