Maine island that was site of eviction of historic mixed-race community added to national register

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Associated Press

An island along the coast of Maine that was home to a mixed-race fishing community later forcibly removed by the state has been added to the National Register of Historic Places after a years-long effort. Malaga Island, a 42-acre island about a 40-mile drive up the coast from Portland, is these days a public preserve visited by hikers and nature lovers. More than a century ago, it was home to a small community that historians believe was settled by free Black Americans around the time of the Civil War. The island, located in the town of Phippsburg, was formally listed on the national register on Sept. 19, federal records state.