Lewiston, Maine
Encyclopedia
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County
in Maine
, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census
. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area
and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area, which as of 2006 census estimates has a combined population of 107,552. It is also part of the extended Portland
-Lewiston-South Portland
, Maine combined statistical area
, which has a combined population 621,219 as of 2006 estimates.
A former industrial center, it is located in south-central Maine, at the falls
of the Androscoggin River
, across from Auburn
. Lewiston and Auburn are often considered a single entity and referred to as Lewiston-Auburn, which is colloquially abbreviated as L-A or L/A, and have a combined population of 59,647 people. Together, Lewiston-Auburn is somewhat smaller than Maine's largest city, Portland
(excluding its own suburbs). Lewiston is home to Bates College
, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the University of Southern Maine
's Lewiston-Auburn College, and two significant regional general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center
.
, relocated to St. Francis (now Odanak), Canada
, destroyed by Rogers' Rangers
in 1759.
A grant comprising the area of Lewiston was given to Moses Little and Jonathan Bagley, members of the Pejepscot Proprieters, on January 28, 1768 on the condition that fifty families lived in the area before June 1, 1774. Bagley and Little named the new town Lewistown. Paul Hildreth was the first man to settle in Lewiston in the fall of 1770. By 1795, Lewiston was officially incorporated as a town. At least four houses that have survived from this period are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
King Avenue and Ralph Avenue were named after Ralph Luthor King, who owned the land located near the fairgrounds. Elliott Avenue was named after his wife, Grace O. Elliott, whose son eventually built the family home at 40 Wellman Street.
In 1809, Michael Little built a large wooden sawmill next to the falls. Burned in 1814 by an arson
ist, it was later rebuilt. In 1836, local entrepreneurs — predominantly the Little family and friends — formed the Androscoggin Falls Dam
, Lock & Canal
Company:
Later reorganized as the Lewiston Water Power Company, the sales of stock attracted Boston
investors — including Thomas J. Hill, Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward, Alexander De Witt
, and Benjamin E. Bates
(namesake of the Bates Mill
and Bates College
) – who financed a canal
system and several textile
mills
on the Androscoggin River
. This began the transformation from a small farming town into a textile manufacturing center on the model of Lowell, Massachusetts
. The Bates Mill
remained the largest employer in Lewiston from the 1850s to the mid-late 20th century.
In 1853, the Grand Trunk Railway
was built, connecting Maine to the St. Lawrence River, Montreal
, and the Canadian Maritimes, and making Portland
the winter port for Canadian trade. Subsequently, trains connected Quebec
with Lewiston on a daily schedule. During the Civil War
, the high demand for textiles helped Lewiston develop a strong industrial base. In 1860, a flood of French-Canadian immigration into Maine began, spawned by industrial work opportunities in Maine cities with water power from waterfalls. This brought a significant influx of Québécois
millworkers that replaced the former Yankee millgirls. Lewiston's population boomed between 1840 to 1890 from 1,801 to 21,701. Canadiens settled in an area downtown that became known as Little Canada, and Lewiston's character has remained largely Franco-American
ever since.
In 1855, The Maine State Seminary in Lewiston, now Bates College
, was incorporated. During this time, in 1863, Lewiston was incorporated as a city. In 1872, St. Peter's church was built in Lewiston. This was the first French national church in Maine. In 1880, Le Messager
, a French language newspaper, began printing in Lewiston to serve its predominant ethnic population.
The local Kora Shrine
was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in a Masonic temple
on Lisbon Street. This group would from 1908 to 1910 build the Kora Temple
on Sabattus Street, the largest home of a fraternal organization in the state. Architect George M. Coombs
designed this Moorish
style structure.
City leaders decided to build a cathedral in which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
could relocate. Construction of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul began in 1905 and ended in 1938, mostly funded through thousands of small donations from Lewiston residents. It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Maine, and Lewiston's most prominent landmark. While the Diocese of Portland did not relocate to Lewiston, the church nevertheless became a basilica
in 2004. It is one of the few American basilicas located outside of a major metropolitan area.
, Manchester, New Hampshire
, Waterbury, Connecticut
, and Fall River
, Haverhill
, Lawrence
and Lowell, Massachusetts
began to decline. Businesses began moving to the South
due to lower costs of power from more modern technologies (Lewiston's water wheel
technology gave way to hydroelectricity
, cheaper transportation (as most cotton and materials came from the South), and cheaper labor.
Starting in the late 1950s, many of Lewiston's textile mills began closing. This gradually led to a run-down and abandoned downtown area. Chain stores previously located downtown—Woolworth's
, W. T. Grant
, S. S. Kresge
, JC Penney and Sears Roebuck—shut their doors or moved to malls on the outskirts of Lewiston or Auburn. The city's flagship department store, the four-story B. Peck & Co., closed after more than a century in business in 1982. As businesses and jobs began to leave the city, people followed. The population stopped increasing at its previous rate and began to slowly decline after 1970, then at a greater rate in the 1990s.
. Because the city took over the complex in 1992 after back taxes went unpaid, years of taxpayer frustration in the city's need to maintain the 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) behemoth led to two referenda (one non-binding vote, the other binding). Voters soundly supported the need to pursue redevelopment by maintaining the property and selling it to private developers. In 2001, the city sold three mill buildings to local developers. Platz Associates, then in 2003, sold the Bates Mill Complex, with the exception of Mill 5 and a small support building. For the next four years, a number of business enterprises flourished after Platz redeveloped the mill building. The Bates Mill complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December, 2010.
In May 2004, the city of Lewiston announced a plan for urban renewal
near its downtown area. The plan is to demolish several blocks of 19th-century millworker housing, lay new streets with updated infrastructure, construct more owner-occupied, lower-density housing, and build a boulevard through one neighborhood using federal Community Development Block Grant
funds provided over a period of ten years. Many residents of the affected neighborhoods felt that the plan was initially announced with very little input from them. They formed a neighborhood group called "The Visible Community", which has since been actively involved in the planning process, which has resulted has been cooperation between neighbors and city officials to redesign Kennedy Park
, including input on the location of new basketball courts, and feedback regarding creation of the largest all-concrete skate park in Maine.
