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Wiscasset, Maine

Coordinates:44°00′10″N69°39′57″W/ 44.002808°N 69.665864°W/44.002808; -69.665864
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"Wiscasset" redirects here. For other uses, seeWiscasset (disambiguation).

Wiscasset
Town
Train waiting to depart in Wiscasset
Train waiting to depart in Wiscasset
Flag of Wiscasset
Flag
Official seal of Wiscasset
Seal
Nickname:
Maine's Prettiest Village
Location in Lincoln County and the state of Maine.
Location inLincoln Countyand the state ofMaine.
CountryUnited States
StateMaine
CountyLincoln County
Settled1660
Incorporated as PownalboroughFebruary 13, 1760
Incorporated as Wiscasset1802
Government
• TypeTown Manager - Board of Selectmen
•Town
Manager		Dennis Simmons
Area
[1]
• Total27.66 sq mi (71.64 km2)
• Land24.63 sq mi (63.79 km2)
• Water3.03 sq mi (7.85 km2)
Population
(2020)
• Total3,742
• Density152/sq mi (58.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)UTC-4(Eastern)
ZIP code
04578
Area code207
Websitewiscasset.org

Wiscassetis atownin and theseatofLincoln County, Maine,United States.[2]The municipality is located in the state of Maine'sMid Coastregion. The population was 3,742 as of the2020 census.[3]Home to theChewonki Foundation,Wiscasset is a tourist destination noted for early architecture and as the location ofRed's Eatsrestaurant.

History[edit]

In 1605,Samuel de Champlainis said to have landed here and exchanged gifts with theIndians.Situated on thetidalSheepscot River,Wiscasset was first settled by Europeans in 1660. The community was abandoned during theFrench and Indian Wars,and theKing Philip's Warin 1675 and then resettled around 1730. In 1760, it was incorporated as Pownalborough after Colonial GovernorThomas Pownall.In 1802, it resumed its originalAbenakiname, Wiscasset, which means "coming out from the harbor but you don't see where."[4]

During the Revolutionary War, the British warshipRainbowharbored itself in Wiscasset Harbor and held the town at bay until the town gave the warship essential supplies.

In 1775, Captain Jack Bunker supposedly robbed the payroll of a British supply ship,Falmouth Packet,that was stowed in Wiscasset Harbor. He was chased for days and caught on Little Seal Island. His treasure reportedly has never been found.

Because of the siege during the Revolutionary War,Fort Edgecombwas built in 1808 on the opposite bank of the Sheepscot to protect the town harbor. Wiscasset's prosperity left behind fine early architecture, particularly in theFederal stylewhen the seaport was important inprivateering.Two dwellings of the period, Castle Tucker and the Nickels-Sortwell House, are now museums operated byHistoric New England.

Theseaportbecame a center forshipbuilding,fishing andlumber. Wiscasset quickly became the busiest seaport north of Boston until the embargo of 1807 halted much trade with England. Most of Wiscasset's business and trade was destroyed.[4]

Maine was officially admitted as a state in 1820 with the passage of the Maine-Missouri Compromise.The town of Wiscasset was considered for the state capital, but lost the position because of its proximity to the ocean.

During the Civil War, Wiscasset had many of its residents that joined the20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment.Its regiment was commended for fighting bravely at theBattle of Gettysburg.

Rail service to Wiscasset began with theKnox and Lincoln Railroadin 1871.[5]The Knox and Lincoln was merged into theMaine Central Railroadin 1901. Prior to the completion of theCarlton Bridgeover theKennebec Riverin 1927,[6]Wiscasset was connectedto thenational rail networkby arailroad ferrycrossing.

Nickels-Sortwell House,built 1807

Wiscasset was the seaport terminal andstandard gaugeinterchange of the2-foot gaugeWiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway(WW&F). Construction began in Wiscasset in 1894. Train service began in 1895 as the Wiscasset andQuebecRailroad. By 1913, the railroad operated daily freight and passenger service 43.5 miles north toAlbionwith an 11-milefreightbranch fromWeeks MillstoNorth Vassalboro.

