The front door of the Knowlton- Pillsbury House faces West on tree-
lined High Street, about two blocks north of the landmark town
libary. The shore of Penobscot Bay lies about 400 yards to the east,
with the view shaded by deciduous trees in the summer. Private
homes, with classic but varied styles of New England colonial
architecture adjoin all sides of the property.
One approaches the sentry- box entrance down a stone path and
alights in a spacious foyer with a classic, wooden staircase leading
to the second floor.
The main gable houses a spacious family room, which is comfortably
furnished, including a 32-inch television and the usual
accoutrements. From the picture window one looks onto the garden.
The two front windows encase a nineteenth- century parlor, now used
as a formal dining room with seating area. An antique tapestry
adorns the north wall.
A cozy bedroom, with double bed, lies aside the family room -- ideal
for seniors who need to maintain their activity on one floor level.
Upstairs, to the front, lies the master bedroom, with adjacent full
bath with claw-foot tub. This room is charmingly decorated in
period antiques, wall stencilings and coordinated bedcoverings.
To the rear, overlooking the English garden, lies an equally
charming guest room with matching Eastlake period furnishings.
The secondary gable houses the service area, breakfast nook and a
full bath with tub/ shower, downstairs. The modern, updated country
kitchen features an island sink, and is fully equipped with gas
range and cooktop, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator/ freezer,
washer and dryer.
Also upstairs lies the spacious quarters, with a double bed, closet,
seating area, and full kitchen with breakfast nook. This kitchen,
as well, is fully stocked with range, refrigerator and microwave,
and a little milk-paint table rescued from a Vermont barn adds a
rustic touch. The quarters include a full bath with tub/shower --
just right for the master of the house (or the kids).

From the front door of the Knowlton-Pillsbury House, we begin our
stroll down High Street toward the Camden village center, which,
though a scant five minutes away, holds enchantment of the loveliest
of New England townscapes as we pass along the route.
Right across our street, a white picket fence delineates a 200-
year-old stately Georgian that presides timelessly at the top of the
knoll, Mount Battie rising behind it in the background. Charming bed-
and-breakfasts occasionally are interspersed among the family homes
in the High Street Historical District.
A few doors down, our favorite B&B of them all is the Maine Stay,
which epitomizes its tellingly descriptive name.
There are several other b&b's, each of them somehow unique, along
our route.
For instance, there's the venerable Whitehall Inn, our favorite
place to walk over and have an evening's libation in the confines of
a clubby, friendly colonial parlor. This, indeed, is the famous
small hotel where Camden's most famous native, the poet Edna Saint
Vincent Millay, was discovered by New York literati. The room
where she introduced her renowned poem "Renascence" is right off the
main corridor. Come evenings, the lawn of the inn is dotted with
children playing croquet, while the grownups recreate at an even
more leisurely pace.
Down the road a bit lies one of the more striking structures on the
Maine Coast, the imposing chateau known as Norumbega, the summer
home to a succession of dignitaries over the years, now a bed-and-
breakfast inn open to all.
Crossing a bridge over a small brook, we begin the descent to the
village center and the harbor's edge, the white church steeple
pointing the way, as if it were stuck like a huge pin to hold down
this beautiful New England coastal town just the way we knew such
things as children. The water's edge is now to our left, just
beyond the library, with the heart of the village, including
charming and interesting shops of every description, just ahead.
Practically every property holds a pleasant surprise for those who
appreciate New England colonial architecture. Here, for instance,
is a classic, 1805 Cape Cod -- but made of brick! -- and with
embellish- ments added at different periods down through the years.
One may see some- thing new and interesting every time one walks
past classic structures such as these -- even if every day!
Soon we encounter the town's most recognizable, if not its most
imposing, landmark -- the community library erected in 1926 by the
Bok family, long-time Camden benefactors.

Inside the library, one encounters a slice of small town life, with
elderly readers thumbing through newspapers while gaggles of small
children are engaged noisily in the getting of knowledge -- all
amongst a setting of model ships, historical photographs and
interior decor that sends one back to a quieter, easier time.
And suddenly, one can now get a view of the famous Camden Harbor,
just as it plays out among the bustle, little dinghy yacht tenders
alongside breathtakingly beautiful antique windjammers. The harbor
itself is framed by various enterprises, some bustling, some
bucolic.
Behind the library is the town's open-air amphitheatre, recently
made a familiar place by the Croatian choir scene in the movie, "In
the Bedroom." But our favorite movie views of Camden come from a
film made in an earlier time -- one that captured the visage of
Camden exactly as it was 45 years ago, and pretty much as it still
is. That movie was more than a little unfair to the good citizens of
Camden, though -- for Camden is certainly no "Peyton Place."
On the town side, little quays reveal interesting little specialty
shops of all sorts, while on Main Street, beyond the Civil War
monument, lie restaurants and the busy stores of the town, braced
shoulder to shoulder and ready to charm those from "Away" in summer
and fall, but also to perform yeoman service for the year- round
residents of the area once the frost comes and the bustle of summer
fades away.
But we've made this walk with a purpose; and have now concluded our
business at French and Brawn, once the town general store but now a
gourmet grocery from which Dean and DeLuca could take pointers.
We've got our Pinot, our fruit, cheese, and fresh bread -- and we
really must head back home to 37 High Street!