Biddeford Pool

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Wood Island Light in 1910

Biddeford Pool is the large tidal pool, as well as the name of the community around it, located off Saco Bay south of the mouth of the Saco River in southern Maine. It is approximately 6 miles southeast of downtown Biddeford, to which it is connected via State Route 208.

Biddeford Pool is the site of Maine's first recorded permanent settlement, then called Winter Harbor. In the winter of 1616-1617, Richard Vines, a physician, resided here as part of the colonization efforts of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Lord Proprietor of Maine. An early village developed on the north side. In 1708, Fort Mary was built near the pool's entrance.

The small harbor hosts both vacationers and lobstermen. Its water level fluctuates from a large navigable body during high tide to mostly mudflats during low tide. The only exception is the deep mouth, which is naturally dredged by tidal current. Consequently, this is the area where most boats are moored. Wood Island Light is located about a mile offshore to the northeast.

Biddeford Pool is bounded by the mainland to the south and west, by Hills Beach to the north, and by Biddeford Point to the east. The area is a popular summer destination for visitors from as far south as Florida. The pool is surrounded by tall grass salt marshes that are home to a variety of birds and other wildlife. East Point Sanctuary, maintained by the Maine Audubon Society, is considered to be one of the premier birding spots on the northeast coast.

Points of interest around Biddeford Pool include Hills Beach, Fortune's Rocks and Granite Point.

[edit] References

History of Biddeford, Maine (1886)
A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England, 1859; H. O. Houghton & Company, printers; Cambridge, Massachusetts