[OR-ing-tun] was the first town in Penobscot County, incorporated on March 21, 1788 from New Worcester Plantation, also known as China Plantation.

In the 19th century it ceded land to Brewer (1812 and 1841) and annexed land from Bucksport (1816 and 1850). United Methodist Church in North Bucksport

The first settler in the area was Colonel John Brewer in 1770 who made his home at the mouth of the Sededunkehunk Stream, now just over the line in Brewer.

The first settlers within the current borders of the town arrived in 1778.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The origin of the name Orrington has at least two versions, both of which involve random events. Either the originally desired “Orangetown” was misspelled, or the name was selected by Massachusetts authorities from a book because it sounded good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1886, George Varney, in his Gazatteer of Maine, observed,

There are many good farms in this town, and many very attractive residences. A drive along some of its roads is delightful. . . . [Orrington Great Pond] furnished at East Orrington power for a saw-mill, and a short distance below for a shingle-mill and tannery; then by successive falls, for two grist-mills and another saw-mill. . . . At [Sweets Pond] are two lumber-mills and a grist-mill. Other manufactures in the town are drain-tile, earthen-ware, churns, boots and shoes, etc.

Orrington is the only town to belong to the counties of Lincoln, Hancock, then Penobscot as those boundaries changed with the creation of new counties.

The town, on the east bank of the Penobscot River, is a suburb of the Bangor-Brewer area, showing moderate but consistent growth in recent decades.

As part of the agricultural tradition throughout Maine is the usually circular, rock walled cattle pound, often used as a site to buy and sell farm animals, and to hold wandering livestock to keep them from destroying crops.

Form of Government: Town Meeting-Select Board-Manager.

Additional sources

Chadbourne, Ava Harriet. Maine Place Names and The Peopling of its Towns.

Cox, H. Russell. History of Orrington, Maine. Brewer, Me. Cay-Bel Publishing Co.. c1988.

*Enterprise Grange No. 173

Miscellaneous Records of Orrington, Penobscot County, Maine 1798-1929. Compiled by Daivd Livingstone Swett. Rockport. Me. Picton Press. c1998. [University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections; Maine State Library]

Phillips, William J. The Education of a Town: A Study of the School System in Orrington, Maine, 1850-1900. 1973. (Thesis (M.A.) in History–University of Maine, 1973.) [University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections]

Shaw, Richard R. The Lower Penobscot River Region. Dover, N.H. Arcadia. 1996.

Varney, George J. A Gazetteer of the State of Maine. 1886. pp. 417-418.

National Register of Historic Places – Listings

Enterprise Grange, No. 173

[446 Dow Road] The Enterprise Grange, # 173 is a building which has served the community of Orrington since 1884. Built by members of the Grange, the Italianate building is outfitted with an attractive hall, complete with balcony and stage, and a spacious dining room and convenient kitchen. This made it valuable as a social and cultural facility for the residents of the town as a whole.

The town was settled in 1770 and incorporated in 1788. Population of Orrington grew steadily in the period before the Civil War reaching a peak of 1,950 inhabitants in 1860. From then until 1940 the population declined by as much as a third, but after World War II rose sharply. Historically the economy of the town focused on maritime trade and shipbuilding, milling, lumber harvesting and agriculture. It increasingly serves as a residential community for people who work in the Bangor/Brewer area.

When the Enterprise Grange was established in 1875 a high percentage of the town’s residents were engaged in agriculture.  The organization met for the first nine years at the Center School House. While the organization grew, they raised funds for their own facility. In 1877 they financed the purchase of a lot for $50, located at Orrington Center. In 1882 discussion began regarding building a hall. Over the next two years logs were locally milled into the necessary building materials. The building was completed and formally dedicated on October 30, 1884.* [Christi A. Mitchell photos]