[DAY-tun] is a York County town, settled in 1753 and incorporated on April 7, 1854 from a part of Hollis.

The population in 1880 was 592, virtually the same as in 1970 before the recent population explosion.

Dayton Village stands at the crossroads of Routes 5 and 35 in the northwest of the town; Goodwins Mills Village is in the southwest.

The Saco River forms the eastern boundary with Buxton and Saco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dayton, with a population increase of over 50 percent in the 1990-2000 decade, is a rapidly growing residential community adjacent to the Biddeford-Saco area.

That change may be illustrated by the switch from the old frame building that once held the town offices to the new, solar paneled modern building.

The 600-acre  Harris Farm on the Buzzell Road is a self-described eco-friendly, sustainable operation.   In winter it doubles as a cross-country ski center.

George Varney made these observations on the local economy in 1886:

Its principal business centres are Goodwin’s Mills, at the south-west, and Union Falls, on the Saco [River].

There are two saw-mills on Cook’s Brook; at Goodwin’s Mills in the south-west part of the town are a grist, lumber, shingle, clapboard and stave mill. . . .

The soil is good, yielding remunerative crops of grass, while fruits thrive well. Hat, oats, potatoes, apples, neat stock and dairy products are marketed in considerable quantities in Saco and Biddeford, the adjacent cities.

As with many early communities, the availability of water power was a major attraction to power grist mills, saw mills and other activities.

One dam (below right) has been preserved at the end of Waterhouse Road near the town line with Lyman.

One of the visible changes in southern Maine is the growing popularity of recreational horse ownership where once work horses reigned supreme.

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Form of Government:

Town Meeting-Select Board.

Additional resources

Dayton Maine Historical Committee. 100th Anniversary Dayton, Maine. 1954. (Gorham, Me. H. F. Bent. Printer)

Hill, Virgil Howard. Diaries, 1902-1956. (Cataloger Note: Diaries for most years from 1902 to 1956 recording the activities of Virgil Howard Hill and his wife Margaret C. Hill. They detail both business, family and personal matters; many entries record prices paid for items or amounts received by the Hills for goods and services. The Hills were farmers in Dayton, Maine. Both also did work for hire such as logging, hauling ice and sewing.) [University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections]

*Maine. Historic Preservation Commission. Augusta, Me.   Text and photos from National Register of Historic Places, Foss, Levi, House: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/nrhp/text/84001550.PDF and http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/nrhp/photos/84001550.PDF

National Register of Historic Places – Listings

Foss, Levi, House

[Maine Route 35 Goodwins Mills, in Dayton and Lyman] The Levi Foss House is a fine example of an early 19th century extended farmhouse. Built in a traditional local plan, this timber frame farmhouse includes an attached shed and barn.  Although there is some evidence that at least part of the ell may be older than the main house, the approximate date for the house is about 1815.

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A distinguishing feature is that, while it was built during the period when Federal architectural features were popular, within a very short time after its construction the interior was remodeled in a very high style Greek Revival style.

Also unusual in a Cape is the pedimented front entry, evidently also dating from the period of the Greek Revival alterations. Greek Revival style woodwork predominates throughout this extended farmhouse. Fortunately the delicate Federal staircase remains as evidence of the earlier tradition.

Except for the addition of modern conveniences, the house seems to have undergone little change in the past 150 years (to 1983) and has been freshened by interior paint and paper, which have been applied in a careful and proper restoration.* [Frank A. Beard photos]

(See more at Lyman)

Additional resources

“NPGallery Digital Asset Search.”

https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/50240267-5012-4588-89a1-1cbd5b3fec82

(accessed March 10, 2020)