No matter how brightly the sun is shining, Maine piers usually are lonely places in November. But the two of them in Brooklin shown here are dramatic all year long.
Above, you see a pier that is often crowded in summer and early fall: the WoodenBoat pier that extends from near its boathouse into Great Cove. Below, you’ll see the other pier, which also often is crowded in summer and fall: the Brooklin Boat Yard pier at Center Harbor.
Both piers have 20th Century granite block pilings with walkways that have been repaired and replaced over the years, sometimes after major storms. Both lead to docking floats that are removed in winter. (The BBY floats were removed shortly after this image was taken.)
As far as I can tell, the original WB pier and boathouse were built in 1916-1917 as part of the creation of a new summer estate for Alexander S. Porter, a Bostoner. His estate was purchased from a subsequent owner by WoodenBoat Publications in 1977, which was founded in 1974 by Jon Wilson. (The WoodenBoat School was founded there by him in 1981, I believe.)
The original pier at Center Harbor apparently was constructed in 1957 at the Arno Day Boat Yard, three years before that boatyard was purchased and expanded into the BBY by Joel White. The pier’s walkway and shed were replaced entirely after being destroyed by a historic storm in January of 2024.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on November 18 [BBY] and 24 [WBS], 2025.