Welcome to Maine's Old Granite Inn Bed & Breakfast, in the national historic district of Rockland, Maine. Our Rockland gay friendly B&B is a Federal Colonial constructed from gray granite that was quarried nearby in St. George.
Local craftsmen built this beautiful home that still stands today. In the early 1900s, the building changed hands, purchased by the ELKS for their clubhouse.
In 1984 John and Stephanie Clapp bought the property, and through renovation and restoration created the lovely, comfortable Old Granite Inn. In 1997 the inn was sold again to Ragan and John Cary of St. George, an educator and an engineer, continuing the tradition of a fine Maine Bed & Breakfast. The current owners are Ed & Joan Hantz.
Rockland is a great place - the "Gateway to the Penobscot". Ferry boats leave daily for North Haven and Vinalhaven Islands, part of the Fox Islands. There's fresh water swimming on Lake Chickawaukie just two miles from the Inn.
Rockland is close to the Knox County Airport, with daily service from Boston, Massachusetts.
EXPLORE THE CITY
There are so many great, diverse galleries and intriguing shops in Rockland:
* Farnsworth Art Museum
* The New Wyeth Center: Opened June 1998. American art. Its distinguished collection of over 5000 works spans three centuries.
* Owls Head Transportation Museum: One of the worlds finest collections of pioneer automobiles, aircraft, engines, motorcycles, bicycles and carriages.
* Maine Watercraft Museum: 100 boats built prior to 1960. Classes on boat building and rentals.
* Shore Village Museum: The largest collection of lighthouse and Coast Guard artifacts on display in the country.
* Olson House: A "significant place" for those interested in the art of Andrew Wyeth. See "Cristina's World", 1948, painted by Andrew Wyeth.
* Penobscot Marine Museum: The Penobscot Marine Museum is a seafaring village of nine historic buildings with special exhibitions and an excellent collection of marine paintings.
KNOX COUNTY LIGHTHOUSES
Out in the countryside, you'll find beaches, parks, lighthouses and mountains to climb. The Rockland area contains the only Knox County mainland lighthouses accessible by car and foot. These include:
* Rockland Breakwater Light (1888/1902): 18' square tower atop fog signal house at end of granite pier. Access from Samoset Road.
* Owls Head Lights (1825): 20' white (brick) conical tower built on the peak of the headland and standing 87' above sea level. From Route 73, take North Shore Drive to Owls Head Village. Follow signs.
* Marshall Point Light (1832/1858): 25' white (granite) tower with attached foot-bridge. Access from Marshall Point Road, off Route 131, Port Clyde.
GO TO SEA
Rockland Harbor is home to windjammers and other tour boats offering luncheon cruises, day trips and extended sails. Just take the ferry, across from the inn, to the islands of Vinalhaven or North Haven.
When evening comes, try some of our excellent restaurants, or plan a picnic of fresh boiled lobster and clams on a wharf as the sun sets over the darkening water...
Then come home to the Old Granite Inn, our Rockland gay friendly B&B, and sleep soundly.
