Maine’s First Ship strives to use our reconstruction of the 1607 pinnace Virginia to immerse the public in an exploration of the region’s early history, craftsmanship, and relationships, and their impact on our community and environment today.

Virginia was the first English ocean-going vessel built in the Americas. Our reconstruction is being done by volunteers in and around the Bath Freight Shed in Bath Maine. The Freight Shed is about 10 miles north of the Popham Colony site, which was located in what is now Phippsburg Maine at the mouth of the Kennebec River. We maintain the Bath Freight Shed as a museum, for shipbuilding, and as a community center.

Some of our volunteers work on the construction of Virginia and its rigging, others work as docents at the Visitor Center, others work on educational and community programs. 

You can sign up to receive Maine’s First Ship newsletter, or look here to see back issues. We would love you to become a member of Maine’s First Ship. Virginia launced in June 2022 but we continue our construction as we move on to our operational phase