Downtown is now home to a new headquarters for Oxford Networks, along with a $20 million upgrade in local fiber-optics, a new auto parts store, a campus for Andover College
, the headquarters for Northeast Bank
, a parking garage, and the newly renovated Maine Supply Co. building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. That facility is now called the Business Service Center at Key Bank
Plaza, and is home to the local Chamber of Commerce
, the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, and an innovative arrangement with a number of business service providers.
The area's renaissance has gained local, regional, and national recognition. In 2002 and again in 2006, the L-A area led the state in economic development activity, according to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's list of business investments and expansions. In a 2006 KPMG International study measuring the cost of locating and maintaining a business, Lewiston ranked first among the New England communities analyzed, and finished 24th out of 49 U.S. communities analyzed.
Lewiston also earned a 2007 All-America City Award
designation by the National Civic League
. The national competition "recognizes communities whose residents work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve measurable, uncommon results." Only 10 cities are selected as All-America Cities each year. Lewiston was the first Maine city to earn the distinction since Auburn
in 1967.
minority ethnic group in Somalia to select cities throughout the United States. Most of the early arrivals in the United States settled in Clarkston
, Georgia
, a city adjacent to Atlanta
. However, they were mostly assigned to low rent, poverty-stricken inner city areas, so many began to look to resettle elsewhere in the U.S.
Word soon spread that Lewiston had a low crime rate, good schools and cheap housing. Somalis subsequently began a secondary migration from other states to the former mill town, and after 2005, many Bantus followed suit.
In October 2002, then-Mayor
Laurier T. Raymond wrote an open letter
addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that they discourage further relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered some persons and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the immigrants' presence and those who opposed it.
In January 2003, a small white supremacist group demonstrated in Lewiston in support of what they believed the mayor meant, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration at Bates College
and the organization of the "Many and One Coalition". The mayor was out of state on the day of the rallies, while governor John Baldacci
and other officials attended.
In August 2010, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown Lewiston by opening dozens of shops in previously closed storefronts. Amicable relations were also reported by the local merchants of French-Canadian descent and the Somali storekeepers.
, the city has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.2 km²), of which, 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (3.13%) is water. Lewiston is drained by the Androscoggin River
, which is located on its western border. Lewiston is bordered by the city of Auburn beyond the river, and the towns of Greene
, Sabattus
, and Lisbon
. It is located between Portland
, the state's biggest city and cultural center, and the state capital of Augusta
.
Webster Street neighborhood
Consisting mostly of suburban mid-income housing, this neighborhood runs in between Lisbon Street and Webster street, and East Ave, and Alfred Plourde Parkway. Schools that serve this neighborhood are Farwell Elementary, Martel Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston High School.
Pond Road neighborhood
This neighborhood is bounded by the triangle formed by Pond Road, Randall Road, and Sabattus Street(Route 126). This neighborhood is mostly mid-income suburban residential. The schools that serve this area is McMahon Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston high School.
The downtown shuttle is the only line that requires no fare at all. It runs through the downtown of both Lewiston and Auburn. The Citylink's station is located in Auburn. Its maintains only one line that goes into Lisbon. The Citylink services on average approximately 235,000 people a year.
Although the city is serviced by an airport, most people use the Portland International Jetport
for commercial flights in and out of the state.
is an event that is held one weekend in August every year. The Festival includes launching of balloons, games, and carnival rides. The launch sites take place at several open parks on the Lewiston-Auburn Androscoggin Riverfront. People come from all around the country and Canada to see the festivities. It is said to be the city's biggest annual event.
.
in between the twin cities. The fireworks are launched in West Pitch Park in Auburn. Major viewpoints of the fireworks are Veterans Park, railroad Park, Mardens parking lot in Lewiston, and Great Falls Plaza in Auburn.
, in a run/walk and cycling fundraiser for cancer research. In its opening year the event raised over one million dollars. The event has attracted famous athletes from all around including participants in the Tour de France
. All the proceeds go to the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope at the Central Maine Medical Center.
and WCSH
both have local bureaux in Lewiston, located across the street from each other on Main Street.
(formerly known as the Central Maine Civic Center). The Lewiston Maineiacs
, the only American team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
played their first season in 2003-2004 and dissolved the team after the 2010-2011 season. The Colisée is also the home to the state Class A and Class B high school hockey championships each year. The city as a whole is known for its strong passion for the game of hockey, likely related to its French American
heritage. Two Lewiston schools, Lewiston High School and St. Dominic Regional High School
(now located in Auburn), combine for over half of the state class A high school hockey championships in the state's history.
In 1965, Lewiston was the site of a Muhammad Ali
--Sonny Liston
heavyweight title fight. Only 2,434 fans were present at The Lewiston Colisee, which set the all-time record for the lowest attendance for a boxing
heavyweight championship fight. The fight was the scene of the famous photograph of Ali standing over Liston taunting him with his glove.
team that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
(QMJHL)/la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec (LHJMQ). The Maineiacs moved to Lewiston in 2003 from Sherbrooke, Quebec and are the only team in the QMJHL located in the United States. They play their home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston. In 2006-2007, the Maineiacs won the Jean Rougeau Trophy
for having the best record in the QMJHL, won the President's Cup
as QMJHL playoff champion, and represented the league at the 2007 Memorial Cup
. Several Maineiacs alumni have played in the National Hockey League
, including Jaroslav Halák
, Jonathan Bernier
, David Perron
, and Alexandre Picard
.
The city is also home to Bates College
, one of the most prestigious small colleges in the country.
of 2000, there were 35,690 people, 15,290 households, and 8,654 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,047.0 people per square mile (404.2/km²). There were 16,470 housing units at an average density of 483.2 per square mile (186.5/km²). The racial makeup was 95.75% White, 1.07% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races
, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
People of French descent are by far the most represented ethnic group in Lewiston, with 29.4% being of French-American descent and 18.3% French (the two are listed as separate categories in the census). Following French are Irish
at 10.2% and English
at 9.9%.