Passengers and freight increasingly used highway transportation afterWorld War I.Frank Winter bought the WW&F railroad about 1930 to move lumber fromBranch Millsto his schoonersHesperandLuther Little.During the early 1930s the early morning train from Albion to Wiscasset and the afternoon train back to Albion carried the last 2-foot gaugerailway post office(RPO) in the United States. A derailment of the morning train inWhitefieldon June 15, 1933, terminated railroad operations before the schooners could be loaded with lumber for shipment to larger coastal cities.[7]The two schooners were abandoned in Wiscasset shortly after Winter's premature demise in 1936, and they eventually became tourist attractions. Over the next 62 years, the weathered vessels became widely photographed as they were visible from a bridge alongU.S. 1that runs by the town. Wiscasset officials finally removed the rotted remains in 1998, after a violent storm took out the final masts.

Media[edit]

Wiscasset in literature[edit]

  • AuthorLea Waithas written an ongoing series of children's novels that are set in Wiscasset, including: Stopping to Home, set in 1806 (Named a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Children's Book); Seaward Born (1805, the setting of this book moved from Charleston, SC to Boston, MA to Wiscasset); Wintering Well (1820); Finest Kind (1838); and Uncertain Glory (1861).
  • Wiscasset is one of many important Maine settings inThe Moosepath SagabyVan Reid,an ongoing series of historical novels taking place in the late 1890s and including Cordelia Underwood, or the Marvelous Beginnings of the Moosepath League, which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In these tales of adventure and humor, events by turns perilous and comic occur in Wiscasset, including the hunt for an escaped circus bear and a pursuit and gun battle on the Sheepscott River off the shores of the town. Certain historic homes and landmarks, including the Old Jail, form part of the settings; and at least two characters — County Sheriff Charles Piper and Jailer Seth Patterson — are based on real people.

Industry[edit]

From 1972 until 1996, Wiscasset was home toMaine Yankee,apressurized water reactoron Bailey Point, and the onlynuclear power plantin the state. The Maine Yankee nuclear power plant was decommissioned in 1996 and is inoperative. Since the closing of Maine Yankee, Wiscasset faced a severe loss in jobs, residents, and public school enrollment. In a high school graduation speech delivered byBradley Whitaker,he stated, "The loss of those jobs changed our community, the surrounding towns and our school system. We've all had friends move away, our parents have had their taxes rise dramatically, enrollment has plummeted, we've watched teachers and administrators leave, programs and sports eliminated."[8]

The town attempted to replace Maine Yankee with agasificationplant in 2007, but the plan subsequently failed due to a town vote.[9]

Wiscasset was also home of the Mason Station, a coal and steam-powered plant along the Sheepscot River south of town that first went online in 1941. The plant went offline in 1991.[10]The property is currently proposed for redevelopment as a mixed-use office, light-industrial, residential and retail complex.[11]

In 2008, theChewonki Foundationannounced plans for atidal powerplant along the Sheepscot River.[12]A permit was issued by theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)in 2009.[13]The project has not yet gone forward.

Rynel Inc., founded in 1973, developed and built processing equipment and hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer products. The company was purchased byMölnlycke Health Carecompany in 2010. In Jan 2014, the company announced its expansion plans for its Wiscasset, Maine manufacturing facility.[14]

National news[edit]

Main Street (U.S. Route 1) during tourist season in 2005
Red's Eats,a famous Lobster takeout restaurant

On May 1, 1991, a small fire erupted at the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power plant. The fire emitted a substantial amount of smoke which made it seem worse than it was. A video by photographer Keith Brooks was obtained by local media and was presented onNBC Nightly News.While the fire was not a significant threat, many locals believed it was a major concern for the environment, which caused several referendums to have the nuclear plant closed.

