ELLSWORTH — GrowSmart Maine and Ellsworth Historical Society in partnership with Heart of Ellsworth will host the second annual Jane’s Walk in downtown Ellsworth on Saturday, May 6. Community activist Jane Jacobs inspired this global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations.
Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May in more than 200 cities and towns around the globe. This year, Ellsworth will participate in conjunction with 20 other towns around the state. Two walks will be offered on May 6 in downtown Ellsworth; one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The AM walk, The Fire of 1933, will be led by Ellsworth Historical Society board member Terri Cormier telling the story of the great fire and the city-wide effort to rebuild the buildings that make up Main Street today. The walk steps off at 10:00 am on State Street in front of Ellsworth Public Library. Notably, May marks the 100-year anniversary of the great fire that destroyed 130 buildings or most of downtown Ellsworth.
The PM walk, The People of Ellsworth’s Past, Present, and Future, will be led by GrowSmart Maine Director Nancy Smith and Heart of Ellsworth Director Cara Romano with special community guests. Using the Water Street Mural as a starting point and discussion tool participants will walk the downtown district while learning about the people who shaped Ellsworth’s past and how they have influenced our collective identity as Ellsworthanians. The walk will take off at 3 p.m. and proceed to important historical landmarks in the downtown district, ending at Fogtown Brewing Company.
If participating in either walk, wear comfortable shoes and bring your curiosity about Ellsworth’s history and interest in the downtown district.
For more information visit the facebook event: https://fb.me/e/F7C3WMV5.