There were 15,290 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,191, and the median income for a family was $40,061. Males had a median income of $30,095 versus $21,810 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,905. About 10% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Language
From Modern Language Association Data Center
Voter registration
Androscoggin County, Maine
Androscoggin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the county's population was 107,702. Its county seat is Auburn...
in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area
New England City and Town Area
A New England City and Town Area or NECTA is a geographic and statistical entity defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, for use in describing aspects of the New England region of the United States...
and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area, which as of 2006 census estimates has a combined population of 107,552. It is also part of the extended Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
-Lewiston-South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
, Maine combined statistical area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
, which has a combined population 621,219 as of 2006 estimates.
A former industrial center, it is located in south-central Maine, at the falls
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
of the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
, across from Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
. Lewiston and Auburn are often considered a single entity and referred to as Lewiston-Auburn, which is colloquially abbreviated as L-A or L/A, and have a combined population of 59,647 people. Together, Lewiston-Auburn is somewhat smaller than Maine's largest city, Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
(excluding its own suburbs). Lewiston is home to Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Maine
The University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...
's Lewiston-Auburn College, and two significant regional general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center
Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center (Maine)
Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center is a hospital at 45 Golder Street in Lewiston, Maine adjacent to Bates College.-History:The original late-Gothic style hospital building was built in 1902 and added to the National Historic Register in 1987. The hospital was founded in June 1888 by the Sisters...
.
Early period
The Lewiston area was formerly inhabited by peoples of the Androscoggin (or Arosaguntacook) tribe. The Androscoggins were a sub-tribe of the Abenaki nation. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William's WarKing William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
, relocated to St. Francis (now Odanak), Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, destroyed by Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
in 1759.
A grant comprising the area of Lewiston was given to Moses Little and Jonathan Bagley, members of the Pejepscot Proprieters, on January 28, 1768 on the condition that fifty families lived in the area before June 1, 1774. Bagley and Little named the new town Lewistown. Paul Hildreth was the first man to settle in Lewiston in the fall of 1770. By 1795, Lewiston was officially incorporated as a town. At least four houses that have survived from this period are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
King Avenue and Ralph Avenue were named after Ralph Luthor King, who owned the land located near the fairgrounds. Elliott Avenue was named after his wife, Grace O. Elliott, whose son eventually built the family home at 40 Wellman Street.
Industrial development period
Lewiston was a slow but steadily growing farm town throughout its early history. By the early-to-mid-19th century, however, as water power was being honed, Lewiston's location on the Androscoggin River would prove to make it a perfect location for emerging industry.In 1809, Michael Little built a large wooden sawmill next to the falls. Burned in 1814 by an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist, it was later rebuilt. In 1836, local entrepreneurs — predominantly the Little family and friends — formed the Androscoggin Falls Dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, Lock & Canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
Company:
"...for the purpose of erecting and constructing dams, locks, canals, mills, works, machines, and buildings on their own lands and also manufacturing cotton, wool, iron, steel, and paper in the towns of Lewiston, MinotMinot, MaineMinot is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of West Minot and Minot Center...
, and Danville."
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
investors — including Thomas J. Hill, Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward, Alexander De Witt
Alexander De Witt
Alexander DeWitt was a 19th-century American politician from the state of Massachusetts.Born in New Braintree, Massachusetts,DeWitt worked in textile manufacturing in Oxford, Massachusetts. He was elected to the Massachusetts state lower house in 1830, serving until 1836...
, and Benjamin E. Bates
Benjamin E. Bates
Benjamin Edward Bates was a New England industrialist and philanthropist, who was the namesake and a founder of Bates College and the Bates Mill in Lewiston, Maine.-Biography:...
(namesake of the Bates Mill
Bates Mill
The Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1960s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital for Bates College. Currently, the mill buildings are...
and Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
) – who financed a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
system and several textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mills
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
on the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
. This began the transformation from a small farming town into a textile manufacturing center on the model of Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
. The Bates Mill
Bates Mill
The Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1960s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital for Bates College. Currently, the mill buildings are...
remained the largest employer in Lewiston from the 1850s to the mid-late 20th century.
In 1853, the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
was built, connecting Maine to the St. Lawrence River, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and the Canadian Maritimes, and making Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
the winter port for Canadian trade. Subsequently, trains connected Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
with Lewiston on a daily schedule. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the high demand for textiles helped Lewiston develop a strong industrial base. In 1860, a flood of French-Canadian immigration into Maine began, spawned by industrial work opportunities in Maine cities with water power from waterfalls. This brought a significant influx of Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
millworkers that replaced the former Yankee millgirls. Lewiston's population boomed between 1840 to 1890 from 1,801 to 21,701. Canadiens settled in an area downtown that became known as Little Canada, and Lewiston's character has remained largely Franco-American
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
ever since.
In 1855, The Maine State Seminary in Lewiston, now Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
, was incorporated. During this time, in 1863, Lewiston was incorporated as a city. In 1872, St. Peter's church was built in Lewiston. This was the first French national church in Maine. In 1880, Le Messager
Le Messager (Lewiston)
In 1880, Le Messager, a French language newspaper was started in Lewiston, Maine, serving the growing Franco-American population in that city. Le Messager operated from 1880 to 1966. It was a weekly newspaper published every Thursday. The newspaper was succeeded by the Nouveau Messager in 1966;...
, a French language newspaper, began printing in Lewiston to serve its predominant ethnic population.
The local Kora Shrine
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in a Masonic temple
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
on Lisbon Street. This group would from 1908 to 1910 build the Kora Temple
Kora Temple
Kora Temple is an historic Masonic building at 11 Sabattus Street in Lewiston, Maine.The temple was built in 1908 by the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Shriners are a fraternal organization affiliated with Freemasonry and are known for their charitable works such as the...
on Sabattus Street, the largest home of a fraternal organization in the state. Architect George M. Coombs
George M. Coombs
George M. Coombs was a noted Maine architect who designed numerous buildings in the state, many of which survive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. His firm evolved from Stevens & Coombs , to Coombs & Gibbs George M. Coombs (November 27, 1851 - 1909) was a noted Maine...
designed this Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
style structure.