In 2009, the town lost a legal battle to reclaim an original copy of theDeclaration of Independence[15]that was accidentally sold by the estate of the daughter of a former town official, Sol Holbrook. A Virginia court ruled the true owner was Richard L. Adams Jr., who paid$475,000(equivalent to about $800,000 in 2023) for the document in 2002. The State of Maine paid nearly $40,000 in legal fees.[15]

Red's Eats,a small takeout restaurant located by the Donald E. Davey Bridge on Route 1, has been featured in more than 20 magazines and newspapers, includingUSA TodayandNational Geographicand several major television network newscasts, includingSunday MorningonCBSand a report byBill Geist.The restaurant has been reported to be "the biggesttraffic jamin Maine. "[16]

From 1958 to 1990, Wiscasset was the home of theUnion Church,considered by theGuinness Book of World Recordsto be the world's smallest church. The church was torn down due to age; however, in April 2024 Wiscasset Speedway erected an exact replica.[17]

Geography[edit]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the town has a total area of 27.66 square miles (71.64 km2), of which 24.63 square miles (63.79 km2) is land and 3.03 square miles (7.85 km2) is water.[1]Wiscasset is drained by theSheepscot River.

Climate[edit]

Thisclimaticregion is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Wiscasset has ahumid continental climate,abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[18]

Climate data for Wiscasset, Maine (Wiscasset Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1996–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 66
(19) 		62
(17) 		85
(29) 		83
(28) 		94
(34) 		94
(34) 		98
(37) 		95
(35) 		95
(35) 		84
(29) 		73
(23) 		66
(19) 		98
(37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 32.2
(0.1) 		35.0
(1.7) 		42.6
(5.9) 		53.9
(12.2) 		64.8
(18.2) 		73.7
(23.2) 		79.4
(26.3) 		78.6
(25.9) 		70.9
(21.6) 		59.1
(15.1) 		47.9
(8.8) 		37.8
(3.2) 		56.3
(13.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5) 		24.4
(−4.2) 		32.8
(0.4) 		43.3
(6.3) 		53.6
(12.0) 		62.9
(17.2) 		68.7
(20.4) 		67.6
(19.8) 		60.0
(15.6) 		48.7
(9.3) 		38.7
(3.7) 		28.6
(−1.9) 		45.9
(7.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 12.1
(−11.1) 		13.8
(−10.1) 		23.0
(−5.0) 		32.7
(0.4) 		42.3
(5.7) 		52.0
(11.1) 		57.9
(14.4) 		56.6
(13.7) 		49.1
(9.5) 		38.4
(3.6) 		29.4
(−1.4) 		19.5
(−6.9) 		35.6
(2.0)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29) 		−21
(−29) 		−11
(−24) 		15
(−9) 		27
(−3) 		33
(1) 		45
(7) 		40
(4) 		28
(−2) 		20
(−7) 		4
(−16) 		−17
(−27) 		−21
(−29)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 3.51
(89) 		3.08
(78) 		3.77
(96) 		3.94
(100) 		3.46
(88) 		4.47
(114) 		3.44
(87) 		3.08
(78) 		4.15
(105) 		5.13
(130) 		4.45
(113) 		4.22
(107) 		46.70
(1,186)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 11.6 10.5 11.2 11.7 13.3 14.2 12.7 12.7 11.8 13.2 11.9 12.3 147.1
Source:NOAA[19][20]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17902,055—
18001,678−18.3%
18102,08324.1%
18202,1382.6%
18302,2555.5%
18402,3142.6%
18502,3320.8%
18602,318−0.6%
18701,977−14.7%
18801,847−6.6%
18901,733−6.2%
19001,273−26.5%
19101,2871.1%
19201,192−7.4%
19301,186−0.5%
19401,2313.8%
19501,58428.7%
19601,80013.6%
19702,24424.7%
19802,83226.2%
19903,33917.9%
20003,6037.9%
20103,7323.6%
20203,7420.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[21]
See also:Wiscasset (CDP), Maine

2010 census[edit]

As of the census[22]of 2010, there were 3,732 people, 1,520 households, and 993 families living in the town. The population density was 151.5 inhabitants per square mile (58.5/km2). There were 1,782 housing units at an average density of 72.4 per square mile (28.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.8%White,0.5%African American,0.4%Native American,0.9%Asian,0.1% fromother races,and 1.4% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 1,520 households, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.79.

The median age in the town was 43.5 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 31.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.

