Maine Waterfront Fire Destroys Wyeth Family Art
A devastating fire has ravaged multiple waterfront structures in Maine, causing the loss of valuable artworks by renowned artist Jamie Wyeth and an illustration by his grandfather, N.C. Wyeth. This unfortunate incident was confirmed by the building’s owner, Linda Bean, on Friday.
The fire, which erupted late Wednesday, engulfed several buildings, including the Maine Wyeth Art Gallery and the Port Clyde General Store, both under Bean’s ownership. This tragedy resulted in the destruction of original Jamie Wyeth paintings such as “Snapper,” “With Green Peppers,” and “Red Tail Hawk,” as well as N.C. Wyeth’s illustration from Henry David Thoreau’s book, “Men of Concord.”
The Wyeth family holds deep roots in the region, with Jamie Wyeth’s father, Andrew Wyeth, famously creating his 1948 masterpiece, “Christina’s World,” in nearby Cushing. His grandfather, N.C. Wyeth, had a home in Port Clyde.
The fire’s origin was traced back to the Dip Net restaurant and rapidly consumed three businesses in Port Clyde, which is part of the town of Saint George. Tragically, all three structures were completely destroyed, and firefighting efforts continued into Thursday evening.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported during this calamitous event.
This destructive fire has left the Port Clyde community in mourning, as the waterfront now bears a conspicuous void. Magan Wallace, the planning and assessing clerk, reflected on the shared connection with the general store, saying, “Everybody in town has at one point worked at the general store, myself included.”
Linda Bean, whose grandfather established the renowned retail giant L.L. Bean, expressed her determination to rebuild and restore the affected premises. She affirmed, “My hope is to restore the premises and resume its businesses and jobs there as fully and as soon as possible.”