Casco Castle Trolley Park was one of several trolley parks
that Amos Firz Gerald was involved with creating.
Postcard PWM
Electric street railway companies might not have considered themselves complete without having a pleasure resort destination available for their patrons during the golden years of the trolley era. The Casco Castle Park, in South Freeport, Maine, was created to provide the Portland and Brunswick Street Railway a destination for visitors to help the railway company increase the number of passengers using its trolleys.
"Camillia" is like its sister combination cars, "Alice", "Dorothy", "Flora",
and "Lida," carried passengers and light freight and express
(see the sliding door on the side on the left). Seen here at the trolley stop
at Casco Castle Park, South Freeport.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_29_041
This blog post features images from the Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath Street Railway and the Portland & Brunswick Street Railway Casco Castle Park. Much of the text and some images are from the book, Trolleys to Brunswick, Maine 1896-1937, and Portland Railroad Part 1 & 2 also published by O. R. Cummings. Additional images are credited individually. Several photos and some text are from the book, The Trolley Parks of Maine, by Amber Tatnall, Randy Leclair, and Doreen Rogan: New England Electric Railway Historical Society - 2012, where several entries are credited to the Freeport Historical Society from the "The Story of Casco Castle." All others are credited as noted.
Letterhead from the Casco Castle Park, South Freeport.
Click Here: for more on Trolley Parks in the heart of Maine by Seashore Trolley Museum.
Click Here: to read the lengthy history of Riverton Park in Portland
Click Here: to read the history of Merrymeeting Park in Brunswick
Click Here: to read the history of Underwood Spring Trolley Park
Click Here for the post: Ninety Communities in Maine with Electric Railway Service
Click Here for the post: 57 Million Passengers Carried on Electric Railways in Maine in 1915
Incorporators of the Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath Street Railway, and the Portland & Brunswick Street Railway, included Amos F. Gerald and other associates of his who were involved with other electric railways in Maine. Amos Fitz Gerald was a fan of castles. This may be why he was known as The Electric Railway "King" of the Pine Tree State. Click on his name to read his biography, Amos Fitz Gerald. He was
one of many Maine entrepreneurs and inventors who were involved with street railways in the early days.
Brunswick-Freeport-Yarmouth Map from the 2015 NEERHS book,
"The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946"
Casco Castle Park
The attractions at Casco Casco Park, created by the Portland & Brunswick Street Railway Company during the summer of 1902, included a large stone tower called the "Castle," which was 100 feet tall built with local stone, had an electric elevator, and observation stations. The three-story casino was of wood frame construction, with a roof that included a roof-top garden, with stone-colored shingles, ornate spaced squared openings on the top of the walls, along with a zoological garden campus with a zoo that, like Merrymeeting Park, included, bears, wolves, deer, monkeys, cattle, and buffalo.
A postcard of the Casco Castle Park casino shows the broad piazzas
extended entirely around the building on the first and second floors
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_031
Bountiful meals were served in the casino dining room. The Shore dinner was 50 cents. Other popular offerings included; lobster stew, steamed clams, boiled lobsters, and various side dishes and desserts. Overnight accommodations could house one hundred guests who paid a mere three dollars for a night's stay, which included meals.
The casino had a spacious ballroom and beautifully appointed parlors. There were regular musical performances and community singing activities.
The park provided a wide variety of amusements; moonlight sails, picnicking, tours of the gardens, swimming, baseball, and tennis.
A postcard of the Casco Castle Park casino shows the beautiful grounds on
the side opposite the sea view.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_032
A man feeding some grass to a buffalo in the zoo at Casco Castle Park
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_038
A 300-foot long, suspension bridge spanned a deep ravine over Spar Creek, between the park and the trolley line. Besides which - as at Merrymeeting Park (Brunswick, Maine) - was constructed a covered platform and an enclosed waiting room for the comfort and convenience of the passengers.
The covered platform and enclosed waiting room of the Portland &
Brunswick Street Railway stop at Casco Castle Trolley Park.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_043
14-bench, open car, No. 7 at the Casco Castle Park station. This car
could carry 70 passengers. These open cars were affectionately
called, "Breezers," air conditioning of the day.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_042
The suspension bridge spanned a deep ravine between
the Casco Castle Park and the trolley line.
Casco Castle Park was also served by the Harpswell Steamboat Company, steamers of which stopped at South Freeport en route between Portland and Harpswell Center.
A favorite summer trip for many was to ride on the steamer from Portland to South Freeport in the morning, spend a few hours or so at the Casco Castle, and return to Portland by trolley in the late afternoon or early evening.
No. 11, "Camilla" at the Casco Castle Park with the suspension bridge
and the casino in the background.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_29_040
The conductor seated with the motorman at the controls of the open car
No. 7 while at the Casco Castle station.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_044
Unfortunately, Casco Castle Park, like Merrymeeting Park (Brunswick, ME) was not a profitable undertaking for the railway company, and on March 17, 1910, with the Portland & Brunswick Street Railway in the throes of financial difficulties, the property was sold to E. S. Everett of Cook, Everett, & Pennell of Portland.
Postcard of the Casco Castle Park showing views from
four locations. O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_036
About four and a half years later, On September 8, 1914, the casino was destroyed by fire and that was the end of Casco Castle Park.
The tower at Casco Castle seen above is still smoldering
after the fire that destroyed the Casco Castle casino.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_039
After the fire, the suspension bridge was removed and relocated to an
amusement park in Lewiston.
O. R. Cummings Collection - 2009_2_19_034
The ruins of the casino were cleared away and the suspension bridge was removed and relocated to an amusement park in Lewiston. The stone tower was left standing and is still there today and can be viewed from Freeport's Winslow Park on Staples Point Road
Casco Castle Tower as seen on private property.
Photo from the Facebook Group, Photographers of New
England, Chris Fiddy Tucker post 1/28/2024
Casco Castle Tower as seen on private property.
Photo from the Facebook Group, Photographers of New
England, Chris Fiddy Tucker post 1/28/2024
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We continue the restoration work on the 1912 Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts
Being more than a century old, the stately, "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem. This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including; time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivates, fascinates, then generates, interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!
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The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition of narratives.
Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban
The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.
Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project
Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
the Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
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