City leaders decided to build a cathedral in which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
could relocate. Construction of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul began in 1905 and ended in 1938, mostly funded through thousands of small donations from Lewiston residents. It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Maine, and Lewiston's most prominent landmark. While the Diocese of Portland did not relocate to Lewiston, the church nevertheless became a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
in 2004. It is one of the few American basilicas located outside of a major metropolitan area.
Industrial decline period
After World War I, profits from the textile industry in New England mill towns such as Lewiston, BiddefordBiddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
, and Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, Haverhill
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
, Lawrence
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
and Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
began to decline. Businesses began moving to the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
due to lower costs of power from more modern technologies (Lewiston's water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
technology gave way to hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
, cheaper transportation (as most cotton and materials came from the South), and cheaper labor.
Starting in the late 1950s, many of Lewiston's textile mills began closing. This gradually led to a run-down and abandoned downtown area. Chain stores previously located downtown—Woolworth's
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
, W. T. Grant
W. T. Grant
W. T. Grant or Grants was a United States-based chain of mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant that operated from 1906 until 1976. The stores were generally of the variety store format located in downtowns.-History:...
, S. S. Kresge
S. S. Kresge
Sebastian Spering Kresge , was the founder of the S. S. Kresge Company, one of the 20th century's largest and best-known retail organizations...
, JC Penney and Sears Roebuck—shut their doors or moved to malls on the outskirts of Lewiston or Auburn. The city's flagship department store, the four-story B. Peck & Co., closed after more than a century in business in 1982. As businesses and jobs began to leave the city, people followed. The population stopped increasing at its previous rate and began to slowly decline after 1970, then at a greater rate in the 1990s.
Economic diversification and renaissance
Following a difficult economic period in the 1980s that saw high unemployment and downtown stagnation, several key events have led to a period of economic and cultural renaissance, including the transformation of the historic Bates Mill ComplexBates Mill
The Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1960s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital for Bates College. Currently, the mill buildings are...
. Because the city took over the complex in 1992 after back taxes went unpaid, years of taxpayer frustration in the city's need to maintain the 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) behemoth led to two referenda (one non-binding vote, the other binding). Voters soundly supported the need to pursue redevelopment by maintaining the property and selling it to private developers. In 2001, the city sold three mill buildings to local developers. Platz Associates, then in 2003, sold the Bates Mill Complex, with the exception of Mill 5 and a small support building. For the next four years, a number of business enterprises flourished after Platz redeveloped the mill building. The Bates Mill complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December, 2010.
In May 2004, the city of Lewiston announced a plan for urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
near its downtown area. The plan is to demolish several blocks of 19th-century millworker housing, lay new streets with updated infrastructure, construct more owner-occupied, lower-density housing, and build a boulevard through one neighborhood using federal Community Development Block Grant
Community Development Block Grant
The Community Development Block Grant , one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development...
funds provided over a period of ten years. Many residents of the affected neighborhoods felt that the plan was initially announced with very little input from them. They formed a neighborhood group called "The Visible Community", which has since been actively involved in the planning process, which has resulted has been cooperation between neighbors and city officials to redesign Kennedy Park
Kennedy Park
Scarborough Junction is a neighbourhood in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered by Birchmount Road, Brimley Road, Eglinton Avenue, and St. Clair Avenue.-History:...
, including input on the location of new basketball courts, and feedback regarding creation of the largest all-concrete skate park in Maine.
Downtown is now home to a new headquarters for Oxford Networks, along with a $20 million upgrade in local fiber-optics, a new auto parts store, a campus for Andover College
Andover College (Maine)
Andover College in South Portland, Maine began as the Andover Institute of Business in Portland in 1967; the name was changed to Andover College in 1977. The college was given accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in 1998.Andover College also has a campus in...
, the headquarters for Northeast Bank
Northeast Bank
Northeast Bancorp is a Maine-based financial services company serving Maine, USA and is the parent company to its wholly owned subsidiary, , a state-chartered financial institution. Headquartered in Lewiston, Maine USA, Northeast Bancorp is the 9th largest Maine-based public company...
, a parking garage, and the newly renovated Maine Supply Co. building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. That facility is now called the Business Service Center at Key Bank
Key Bank
KeyBank is a regional bank headquartered in Key Tower within Cleveland, Ohio's Public Square. , it is the 19th largest bank in the United States based on total deposits...
Plaza, and is home to the local Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, and an innovative arrangement with a number of business service providers.
The area's renaissance has gained local, regional, and national recognition. In 2002 and again in 2006, the L-A area led the state in economic development activity, according to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's list of business investments and expansions. In a 2006 KPMG International study measuring the cost of locating and maintaining a business, Lewiston ranked first among the New England communities analyzed, and finished 24th out of 49 U.S. communities analyzed.
Lewiston also earned a 2007 All-America City Award
All-America City Award
The All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.The oldest community recognition program in the nation, the award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon...
designation by the National Civic League
National Civic League
The National Civic League is an American non-profit organization that advocates for transparency, effectiveness, and openness in local government...
. The national competition "recognizes communities whose residents work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve measurable, uncommon results." Only 10 cities are selected as All-America Cities each year. Lewiston was the first Maine city to earn the distinction since Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
in 1967.
Somali and Bantu migration
In 1999, at the urging of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the United States government began preparations to resettle an estimated 12,000 refugees from the BantuSomali Bantu
The Somali Bantu are a minority ethnic group in Somalia. They primarily reside in southern Somalia, near the Juba and Shabelle rivers, and are the descendants of people from various Bantu ethnic groups originating from what are modern-day Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique who were sold into Somalia...
minority ethnic group in Somalia to select cities throughout the United States. Most of the early arrivals in the United States settled in Clarkston
Clarkston, Georgia
Clarkston is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 7,554 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the central campus of Georgia Perimeter College....
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, a city adjacent to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. However, they were mostly assigned to low rent, poverty-stricken inner city areas, so many began to look to resettle elsewhere in the U.S.
