Cross Lake Township

Cross Lake with Cottages (2018)

Cross Lake Township, In Aroostook County is, not surprisingly, named for the long lake in its southwestern quarter. Maine Route 161 from Madawaska to Fort Kent slices diagonally across the township. Route 162 branches northeast along Long Lake to St. Agatha. Ouelette and Guerette are the two principal villages. The township is largely a rural…

Herseytown Township

Mount Katahdin from Herseytown (2012)

Herseytown Township should not be confused with the town of Hersey about 25 miles north on Route 11 in Penobscot County. Davidson, the only village in the township, was in the north at Davidson Pond on the Davidson Road off Route 11. A 1942 USGS Topographic map shows Davidson with several buildings (small squares). Other…

York

1787-1794 John Hancock Warehouse and Wharf in York (2018)

Most of the town’s inhabitants are located between U.S. Route 1 (inland) and U.S. Route 1A which runs along the coast. Its population has more than doubled in the past thirty years, and grew by nearly 31 percent between 1990 and 2000. Beaches and cottages characterize the coast.

Yarmouth

Yarmouth is a coastal town northeast of Portland on I-295 and U.S. Route 1. See photos. It is home to the Delorme Mapping Company and North Yarmouth Academy. Cousin’s Island is home to a large, oil fueled electric power plant known as Wyman Station. The Island has ferry terminal for Chebeague Island.

Wells

Cottages along Wells Beach (2012)

in York County north of Ogunquit, Wells Main Street is a commercial strip, hosting some community facilities, including the Junior High and the Historical Society. See photos. Wells Beach is a destination for locals and tourists alike. In 2004 the town estimated its peak summer population at about 39,000, including seasonal homes, lodging houses, and recreational vehicle parks. That is four times the resident population.

Wayne

has been characterized as “composed primarily of residences, small farms, seasonal and vacation homes, and limited retail and commercial development.” See photos. The main village lies between Pocasset Lake and Androscoggin Lake on Maine Route 133. Other substantial ponds add to the town’s recreational attractions.

Wales

Rolling Hills in Rural Wales (2002)

The early settlers arrived in about 1773, some of whom came from Wales in Britain. See photos.The gentle hills in the town reflect the landscape of the old country. With access to Sabattus Pond, the town is within easy reach of Lewiston-Auburn via Maine Route 132, and of Gardiner by way of Routes 9 and 126.

Troy

Classic Barn in Troy (2006)

Maine Route 220 joins U.S. Route 202/Maine Route 9 at Green’s Corner near the shore of Unity Pond. Carleton Pond, Bog, and Stream are accessible from Route 220 in the north end of town. The 1840 Troy Union Meeting House is a classic example of a type of meeting house or church in Maine in the four decades prior to the Civil War.

Smithfield

A summer recreational center, it hosts the bulk of two of the Belgrade Lakes: North Pond and East Pond. East Pond is home to several summer camps for young people, some that cater to adults, and some that are individually owned summer cottages. See photos. The main village is on the eastern shore of North Pond, where a sandy beach attracts area residents and summer visitors.

Sidney

Bounded by the Kennebec on the east and Messalonskee Lake (the modern name for Snow’s Pond) on much of the west, Sidney is located between Augusta and Waterville. See photos. Sidney Bog is located in the southeastern corner of the town.

Raymond

Jordan Bay across Wetlands in Raymond (2003)

The main village is located at the head of the large, well protected, Jordan Bay on the shore of Sebago Lake. Adjacent Raymond Neck extends over four miles into the Lake to form the Bay. Raymond’s “welcome” sign entices fishing enthusiasts to the “Home of the Landlocked Salmon,” which inhabit the lake. Nathaniel Hawthorne spent summers at his mother’s home.

Pownal

Location Map for Portland

Bradbury Mountain State Park offers picnicking, a modest walk to the summit, and a historic cattle pound. See video and photos. “Pineland Center ” is a community of non-profits and local businesses. Most of the town is rural residential, with homes and a few farmhouses widely spaced along the local roads. The few commercial establishments are clustered in Pownal Center Village.

Paris

1856 Paris Hill Academy Building (2019)

The Paris Hill neighborhood has several architecturally interesting old homes, while South Paris has been the industrial and manufacturing center. See photos. On the Stearns Hill Road the old Hungry Hollow schoolhouse sits on a small plot. South Paris village, split by the Little Androscoggin River, is the main population center and is half of the Norway-South Paris community.

Montville

The town seems a series of “corners” villages on Maine Route 220 from north to south: Poland’s, Bean’s, White’s, McFarland’s, and Clark’s. See photos. The Frye Mountain (Gene Letourneau) Wildlife Management Area is located in the northeast corner of the town near Poland’s Corner village. This growing community is easily linked to Belfast and Augusta via Maine Route 3.

Masardis

Railroad Crossing in Masardis near Fraser Timber Mill on Route 11 (2015)

The Aroostook River flows northward through the middle of the township and by the village of Masardis. The small Pollard Flat Wildlife Management Area lies on the west bank of the river north of the village. A boat launch provides access to Scopan (formerly Squa Pan) Lake. Most of the Lake is in adjoining Scopan Township.

Manchester

Still a basically rural community, Manchester has maintained its old 1793 North Manchester Meetinghouse. It also features a sustainable forestry project within a few hundred yards of the Meetinghouse on Scribner Hill Road. A suburb of Augusta, the town has substantial frontage on the northern half Cobbosseecontee Lake.

Hope

Located just northwest of Camden on Maine Routes 105 and 235, Hope has a cluster of lakes and ponds attractive to summer vacationers. See photos. The town’s population has more than tripled since 1970, and in the 2000-2010 decade continued growing by over 17 percent. The town hosts at least one extensive orchard featuring apples and pears, among other products.

Hodgdon

Panoramic View from Hidden Spring Winery in Hodgdon (2019)

a farming community, lies just south of Houlton on U.S. 1 where the South Branch of the Meduxnekeag River flows north to an eventual outlet in Canada. See photos. Most of the Lt. Gordon Manuel Wildlife Management Area, including the related dam and the Hodgdon Deadwater, lies in the southwestern portion of Hodgdon.

Hermon

Dysart

Now a growing suburb of Bangor, it lies just west of the city on U.S. Route 2 and Maine Route 100. See photo. Hermon hosts the Northern Maine Junction rail yard in its southeast corner along U.S. Route 2. The property has been used for maintenance, refueling, and railcar classification since 1905.

Hartford

Lake Anasagunticook on Main Street (Route 140) in northern Hartford is surrounded by seasonal and year-round houses. See photos. Church Street, an extension of Staples Hill Road in Canton, is a rural road with farms, the old school and community church, with access to the southern shore of the Lake. The area was first settled by Edmund Irish in 1788. The J&) Irish Museum is on Route 140.