Bath

Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its fine 19th-century architecture. It is home to the Bath Iron Works and Heritage Days Festival, held annually on the Fourth of July weekend. Several industries developed in the city, including the manufacture of lumber, iron and brass, with trade in ice and coal. But Bath is renowned for shipbuilding, which began here in 1743 when Jonathan Philbrook and his sons built 2 vessels. Since then, roughly 5,000 vessels have been launched in the area, which at one time had more than 200 shipbuilding firms. Bath became the nation's fifth largest seaport by the mid-1800s, producing clipper ships which sailed to ports around the world.

The last commercial enterprise to build wooden ships in the city was the Percy & Small Shipyard, which was acquired for preservation in 1971 by the Maine Maritime Museum. But the most famous shipyard is the Bath Iron Works, founded in 1884 by Thomas W. Hyde. It has built hundreds of wooden and steel vessels, mostly warships for the U.S. Navy. During World War II, Bath Iron Works launched a new ship every 17 days. The shipyard is a major regional employer, and operates today as a division of the General Dynamics Corporation. The city is noted for fine Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate architecture, including the 1858 Custom House and Post Office designed by Ammi B. Young. Bath is sister city to Shariki (now Tsugaru) in Japan, where the locally-built full rigged ship Cheseborough was wrecked in 1889. Scenes from the movies Message in a Bottle (1999) and The Man Without a Face (1993) were filmed in the city.

-10 °C


Clouds, few clouds


Wind2.24 m/s
Cloudiness20 %
Temperature (min/max)-11/-9 °C
Pressure1017 hpa
Humidity66 %
Last update: 22 Dec 2024 @ 07:41

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  • J.R. Maxwell & Co

    Located in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States

    J.R. Maxwell & CoVisit J.R. Maxwell & Co in BathREAD MORE

  • Maine Maritime Museum2012-06-14

    Located in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States

    Maine Maritime MuseumMaine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine, is constantly endeavouring to keep up to date with technology, and yet, at the same time, to give visitors a glimpse into the past, and in so doing they recently added several interactive exhibits, which include a Pirate Play Ship and the Tugboat Pilothouse. Visitors to the museum will find all the hard working volunteers to be very helpful and knowledgeable, and at the end of the visit will realise that a visit to Maine Maritime Museum actually warrants a two day visit to do justice to the fascinating exhibits and artifacts on display. There are also contemporary, interactive areas for children and adults as well as a historic shipyard with five original 19th century buildings. Maine, Bath has always played an important role in regional and global maritime activities, and Maine Maritime Museum hopes that through their museum they are able to educate visitors about the maritime heritage and culture of Maine. READ MORE

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