Estcourt Gas Bar and Line Houses, Maine

Estcourt, the town at the northern tip of Maine, is more in Canada, than it is in Maine. By land, the town is only accessible from within the USA by passing through miles of private dirt roads inside the North Maine Woods, which are gated and accessed by permit only. On the Canadian side, is the larger community of more then 2,000 people, along the shores of Pohenegamook Lake. The international boundary passes through the middle of Estcourt, placing several houses and back yards in both the USA and Canada. The front doors of these “line houses” are in Canada, and the occupants are French-speaking Canadians, who reside, technically, in Pohenegamook, Quebec. The gas station is the only business on the US side, and the Ports of Entry process a nearly continuous stream of Canadians driving over the line to load up with cheap gas. It is likely the only gas station in the USA that displays its rate in Canadian dollars per liter.