Word soon spread that Lewiston had a low crime rate, good schools and cheap housing. Somalis subsequently began a secondary migration from other states to the former mill town, and after 2005, many Bantus followed suit.
In October 2002, then-Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Laurier T. Raymond wrote an open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that they discourage further relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered some persons and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the immigrants' presence and those who opposed it.
In January 2003, a small white supremacist group demonstrated in Lewiston in support of what they believed the mayor meant, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration at Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
and the organization of the "Many and One Coalition". The mayor was out of state on the day of the rallies, while governor John Baldacci
John Baldacci
John Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003....
and other officials attended.
In August 2010, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown Lewiston by opening dozens of shops in previously closed storefronts. Amicable relations were also reported by the local merchants of French-Canadian descent and the Somali storekeepers.
Geography
Lewiston is located at 44°5′51"N 70°11′33"W (44.097473, -70.192416).According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.2 km²), of which, 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (3.13%) is water. Lewiston is drained by the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
, which is located on its western border. Lewiston is bordered by the city of Auburn beyond the river, and the towns of Greene
Greene, Maine
Greene is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,076 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area.-History:Greene was settled in 1773...
, Sabattus
Sabattus, Maine
Sabattus is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,486 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area...
, and Lisbon
Lisbon, Maine
Lisbon is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,077 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England city and town area...
. It is located between Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, the state's biggest city and cultural center, and the state capital of Augusta
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
.
Neighborhoods
- Downtown: It runs from Oxford Street up to Jefferson Street, and from Adams Avenue to Main Street. This is the most densely settled area of the city, home to about half the population. It contains mostly housing, although on Lisbon Street and Main Street, it is entirely businesses. This neighborhood was once the commercial hub of the whole county. But with the city's economic decline, many downtown stores closed, and the former mill housing became run-down, resulting in fallen land values. But like many post-industrial centers, there followed a period of renovation. Knox Street was very run-down. The building on these streets including Pine, Howard and many others that form this densely populated areas continue the urban blight of a city crowded with tenement-like housing. This neighborhood includes:
- Lisbon Street Business District
- Country Kitchen Bread Factory
- Lewiston City Hall
- Bates Mill Complex
- Lewiston Police Department
- Kennedy Park
- The Public Theatre
- S.S. Peter and Paul Basilica
- St. Patrick's Church
- St. Joseph's Church
- Central Maine Medical Family/Center
- Railroad Park
- Androscoggin Bank Coliseé
- Bourque's Central Market
- Farmers Market
Webster Street neighborhood
Consisting mostly of suburban mid-income housing, this neighborhood runs in between Lisbon Street and Webster street, and East Ave, and Alfred Plourde Parkway. Schools that serve this neighborhood are Farwell Elementary, Martel Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston High School.
Pond Road neighborhood
This neighborhood is bounded by the triangle formed by Pond Road, Randall Road, and Sabattus Street(Route 126). This neighborhood is mostly mid-income suburban residential. The schools that serve this area is McMahon Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston high School.
Large businesses
- Central Maine Medical Center: Founded by Edward H. Hill in the mid-1860s CMMC (Central Maine Medical Center) is located downtown at High Street. The campus includes several large parking facilities, a LifeFlight of Maine helipad. In recent years the hospital has created the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute, and the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope. The hospital has approximately 250 beds, and approximately 300 physicians. It is a Level II trauma center. Central Maine Medical Center is the flagship hospital of Central Maine Medical Family. The organization runs two other hospitals, one in Bridgton and another in Rumford. It also operates CMMC College of Nursing and Health Professions; and many affiliated long-term care facilities, clinics and practices throughout central and western Maine. The current president of the hospital chain is Peter E. Chalk. The Central Maine Medical Family is located a block away from the hospital on Bates Street in the Lovell Square Building, a refurbished textile factory. CMMC is currently undergoing major renovations to their emergency entrance.
- Country Kitchen Bakery: Country Kitchen is located in downtown between Lisbon and Park streets. Country Kitchen currently services all of the United States. It operates a second factory a few hundred feet away between Canal and Lincoln streets.
- Walmart Distribution Center: Walmart currently operates a 485000 square feet (45,058 m²) warehousing facility in Lewiston. It is currently the states largest facility. It is one mile (1.6 km) from exit 80 on I-95 on Alfred M. Plourde Parkway. This facility currently services all New England Walmarts.
- Sun Journal: The Sun Journal is a daily newspaper that is headquartered on Park Street. It operates several different offices throughout Central and Western Maine. In Androscoggin County it prints the City Edition, news about the Lewiston-Auburn area. They also print the Oxford County, Franklin County, and State Editions. It is the third largest newspaper in the state.
- Diamond Phoenix: A large engineering company with headquarters at 90 Alfred A. Plourde Parkway. Diamond Phoenix (also known as System Logistics) is an engineering company specializing in the setup of technology for the warehouse and storing systems.
Lisbon Street
- Downtown Lisbon Street: Lisbon Street is the commercial and government center of Lewiston. In its downtown section, it features many law offices, the city library, the district court, two high-end restaurants (FUEL and Mother India), several pawn shops, Senator Susan CollinsSusan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins is the junior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1996, she is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs...
' office, Representative Mike MichaudMike MichaudMichael Herman Michaud is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district comprises nearly 80% of the state by area and includes the cities of Lewiston, Auburn, Bangor, and Presque Isle...
's office, a large strip of stores aimed at the large Somalian community, and many more stores. Downtown Lisbon Street faced hard economic times in the 1980s and 90s, leaving many formerly high-end stores vacant. In recent years, the economy has recovered and the stores have been either refurbished or torn down to make room for parking. - Upper Lisbon Street: Past downtown features several malls, including the Lewiston Promenade Mall and the Lewiston Mall. There are also many chain restaurants, some car dealerships, and many other private businesses.
