Castine Ropewalk

Castine had ropewalks in the early 1800s, one burning in 1828 and its replacement burning in 1830. J.W. Dresser had a ropewalk business in the second half of the nineteenth century, here shown on a winter or early spring day. By the 1870s, though, it was made up of a head house on Pleasant Street and a long, low dilapidated building with three machines making 80 dozen lines per day. Toward the end of the company's operation, it specialized in fishing lines, including long trawl lines. The Dresser Rope Walk was purchased in 1900 and became known as the Line and Twine Factory. It was burned down when struck by lightning in 1913 but was rebuilt.