Boothbay Harbor Footbridge

The Boothbay Harbor Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge across the head of the inner harbor, linking downtown Boothbay Harbor with the east side. Luther Maddocks built it in 1901 on a $1,500 town bond, and it was rebuilt in 2023. This year it turned 125. Sources disagree on its length, from 885 feet to about 1,000 feet, so below we show where each number comes from and what we could not confirm.

Boothbay Harbor Footbridge at a Glance

• What it is: a pedestrian bridge across the inner harbor. The Footbridge runs between the By-way and Atlantic Avenue, per the town’s anniversary event page.
• Built: 1901. Luther Maddocks was the contractor, and townspeople approved a $1,500, 15-year bond.
• Length: 885 feet when built, per the Boothbay Register and a historical marker. Other sources say about 1,000 feet. We found no survey of the current bridge.
• Latest rebuild: 2023, with LED lighting, a wider deck, bump-out viewing areas with benches, an ADA-compliant design and three floats.
• Bridge House: the small house at the center, credited to bridge tender William F. Foster in 1902. It is a private residence.
• Parking: the Footbridge Parking Lot is reached by Granary Way on the west side of the harbor. We couldn’t confirm current fees.

The 125th Anniversary

The town marked the Footbridge’s 125th anniversary with a free event, Footbridge Fest, scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026, with October 25 as the rain date. The schedule listed a commemorative tree planting at Whale Park, 30 Commercial Street, at 1 p.m., then 3 to 6 p.m. on and around the bridge with remarks at the center, a drone flyover and community photo for a time capsule, tours of the Bridge House, music, cake and kids’ activities. We could not confirm how the day went.

Where Is the Footbridge?

It spans the head of the inner harbor in downtown Boothbay Harbor. According to the Buildings of New England site, it was built to link downtown with the Mount Pisgah and Spruce Point areas, both summer colonies at the time. The Footbridge Parking Lot sits beside it, reached by Granary Way on the west side. We couldn’t confirm current parking fees or time limits. Check with the town before you go.

How Long Is the Footbridge?

This is where sources disagree, and we could not settle it.

• About 1,000 feet: Mainebiz says it was originally about 1,000 feet and was later shortened by about 300 feet when fill was added for parking lots at each end. Wanderlog also calls it 1,000 feet.
• 885 feet, 7 feet wide, with a 75-foot draw: the historical marker’s English inscription, repeated in the Boothbay Register’s history of the bridge by Barbara Rumsey. That is the 1901 bridge, and the Register does not cite a primary record for the number.
• Nearly 900 feet: a Boothbay Register post for the anniversary.
• Today: we found no published measurement of the bridge as rebuilt in 2023, which is wider and was raised. Treat any single figure as approximate.

History: From Ferry to Footbridge

Before 1901, people walked around the head of the harbor or paid about a nickel for a ferry, per the Register. Maddocks proposed the bridge in the late 1800s, and the town approved a warrant in March 1901 backed by a $1,500, 15-year bond. He supplied sardine cannery workers for the labor, and the bridge was finished around June or July. The Register says it stayed controversial for years, because opponents worried about lost business, boat access to the harbor head and the cost of a bridge tender.

Ice and cold have damaged it more than once. The marker says the Great Freeze of 1918 wrecked it and the town paid $550 for repairs. The Register’s 2023 article says it was restored after severe ice damage in the winters of 1918 and 1928. It was rehabilitated in 1979, and pilings and the swing span were repaired in 2017.

The 2023 Rebuild

The Register describes the most recent renovation as:

• Programmable LED lighting.
• An A-frame structure modeled on the former historic swing bridge, which is gone.
• Bump-out viewing areas with benches off the main path.
• A wider deck with a higher load rating, designed to ADA standards.
• A bridge raised to allow for sea level rise and ice.
• Three floats, tripling dockage capacity.

The town announced the bridge open full-time on June 30 after opening for day use the day before, with floats, benches and the A-frame still to come. The Register’s reopening story put the load rating at 110 pounds per square foot, up from 40. A 2020 Register story reported a $250,000 Small Harbor Improvement Program grant toward the project. We did not find the final cost.

The Bridge House

The small house at the center of the bridge is called the Bridge House. Local history credits bridge tender William F. Foster with building it in 1902, per a 2024 Boothbay Register column by Robert Mitchell. That column says Ethel Fowler bought it in 1926 and ran an art studio there, and that David and Marion Dash owned it from 1963 for almost 30 years, running boat excursions and a gift shop. It was sold in 2001 and became a private seasonal residence, per the same column. The Buildings of New England site calls it a private residence now.

As the story goes, a local selectman investigated Foster for smuggling liquor into town by ship through a trap door in the floor. The source presents this as local lore, and we could not confirm it. The anniversary event offered Bridge House tours, but we found no regular public tours.

The Lights

The bridge’s programmable LEDs have been used for special occasions. For the Class of 2026, the town lit the Footbridge in Seahawk blue and gold on June 12 and 13, 2026, and the Register says the town plans festive colors for other occasions and holidays.

Why the Sources Disagree

• Length: 885 feet (marker and Register), about 1,000 feet (Mainebiz and Wanderlog), nearly 900 (a Register post). The figures may describe different versions of the bridge.
• Swing span: Buildings of New England says the bridge was largely replaced after the 1918 freeze without a swing or draw. Mainebiz says the swing span was repaired in 2017 and later wasn’t working, and the Register says the former swing bridge is gone. We could not reconcile when the opening span stopped working.
• The 1970s rebuild: the Register gives 1979, while Mainebiz says only the 1970s.
• Bridge House status: a private residence per Buildings of New England. The 2024 Register columnist said he was unsure of its present status.
• Wrong listings: one Yelp description we saw talks about a fort built in 1809 and a truss swing bridge, which is not this bridge.

Nearby

The Footbridge is a short walk from Whale Park and the downtown shops and restaurants. Maddocks is also credited in the Register with the 1894 Opera House. For the wider area, see our Boothbay Harbor guide, things to do in Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay Harbor with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Boothbay Harbor Footbridge?

It crosses the head of the inner harbor in downtown Boothbay Harbor, between the By-way and Atlantic Avenue.

How long is the Boothbay Harbor Footbridge?

The 1901 bridge was 885 feet long per the Register and a historical marker, though some sources say about 1,000 feet. We found no published measurement of the bridge as rebuilt in 2023.

When was the Footbridge built, and who built it?

It was built in 1901 by Luther Maddocks, who was the contractor, for a $1,500 town bond.

Was the Footbridge rebuilt?

Yes. The most recent rebuild was in 2023. It was rehabilitated in 1979 and repaired in 2017, and ice damaged it in 1918 and 1928.

Does the swing span still open?

No. The Register says the former swing bridge is gone, and the 2023 A-frame is modeled on it. We could not confirm exactly when the opening span stopped working.

Is the Footbridge wheelchair accessible?

The Register says the 2023 renovation meets ADA design standards.

Is there parking near the Footbridge?

The Footbridge Parking Lot is reached by Granary Way on the west side of the harbor. We couldn’t confirm current fees or time limits, so check with the town.

Can you go inside the Bridge House?

It is a private residence. Tours were offered during the 125th anniversary event, but we found no regular public tours.

Are the Footbridge lights different colors?

Yes. The LEDs are programmable, and the town lit the bridge in blue and gold for the Class of 2026 and plans festive colors for other occasions.

Our details come from the Boothbay Register (including its history of the Footbridge, reopening story and Bridge House column), the anniversary event page, the historical marker, Mainebiz, Buildings of New England and the Register’s lighting story. They disagree on the bridge’s length and some dates, so we give the range.