How far would you have to go to leave your modern life behind? About six nautical miles, apparently. On Friday, I climbed aboard a vessel smaller than the S.S. Minnow and sailed through choppy seas to lonely Star Island. Little did I know, it would be as close as I have come to traveling through time. Among the windswept rocks, surrounded by the sea on all sides, I explored winding trails, discovered an ancient stone chapel and spent my evenings reading the works of a Victorian poetess. The hotel had electricity (most of the time) as well as hot water (most of the time), but these modern comforts did little to relieve the sense that this was a place forgotten by time.
A long history
Star Island, the second largest island among the Isles of Shoals, has a long history that predates the earliest colonial settlements in mainland New England. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of Native American activity going back 6,000 years. Captain John Smith set foot here in 1614, and within a few years, English fishermen had established a busy and lucrative commercial port. The harvesting and salting of fish sustained life on Star Island and the surrounding islands for 150 years.
Little remains of the village of Gosport, the fishing community that was once home to hundreds of people. The villagers’ stone chapel still graces the highest point of land, and continues to offer a respite for worshippers of many faiths. Candlelight services take place in the morning and evening during summer conferences. I enjoyed sitting in the pews of this humble space, knowing that it gave solace to those who extracted a hard living from the sea. Sundays would likely have been the only day of rest for many of the fishermen and their families, and they would have begun here, with whale oil lamps and simple hymns.
A much larger remnant of the past, the Oceanic Hotel represents the “grand hotel” era of New England. It rivaled the famous Appledore House, located across the harbor, where Celia Thaxter wrote verse and prose, and entertained literary legends like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The Oceanic attracted its own crowd, luring visitors from growing cities with fresh air and modern amenities, such as electricity and indoor plumbing.
Fortunately, the hotel was mostly spared from future improvements. Necessary changes have taken place, such as the installation of a solar farm that is well-concealed by foliage, and the addition of a wastewater treatment plant. Internet is available on the island, and the wifi works pretty well. I suppose you can’t get away from everything, but the rooms in the hotel, thankfully, are devoid of modern touches.
Indeed, the furnishings of the Oceanic are simple, even by Victorian standards. The worn floorboards are painted gray. Some are partially covered by old linoleum, patterned to look like Persian rugs. There are few pictures on the walls, and most of these are photographs or paintings of the islands. There are no phones or televisions. The hotel, like the island, is a quiet place. (Well, mostly. The small rooms and thin wood doors were far from soundproof, and I could hear everything said in adjoining rooms and in the hall.)
My time on Star Island let me imagine life as it was for the fishermen and their families, or for the guests at the Oceanic Hotel. It also brought me back to the camp where I worked during summer breaks in high school. The camp was also based in an old building that once served as an inn. There was a peace and quiet about that old-fashioned place that I often yearn for, and I found it again, to a degree, on the island.
Visiting Star Island
Star Island is operated by the Star Island Corporation; the Corporation is run by the Unitarian Universalist Church and the United Church of Christ. If you want to visit, you have several options. You can sign up for one of the events offered by Star Island. These include weeklong camps and shorter workshops. You can also go on your own personal retreat. See the Star Island Corporation website for more details: https://starisland.org/ For a shorter visit, you can ride out on one of the boats owned by the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company and spend an hour on the island. Boats leave daily from the pier at 315 Market Street in Portsmouth. Learn more at https://islesofshoals.com/
You can also volunteer. Volunteers get room and board in exchange for helping with a variety of tasks. Be prepared to work. You will get a fair amount of time to explore and enjoy the island, but it won’t feel like a vacation. I came home with my mind refreshed and my muscles sore.
However you choose to experience Star Island, you’ll enjoy the rugged beauty of its rocky shores and the friendly faces of its cheerful stewards. It’s another unique treasure that makes the seacoast a special place to live.
