Located on an island on Ambajejus Lake, the Ambajejus Boomhouse should be accessed by boat.
The Ambajejus Boomhouse has been on the National Register of Historic Places for forty years.
It sits on an island at the point where the West Branch of the Penobscot River empties into Ambajejus Lake. In 1907, Great Northern Paper moved the building to the island in three pieces across 13 miles of ice. It is a one and a half story frame building with a bunk room for 14 men. It was used to house the Booming Crews until 1971.
There is evidence of an earlier boom house near this location. The Penobscot Boom, written in 1931, tells of a charter granted to the West Branch Boom Company in 1835 to create a boom where the West Branch empties into the head of Ambajejus Lake. A boom house was built at this location and considered one of the early landmarks.
Prior to the formation of the West Branch Historical Preservation Committee, the building was carefully restored and maintained by Chuck Harris, our Curator / Caretaker. The Building and the artifacts in it impart a feel for the conditions in which the men lived and worked in the early days.
BOOMHOUSE INTERIOR
The Museum is open daily to the public from May 15 to September 15. Admission is free - donations are appreciated.
Directions: The Ambajejus Boomhouse is accessible by water. From the Golden Rd at mile marker 11, turn onto the Grant Brook Rd. Launch a canoe, kayak or small boat at the Grant Brook Bridge. You can launch a larger boat from the Brookfield public landing at Ambajejus Lake, across from the North Woods Trading Post.
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