Main Street
Main St. in Lewiston is US-Route 202, ME-Route 11, and ME-Route 100.- Downtown Main Street: Main Street starts near the downtown area at the Governor James B. Longley Memorial Bridge which crosses from Auburn. Crossing into Lewiston, one passes Veterans Memorial Park, a large park on the waterfront that commemorates veterans from Lewiston and Auburn. Next is a small hydro-plant that was used to power the textile mills located on Canal Street. After the canal bridge there is the downtown section of Main street which has the L.L. Bean Call Center located in the Peck Building, a TD BankTD BankTD Bank may refer to:*Toronto-Dominion BankOr its retail banking divisions:*TD Canada Trust *TD Bank, N.A. Or a former retail-banking division:*TD Banknorth...
branch, St. Joseph's Church, a vacant church owned by the Diocese of Portland, Central Maine Medical Center, and many other businesses.
- Upper Main Street: Past downtown there are several businesses and several chain stores and restaurants, but it is mostly residential. The street is lined with large 19th century VictorianVictorian architectureThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
mansions, some of which remain houses and some which have been converted into doctors' offices.
Public transportation
- City Bus: The city of Lewiston uses the Citylink or Purple Bus system. They use Citylink in collaboration with Auburn and Lisbon. The buses run from 6am to 5:30 PM Monday through Saturday. They operate on nine different bus lines.
- Bus Number 1 - Main Street
- Bus Number 2 - Sabattus Street
- Bus Number 3 - Lisbon Street
- Bus Number 4 - New Auburn
- Bus Number 5 - Minot Avenue
- Bus Number 6 - College Street
- Bus Number 7 - Auburn Malls
- Bus Number 8 - Downtown Shuttle
- Bus Number 9 - Central Maine Community College
The downtown shuttle is the only line that requires no fare at all. It runs through the downtown of both Lewiston and Auburn. The Citylink's station is located in Auburn. Its maintains only one line that goes into Lisbon. The Citylink services on average approximately 235,000 people a year.
Roadways and major routes
- Interstate 95Interstate 95Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
: Formerly Interstate 495Interstate 495 (Maine)Interstate 495 is the unsigned designation for the Falmouth Spur, a short freeway connecting Interstate 95 with Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 1 north of Portland, Maine, United States. As part of the Maine Turnpike, the main line of which carries Interstate 95, I-495 is a toll road. The spur has...
, runs through Lewiston. It is Exit 80 in Lewiston. Exit 80 exits out onto Alfred Plourde Parkway in the Industrial Park. Provides fast connection to Portland being 45 minutes away, Bangor which is two hours away, and Boston which is two hours away.
- U.S. Route 202U.S. Route 202U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
: Main Street in Lewiston is 202 as well as ME-Route 11, and ME-Route 100. It runs straight through the center of downtown to the business parks outwards of town, and the northern Lewiston suburbs. Connects Lewiston to Auburn and Greene. Provides fast transportation to Augusta and Kennebec Valley.
- Maine State Route 196Maine State Route 196State Route 196 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maine. It connects Lewiston to Brunswick, following the valley of the Androscoggin River. ME 196 begins at a junction with US Route 1, which is a recent re-alignment change...
: Starts in Lewiston at U.S. Route 202, Main Street. In Lewiston it is Canal Street, which turns into Lisbon Street. This route connects Lewiston to Lisbon, and makes easy access to the towns of Topsam, and Brunswick. This route ends on U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
in the City of Brunswick, MaineBrunswick, MaineBrunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
. It connects to Interstate 295 in Topsam.
- Maine State Route 126: Starts in Lewiston at US Route 202, Maine Street. In Lewiston it is Sabbatus Street. It connects Lewiston to the town of Sabbatus.
Bridges
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge: Built in 1973 to commemorate the veterans of the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. It connects Lewiston to Auburn. It provides fast transportation from Russell Street, and Main Street to Auburn's Mt. Auburn Ave, and shopping centers on Center Street and the Mall Area.
- Governor James B. Longley Memorial Bridge: Connects Main Street in downtown Lewiston to Court Street in Downtown Auburn. Named after former Lewiston Mayor, and Governor of Maine James B. LongleyJames B. LongleyJames Bernard Longley, Sr. was an American politician. He served as the 69th Governor of Maine from 1975 to 1979, and was the first Independent to hold the office. In 1949, he married the former Helen Angela Walsh, who died on September 13, 2005. They had five children, including former Republican...
.
- Bernard Lown Peace Bridge: Connects Little Canada and New Auburn. Starts in Lewiston as Cedar Street and starts in Auburn as Broad Street. Commemorates former Lewiston resident and Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
recipient Bernard LownBernard LownBernard Lown, M.D. is the original developer of the defibrillator and is an internationally known peace activist. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, an organization he helped to create, was awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for its work against nuclear proliferation...
.
Airports and bus station
- Auburn/Lewiston Municipal AirportAuburn/Lewiston Municipal AirportAuburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States, opened in 1935. It is located four nautical miles southwest the cities of Auburn and Lewiston, both of which own and operate the airport, although it is located solely in the city of Auburn.The...
: The official airport of the two cities. It currently provides private flights in and out of the city. There are plans to get airlines that would fly to cities such as Newark in the airport by 2012.
Although the city is serviced by an airport, most people use the Portland International Jetport
Portland International Jetport
Portland International Jetport is a public airport located two miles west of the central business district of Portland, in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is owned by the city of Portland...
for commercial flights in and out of the state.
- Oak Street Bus Station: Greyhound LinesGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
operates a bus line out of Lewiston. The bus lines go as far as Bangor and Boston. From those two destinations more travel opportunities are available.
Library
- The Lewiston Public LibraryLewiston Public LibraryLewiston Public Library is a historic site at Park and Pine Streets in Lewiston, Maine.The Colonial Revival library building was constructed in 1902 by Coombs & Gibbs. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....
has played a major role in the emerging culture of Lewiston. It was renovated and expanded in 1996. The library is located downtown on the corner of Lisbon Street and Pine Street and has over 100,000 books in its collection. Recently, it has opened the Marsden HartleyMarsden HartleyMarsden Hartley was an American Modernist painter, poet, and essayist.-Early life and education:Hartley was born in Lewiston, Maine, where his English parents had settled. He was the youngest of nine children. His mother died when he was eight, and his father remarried four years later to Martha...
