Fort Fairfield, established during the Aroostook War, took its name from Governor John Fairfield. The original fort (1839-1843), a duplicate of Fort Kent, was dismantled in 1862. A replica was built in 1976. The 1875 Canadian-Pacific Railroad station is part of the Railroad Museum at the old Bangor & Aroostook rail yard. The town, in the heart of potato country, hosts the Potato Blossom Festival in July.
The Blaine House is the official residence of Maine’s governors since 1919 and a National Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located on the corner of State and Capitol streets in Augusta, it was built in the Federalist style in 1833, just a year after the State House, across the street,…
the most westerly town in Kennebec County, was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, the French nobleman who helped the Americans during the Revolution. Settled permanently beginning in 1781, it was incorporated in 1795. The town has substantial frontage on several large ponds: David, Tilton and Parker in the northeast, Echo and Lovejoy in the east, and Mosher Pond in the northwest near Twelve Corners.
From a trading center in the late 18th century, it saw rapid growth through the Civil War, largely with designation as the shire town of Franklin County, arrival of a few manufacturers, and founding of several educational institutions. It boasts a highly rated small college: the University of Maine at Farmington, near downtown. Originally the Farmington State Normal School, it was established in 1864. The town is the birthplace of renowned vocalist Lillian Nordica; the home of inventor Chester Greenwood and U.S. Representative Robert Goodenow.
On the Kennebec River just north of Gardiner, it is a residential community serving the Augusta-Gardiner capital area. Several large homes overlook the Kennebec River. See photos. West of the main street, in a suburban-rural area, it touches on Jamies Pond Wildlife Management Area at Jimmies Pond near the Outlet Road.
is in Falmouth and hosts the Baxter School for the Deaf, public reserved land, and the former summer home of Governor Percival Baxter. Approximately 100 acres, it is connected to the mainland by a causeway at the mouth of the Presumpscot River. While human influence has greatly altered the natural environment on the Mackworth Island…
In 1658, a town named Falmouth was created but was destroyed by Indians in 1689. In 1718 a town was again established. Much of the original area was later distributed to new towns: Cape Elizabeth, Portland, and Westbrook. Falmouth is a rapidly growing suburban community, having increased over 35% in population between 1990 and 2000. Percival Baxter donated Mackworth Island to the state, now a nature preserve in the town.
Fairfield Center, with its impressive church and grange hall, is at the crossroads of routes 23 & 104. The old Lawrence High School is near the veterans park with its gazebo and shade trees. See photos. In the fall, a popular destination for apples and pumpkins is The Apple Farm. Fairfield, incorporated in 1788 in Somerset County, now hosts Kennebec Valley Community College.
In 1775 the area had been the scene of Benedict Arnold’s march to Quebec. He was accompanied by Col. Timothy Bigelow, who returned to the area and for whom Bigelow Mountain is named. Eustis village in the north of the township, is on the North Branch of the Dead River and is the smaller of the two villages, the other being Stratton.
The first white people arrived in the 1770’s, making settlements along the Kennebec River. Embden Pond, in the shadow of Dunbar Hill, dominates the northwest portion of the town. The shoreline is dotted with many cottages and is active in the summer with swimming, boating, and water skiing. See photos. The town has shown consistent population growth in each of the four decades 1970-2010.
Settled in 1763, it has relied on lumbering, shipbuilding, and industry to support its economy. The classic Grand Theater has been saved as an active movie and performance space. See photos. At the confluence of seven highway routes, the city is a shopping center for the area and summer tourism. The Col. John Black Mansion, a modified Georgian design, was home to the land agent for William Bingham.
in York County, settled in the 1630s, on the east side of the Piscataqua River dividing Maine from New Hampshire, is a growing residential community serving Kittery and Portsmouth. See photos. Its population expanded by almost 12% in the 1990-2000 decade. Eliot was home to Maine’s first Quaker Meetinghouse built in 1776.
Overlooking the Sheepscot River and the Narrows at the entrance to Wiscasset Harbor, Fort Edgecomb’s tower has a 360 degree view of the water and countryside. See photos. Settlers arrived in 1744; the town incorporated in 1774. Population has more than doubling, during the decades 1970-2010.
in Penobscot County, settled 1780 and incorporated 1811, has frontage on two major ponds, Chemo and Davis and hosts Katahdin Scout Reservation, known as Camp Roosevelt. Eddington village has been known as Eddington Bend for the sharp curve in the Penobscot River.
is on Moose Island at the end of a peninsular surrounded by Cobscook Bay and Passamaquoddy Bay. See video and photos. Visited by European fishermen and traders in the 1600’s, the area was settled in 1772. A proposed oil refinery was rejected based on concerns about oil spills and environmental threats. Once a fish canning center (the first sardine cannery in the U.S. opened in 1875), the city struggles against its isolated location. The historic downtown has undergone substantial restoration.
The Great Northern Paper Mill and the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad have been keys to the economic life of Millinocket for many years. See photos. The declining employment in the paper industry contributed to the steady loss of population over the past forty years – 42%. Millinocket is the gateway to Baxter State Park and its famed Mount Katahdin.
The town, and its Burnham Tavern, was the site of anti-British plotting resulting in capturing the schooner Margaretta. The Tavern was built in 1770, the only building in eastern Maine directly connected with the American Revolution. The Washington County seat, it is located on the Machias River, the engine of its earlier lumbering and shipbuilding industries. Once a haven for pirates, and now a commercial center, it is home to the University of Maine at Machias.
The town lies primarily on the west side of Machias Bay as the Machias River enters the Bay. It offers many sheltered harbors including the well known Bucks Harbor. Machiasport was at the center of controversy in the late 1960’s when an oil terminal was proposed, unsuccessfully, for the quiet coastal community.
in Washington County, incorporated 1826. Benjamin Foster built a house here in 1765 and served in the Revolutionary War. Washington Academy, a private boarding school serving grades 9-12, was established in 1792 and is one of the oldest academies in Maine. See photos.
in Hancock County, incorporated 1837, Settled in 1800, an early settler built the first house and established its first mill. In 1886 Eastbrook had four mills – two sawmills, one producing staves, and one manufacturing shingles. It still has several historically significant buildings. See photos. Lyle Frost Wildlife Management Area offers canoeing; wildlife to be seen: eagles, deer and water birds.