House Island, Maine

House Island is a private island in Portland harbor in Casco Bay, Maine. The island is only accessible via private boat. Public access is prohibited, except for an on request tour sanctioned by the island's owners. House Island includes 3 buildings on the east side and Fort Scammel on the west side. The buildings are used as summer residences. The island's name derives from the fact it was the site of an early European house.

Fort Scammel

Henry A.S. Dearborn built Fort Scammel on the island in 1808 as part of the national second system of fortifications. It was named after Alexander Scammel, Adjutant general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, who was killed in action during the Battle of Yorktown. The fort was designed for harbor defense, with cannon batteries designed to protect the main shipping channel into Portland harbor, along with Fort Preble. Thomas Lincoln Casey, known for his work on the Washington Monument rebuilt the fort in 1862 in preparation for the US Civil War.

Immigration Quarantine Station

The island was later the site of an immigration quarantine station from 1907 to 1937, and was considered the 'Ellis Island of the North'. The quarantine station was busiest in the early 1920s, after the adoption of the Emergency Quota Act, which restricted the number of immigrants who could enter the country. In November 1923 the ships "President Polk" and "George Washington" were diverted from New York City to Portlandref|Kennebec_1, and 218 immigrants from those ships were quarantined at the station.ref|Herald_1

The island was considered "ideal"ref|Kennebec_2 by immigration officials. A Grand Trunk Railway station was located at the docks in Portland, allowing easy rail access for immigrants arriving in Portland. Additionally, William Husband, Commissioner General of United States Immigration said the whole island was secure, and "The whole of House Island was available in that case, instead of those detained being obliged to go out under guard with only few patches of green grass upon which they might set foot, as at some other places."ref|Kennebec_2

The brick hospital was demolished, but three original quarantine buildings remain, including a doctor's house, and a detention building.

External links

* [http://www.HouseIslandMaine.com www.HouseIslandMaine.com]

References

#"3000 Immigrants Due at Portland for November Quota," "The Daily Kennebec Journal", October 30, 1923
#"25 Years Ago Today," "Portland Press Herald", November 5, 1948
#"Immigration Head Loud in Praise of Pier at Portland," "The Daily Kennebec Journal", November 28, 1923
#ibid, "The Daily Kennebec Journal", November 28, 1923