We have no idea what this machine is, but it looks old. This island is set up for research, not tourism. This cove is the site of the hotel set up by Thomas Laighton which revived the island's economy in the mid-to-late 1800s. The hotel no longer exists.

Today you'll find modern cottages like this diving cottage. Note the wetsuits hanging outside. William Pepperell, famed former resident of Kittery, got his start nearby here where his ancestor opened one of the first fishing businesses on this island.

Here you can see the foundation (at back) of what once was island poet Celia Thaxter's cottage. Celia's famous garden is still maintained, and a few visitors are allowed to tour it each year for a sizeable fee. Celia's book "An Island Garden" is still in print and she has become part of a growing cult of followers who admire her writing and study her fascinating life.

Celia Thaxter & Friends theme site
Photo of the salon in Celia's cottage

Click for three paintings of Appledore by Childe Hassam (BACK to return)

The Laighton family is buried here in a family plot on Appledore. Behind the large tomb are smaller headstones labeled Mother and Father (Eliza and Thomas Laighton). Behind them are buried, from left to right, brother Oscar (who lived on the islands 90 years), Cedric, and Celia Thaxter herself.

For more on visiting Celia's Garden at Appledore

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Digital images by J. Dennis Robinson
© 1998 SeacocastNH.com

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