St. Croix Island - Maine

"The purpose of Saint Croix Island International Historic Site is to conserve unimpaired the resources and values of Saint Croix Island, an area of historic significance to the people of the United States and Canada, for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations."

- General Management Plan for
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

Saint Croix Island International Historic site is a monument to the beginning of the United States and Canada. In 1604, Pierre Dugua, Samuel Champlain, and 77 other men established a settlement on St. Croix Island. This outpost was one of the earliest European settlements on the North Atlantic coast. It was also the first attempt by the French at year-round colonization in the territory they called La Cadie or l'Acadie (Acadia). But by the following summer the French moved on to a better location establishing the Port Royal Habitation on the shores of Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia.

The experiences on St. Croix Island taught the French a great deal about the "New World" environment and about the native peoples. The information gained served as a launch pad for further exploration, which resulted in a more successful venture at Port Royal.

What’s interesting about St. Croix Island is that it has units in both the U.S. National Park Service and Parks Canada. This includes St. Croix Island, and two pieces of land on the U.S. and Canadian mainlands. The island divides the United States and Canada near Calais, Maine and Saint Stephen, New Brunswick. Although the island is only 6.5-acres in size, the settlement of 1604 predated both the Jamestown and Plymouth settlements. Therefore, Saint Croix Island is an important historical landmark for both the United States and Canada.

In 1984 Saint Croix Island was dedicated as an International Historic Site and today is still managed and preserved by the United States National Park Service in consultation with Parks Canada.

Source: NPS, Dept. of the Interior