Storm Washes Away Maine's Historic Fishing Shacks

For more than a century, fishing shacks sat at Fisherman's Point, Willard Beach, in South Portland, Maine—until Saturday, when a record high tide washed them away. Water levels reached higher than 14 feet, leading to significant flooding damage, USA Today reports. The three iconic shacks, often used as a backdrop for photos or even marriage proposals, were among the casualties. They were the last of a series of shacks built by fishermen along the shore and moved to Fisherman's Point in the 1880s, and had just been repaired and repainted last October. Saturday's storm also brought high winds, reports the Bangor Daily News, which gives a rundown of the damage.

"It's sad they're gone," one local tells the Portland Press Herald of the fishing shacks. "I take a picture of those shacks every single morning. And I have for years." The South Portland Historical Society says it is launching a fundraising campaign to raise money for historically accurate reproductions of the shacks to be constructed. In late 2022, concerned about the potential loss of the shacks, the society had architectural drawings and 360-degree images of the shacks recorded. Of the original shacks, many were lost early on to vandalism or storms, but five survived at Fisherman's Point until 1978, when two were lost in a storm. (More Maine stories.)