I used to live in Limerick, Maine and every summer 1-2 of these nasty creatures would show up on the side of the house. They ran really fast, and were black/brown in color. The abdomen was much bigger than a quarter. They were much bigger than anything I've ever seen. We've searched the entire internet and haven't found anything like it.
**The picture is in black and white, so the coloration isn't visible.
This is a fishing/dock spider (family Pisauridae) in the genus Dolomedes; likely the dark fishing spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus. Large specimens are capable of inflicting a painful (but not dangerous) bite if mishandled, but they are not aggressive and usually try to flee when approached. See http://tinyurl.com/mfgda6 for more detailed information.
