Campobello Island

Franklin Roosevelt summered here from childhood, and it was at Campobello in August 1921 that he fell ill with the paralytic illness that ended his ability to walk; he called it his beloved island and returned only a few times as president. The thirty-four room cottage is preserved with the family's furnishings. Roosevelt Campobello International Park, created in 1964, is the only park in the world jointly owned, staffed and managed by two countries, run by a single commission of Canadians and Americans. The island is Canadian but the only year-round road access is a bridge from Maine, so reaching it means crossing the border twice.

History

The first Europeans in the area were Pierre Dugua de Mons and Samuel de Champlain, who founded the nearby Saint Croix Island settlement in 1604, and in 1684 Jean Serreau de Saint-Aubin received the seigneury of Passamaquoddy, with a census of 1689 counting a handful of families on the island. The Treaty of Utrecht made it British in 1713, James Boud of Kilmarnock settled in 1760, and in 1770 it was granted to Captain William Owen, who named it after Lord William Campbell, governor of Nova Scotia, and campo bello, beautiful field (Wikipedia, Campobello Island).

What's there

• The Roosevelt cottage - thirty-four rooms with the family's own furnishings.
• The joint park - the only one in the world owned and run jointly by two countries.
• The lighthouses - East Quoddy at the northern tip, accessible at low tide.
• The 1921 story - the summer his illness began, told at the cottage.

When to go

June to September; the cottage and visitor centre close for winter. East Quoddy lighthouse is reachable only around low tide. Ferries to Deer Island run in summer only.

Practical notes

Reaching a Canadian island means entering and leaving the United States, so passports are needed both ways. The East Quoddy crossing has stranded people who misread the tide. Winter access is by Maine only.

Nearby

Grand Manan lies south; St. Andrews is north.

Key facts