Contributed by Scarborough Historical Society & Museum
These structures, called marsh staddles, once dotted the Scarborough marsh during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Even though the top sections have been exposed to years of weather and tides, the bottom is still strong and several remaining staddles can be seen today because the sod of the marsh is such that no wood rots in it.
The basic design was placement of ash or cedar logs in about a 10 foot circle. Cord grass was put on top of the logs and made a platform for adding salt water hay on top of it. That hay (cone shaped) was stacked in such a way (like roof thatching) that it would stay. Sometimes, the hay might be circled with rope which was staked. This apparently kept the wind from destroying a given hay cone. The completed staddle would be about 16-18 feet high.
About This Item
- Title: Marsh Staddle, Scarborough, ca. 1900
- Creator: Woodman, P. E.
- Creation Date: circa 1900
- Subject Date: circa 1900
- Town: Scarborough
- County: Cumberland
- State: ME
- Media: Postcard
- Dimensions: 7.62 cm x 12.7 cm
- Local Code: 74.12.11
- Collection: The Marsh
- Object Type: Image
For more information about this item, contact:Scarborough Historical Society & Museum
PO Box 156, Scarborough, ME 04070-0156
Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please use this form.