2000 census[edit]

Per the census[23]of 2000, there were 3,603 people, 1,472 households, and 972 families living in the town. The population density was 146.5 inhabitants per square mile (56.6/km2). There were 1,612 housing units at an average density of 65.6 per square mile (25.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.00%White,0.31%BlackorAfrican American,0.17%Native American,0.50%Asian,0.31% fromother races,and 0.72% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 0.67% of the population.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,378, and the median income for a family was $46,799. Males had a median income of $31,365 versus $21,831 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,233. About 6.9% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest[edit]

Old Academy in 1936

Notable people[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"US Gazetteer files 2010".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 16,2012.
  2. ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
  3. ^"Census - Geography Profile: Wiscasset town, Lincoln County, Maine".RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  4. ^abCoolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859).A History and Description of New England.Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. pp.364–367.coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
  5. ^Varney, George J. (1886),Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Wiscasset,Boston: Russell
  6. ^Peters, Bradley L. (1976).Maine Central Railroad Company.Maine Central Railroad.
  7. ^Jones, Robert C. & Register, David L. (1987).Two Feet to Tidewater The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway.Pruett Publishing Company.
  8. ^Ethan Whitaker (August 22, 2010)."Wiscasset High School - Senior Essay".RetrievedApril 18,2018– via YouTube.
  9. ^"Wiscasset turns down energy project (coal gasification/liquefaction plant, Maine) - Democratic Underground".
  10. ^"History of CENTRAL MAINE POWER – FundingUniverse".fundinguniverse.RetrievedApril 18,2018.
  11. ^"Possible Mason Station abatement".boothbayregister.RetrievedApril 18,2018.
  12. ^"Coastal Journal - Portland Press Herald".
  13. ^Stothart Connor, Betta (June 9, 2009)."Tidal Power Gets Initial Green Light in Town of Wiscasset".RetrievedApril 11,2014.
  14. ^"Mölnlycke Health Care expands Wiscasset manufacturing site".January 15, 2014.RetrievedApril 11,2014.
  15. ^abGoodnough, Abby (December 11, 2007)."A Tug of War Over a Declaration of Independence".The New York Times.
  16. ^"red's eats - Yahoo Search Results".search.yahoo.RetrievedApril 18,2018.
  17. ^Speedway, Wiscasset (April 22, 2024)."The story behind Wiscasset Speedway's newest addition".RetrievedMay 4,2024.
  18. ^"Wiscasset, Maine Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".Weatherbase.RetrievedApril 18,2018.
  19. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMay 23,2021.
  20. ^ "Station: Wiscasset AP, ME".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMay 23,2021.
  21. ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
  22. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 16,2012.
  23. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  24. ^"Polewarczyk Edward – Maine House Republicans".mainehousegop.org.RetrievedMarch 28,2024.

Further reading[edit]

  • Jones, Robert C. & Register, David L. (1987).Two Feet to Tidewater The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway.Pruett Publishing Company.
  • Moody, Linwood W. (1959).The Maine Two-Footers.Howell-North.
  • Barney, Peter S. (1986).The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway: A Technical and Pictorial Review.A&M Publishing.
  • Wiggin, Ruth Crosby (1971).Big Dreams and Little Wheels.Ruth Crosby Wiggin.
  • Wiggin, Ruth Crosby (1964).Albion on the Narrow Gauge.Ruth Crosby Wiggin.
  • Thurlow, Clinton F. (1964).The Weeks Mills "Y" of the Two-Footer.Clinton F. Thurlow.
  • Thurlow, Clinton F. (1964).The WW&F Two-Footer Hail and Farewell.Clinton F. Thurlow.
  • Thurlow, Clinton F. (1965).Over the Rails by Steam (A Railroad Scrapbook).Clinton F. Thurlow.
  • Railroad Commissioners' Report.State of Maine. 1914 [1895].
  • Wright, Virginia. "What About Wiscasset?".Down East: The Magazine of Maine(August 2010).
  • Cronk, Debbie Gagnon & Virginia Wright (2010).Red's Eats: World's Best Lobster Shack.Down East Books.

External links[edit]

Wikisourcehas the text of the 1879American CyclopædiaarticleWiscasset.

44°00′10″N69°39′57″W/ 44.002808°N 69.665864°W/44.002808; -69.665864

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