Agassiz Rock Formation - Ellsworth, ME - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

In Ellsworth, along U.S. Route 1A, is the Agassiz Rock Formation or Outcrop, which has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The ledge is on the south side of the road, south of where Route 1A splits with Maine Route 179. It is on the property that is currently a photography and silk screen operation. The ledge is right next to the road.

The ledge is a highly metamorphosed rock (changed and folded by heat and pressure), named Ellsworth Schist. The rock type is not important, but the surface is. There are several grooves on the rock and the rock is generally smooth. The grooves are parallel, which indicates scouring by glaciers exerting pressure at the bottom of several thousand feet thick of ice.

Louis Agassiz was a professor at Harvard University, who was also recognized for his work on fish. Later, he turned his interest to glaciers. At the time, much of the features such as wide, eroded valleys and scrapings were attributed to "The Great Deluge" some time in the earth's past. However, as Agassiz traveled through Maine and other places, he pieced together evidence that glaciers, not flooding, alter landscape features. The rocks in this area were referenced in his work.

This location was included in the national register in 2003.

Street address: 406 State Street Ellsworth, ME United States of America 04605 County / Borough / Parish: Hancock Year listed: 2003 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Event Periods of significance: 1850-1874 Historic function: Landscape Current function: Landscape Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/27/2016 wildernessmama visited it