Cultural Center, holding various events such as concerts and film festivals.
Museums
- Museum L-A: Museum L-A is a museum in a former textile factory building. It honors the people who worked and lived in this community. At Museum L-AMuseum L-AThe full name of Museum L-A is the Museum L-A: The Story of Work and Community in Lewiston-Auburn. Located in Lewiston, Maine, USA, the museum focuses on the local history of the Industrial Revolution and the contributions and cultural heritage of its workers in the Lewiston-Auburn area...
visitors can walk through a simulated production line, then view exhibits covering the textile, show, and brick industries that once thrived in Lewiston and Auburn. The museum is currently located in Bates Mill Number 4 in the Bates Mill Complex. In June 2009 the museum acquired Camden Mill and plans on moving to those facilities once it is refurbished.
- Bates College Museum of Art: Located on the Bates College Campus, the Bates College Museum of ArtBates College Museum of ArtThe Bates College Museum of Art is an art museum at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.-History:The Bates College Art Museum was founded in 1955 as the Treat Gallery in the newly constructed Pettigrew Building at Bates College. Norma Berger, the niece of Marsden Hartley, a notable Maine artist,...
features a wide variety of art. The art students at this school create much of this cities art life.
- The Atrium Gallery: Located at the University of Southern MaineUniversity of Southern MaineThe University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...
campus in Lewiston. This Museum features a wide variety of art.
Franco-American Heritage Center
The Franco-American Heritage Center opened in 2000 in what was formerly St. Mary's Parish. The performing arts center programs events for both Franco-American related performances as well as other cultural displays, such as the Center's Piano and Celtic Series. The diverse programming of the venue hosts both local and international performers. The Center also hosts events and serves as a museum of the city's Franco-American past with historical artifacts and documentation on display as well as a small library.The Public Theatre
Lewiston also features The Public Theatre, which puts on different plays throughout the year with about six to eight productions per season. It is located downtown on Maple St. It was formerly located on Park street. It features all types of plays, with actors from all over the world. Its offices are located in Auburn at the Great Falls Plaza.The Great Falls Balloon Festival
The Great Falls Balloon FestivalGreat Falls Balloon Festival
The Great Falls Balloon Festival is a hot air balloon festival held in the twin cities of Lewiston, Maine and Auburn, Maine. It has been held annually each August since 1992. The festival sitting on the banks of the Androscoggin River has attracted about 100,000 people, both locals and tourists...
is an event that is held one weekend in August every year. The Festival includes launching of balloons, games, and carnival rides. The launch sites take place at several open parks on the Lewiston-Auburn Androscoggin Riverfront. People come from all around the country and Canada to see the festivities. It is said to be the city's biggest annual event.
Festival FrancoFun
Formerly known as Festival de Joie, Festival FrancoFun is held annually at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and is a celebration of the city's Franco-American heritage. The festival features performances from French-Canadian musicians as well as native French-Canadian foodCuisine of Quebec
Quebecs traditional cuisine is today being rediscovered and is as rich and diverse as Quebec itself. The historical context of 'traditional' Quebec cuisine is from the fur trade period and many dishes have a high fat or lard content...
.
Liberty Festival
Held on July 4 of each year, the festival is the name given to the fireworks event over the Great Falls of the Androscoggin RiverAndroscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
in between the twin cities. The fireworks are launched in West Pitch Park in Auburn. Major viewpoints of the fireworks are Veterans Park, railroad Park, Mardens parking lot in Lewiston, and Great Falls Plaza in Auburn.
Patrick Dempsey Challenge
Lewiston hosts the annual Dempsey Challenge, which began in 2009. The event, hosted by Lewiston-native Patrick DempseyPatrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
, in a run/walk and cycling fundraiser for cancer research. In its opening year the event raised over one million dollars. The event has attracted famous athletes from all around including participants in the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. All the proceeds go to the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope at the Central Maine Medical Center.
Newspapers
- Lewiston Sun Journal prints a daily newspaper in four different editions statewide. The Sun Journal was the recipient of the 2008 New England Daily Newspaper of the Year and the 2009 Maine Press Association Newspaper of the Year.
- Lewiston Evening Journal ran from 1866 to 1979.
- The Twin City Times is a weekly paper printed in Auburn. It is found in almost every establishment in Lewiston for free. It features local news, and short articles from people in the Twin-Cities.
Magazines
- Lewiston Auburn Magazine, launched in April 2010, features current events and history of Lewiston/Auburn, with an emphasis on the people who are helping to rebuild the area.
Television
Lewiston is part of the Portland television market, and receives all major channels in that market; WGME-TVWGME-TV
WGME-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire that is licensed to Portland. The station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 38 from a transmitter on Brown Hill west of Raymond...
and WCSH
WCSH
WCSH is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire. Licensed to Portland, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter on Winn Mountain in Sebago. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Time Warner Cable channel 6...
both have local bureaux in Lewiston, located across the street from each other on Main Street.
Radio
Lewiston is part of the Portland radio market, and receives most major stations in that market.- WFNKWFNKWFNK is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format, known on air as Frank FM. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine, USA, the station serves the Portland, Maine area. The station is currently owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners....
107.5 FM (Frank FMFrank FMFrank FM is the branding used by Nassau Broadcasting Partners for their adult rock/variety hits radio stations. Some of these stations lean toward more of a classic hits format...
) is licensed to the City of Lewiston; however they broadcast from the Time and Temperature Building in Portland.
- WRBCWRBCWRBC is the college radio station of Bates College, located in Lewiston, Maine and at 91.5 MHz on the FM dial. The WRBC studio is located in the basement of 31 Frye Street across from the student coffee house, The Ronj...
91.5 FM is Bates College's radio station.
The Androscoggin Bank Colisée
The center of sports in Lewiston is the Androscoggin Bank ColiséeAndroscoggin Bank Colisée
The Androscoggin Bank Colisée is a 4,000 capacity multi-purpose arena, in Lewiston, Maine, that opened in 1958....
(formerly known as the Central Maine Civic Center). The Lewiston Maineiacs
Lewiston MAINEiacs
The Lewiston Maineiacs were a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based in Lewiston, Maine. The team played its home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. They were the second QMJHL team in the United States, and the only one to play a full season...
, the only American team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
played their first season in 2003-2004 and dissolved the team after the 2010-2011 season. The Colisée is also the home to the state Class A and Class B high school hockey championships each year. The city as a whole is known for its strong passion for the game of hockey, likely related to its French American
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
heritage. Two Lewiston schools, Lewiston High School and St. Dominic Regional High School
St. Dominic Regional High School
Saint Dominic Academy is a Catholic grammar school and high school located in Lewiston, Maine, and Auburn, Maine, respectively, in the Diocese of Portland....
(now located in Auburn), combine for over half of the state class A high school hockey championships in the state's history.
In 1965, Lewiston was the site of a Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
--Sonny Liston
Sonny Liston
Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round...
heavyweight title fight. Only 2,434 fans were present at The Lewiston Colisee, which set the all-time record for the lowest attendance for a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
heavyweight championship fight. The fight was the scene of the famous photograph of Ali standing over Liston taunting him with his glove.
Lewiston Maineiacs
The Lewiston Maineiacs are a major junior hockeyJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
(QMJHL)/la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec (LHJMQ). The Maineiacs moved to Lewiston in 2003 from Sherbrooke, Quebec and are the only team in the QMJHL located in the United States. They play their home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston. In 2006-2007, the Maineiacs won the Jean Rougeau Trophy
Jean Rougeau Trophy
The Jean Rougeau Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team that records the most points in the regular season. The trophy was named for former league president Jean Rougeau.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
for having the best record in the QMJHL, won the President's Cup
President's Cup (QMJHL)
The President's Cup is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the league's playoffs champion.--Winners—Teams that went on to win the Memorial Cup are listed in bold font.-External links:* List of trophy winners....
as QMJHL playoff champion, and represented the league at the 2007 Memorial Cup
2007 Memorial Cup
The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. The tournament was competed between the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers, the OHL champion Plymouth Whalers, the QMJHL champion Lewiston Maineiacs, and the host team and tournament...
. Several Maineiacs alumni have played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, including Jaroslav Halák
Jaroslav Halák
Jaroslav Halák is a Slovak professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . Halák was the 271st overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.-Montreal Canadiens:...
, Jonathan Bernier
Jonathan Bernier
Jonathan Bernier is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League...
, David Perron
David Perron
David Perron is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:He was selected in the first round, 26th pick by the St...
, and Alexandre Picard
Alexandre Picard (ice hockey)
Alexandre Picard is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
.
Education
Lewiston's public education system has recently seen a number of new buildings constructed for Farwell Elementary School and Pettingill School, now replaced with the 600 Student capacity Geiger Elementary School. Plans to redo the cities Thomas J. McMahon School are under way.The city is also home to Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
, one of the most prestigious small colleges in the country.
Colleges and universities
- Kaplan University- Lewiston, Maine
- Bates CollegeBates CollegeBates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
- University of Southern MaineUniversity of Southern MaineThe University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...
- Lewiston/Auburn Campus - Central Maine Community CollegeCentral Maine Community CollegeCentral Maine Community College is a community college located in Auburn, Maine. It is one of the seven colleges in the Maine Community College System.-Former Names:...
- Auburn
Public schools
- Lewiston High SchoolLewiston High SchoolLewiston High School is a public high school in Lewiston, Maine. The school opened in 1850 and has occupied its current building since the mid-1970s. The school's enrollment for the 2007–08 school year was 1,446 students. The school's mascot is the Blue Devil and the colors are blue and white...
(9-12) 1,446 students - Lewiston Regional Technical Center (9-12)
- Lewiston Middle School (7-8) 723 students
- Farwell Elementary School (K-6) 420 students
- Raymond A Geiger Elementary School (K-6)
- Governor James B Longley Elementary School (K-6) 254 students
- Martel School (K-6) 291 students
- Montello School (K-6) 839 students
- Thomas J McMahon Elementary School (K-6) 476 students
Private schools
- The Discovery School (PK-12)
- Saint-Dominic Academy
- Vineyard Christian School (PK-12)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 35,690 people, 15,290 households, and 8,654 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,047.0 people per square mile (404.2/km²). There were 16,470 housing units at an average density of 483.2 per square mile (186.5/km²). The racial makeup was 95.75% White, 1.07% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.
People of French descent are by far the most represented ethnic group in Lewiston, with 29.4% being of French-American descent and 18.3% French (the two are listed as separate categories in the census). Following French are Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
at 10.2% and English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
at 9.9%.
There were 15,290 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,191, and the median income for a family was $40,061. Males had a median income of $30,095 versus $21,810 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,905. About 10% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Language
From Modern Language Association Data Center
| Language | Population | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
24,250 | 72.51% |
| French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... |
8,620 | 25.77% |
| Spanish Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... |
280 | 0.83% |
| Other languages | 293 | 0.88% |
Voter registration
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of August 2011 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Total Voters | Percentage |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
10,242 | 45.49% |
Unaffiliated | 7,258 | 32.24% |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
4,012 | 17.82% |
Green Party Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... |
999 | 4.43% | |
| Total | 22,511 | 100% | |||||||||||||
In popular culture
- The Farmers' Almanac is printed in Lewiston.
- Lewiston is the setting for the fictitious Kingdom HospitalKingdom HospitalKingdom Hospital is a thirteen-episode television miniseries based on Lars von Trier's The Kingdom , which was developed by horror writer Stephen King in 2004 for American television...
, featured in the thirteen-episode miniseries developed by horror writer Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. In 1999 when King was struck by a car while walking in Lovell, MaineLovell, MaineLovell is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 974 at the 2000 census. Lovell is the site of Kezar Lake, a resort area.-History:...
, he was flown by helicopter and treated at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. In the mini-series, the hospital is built on the site of a textile mill which made military uniforms during the civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, which the Bates MillBates MillThe Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1960s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital for Bates College. Currently, the mill buildings are...
and other Lewiston textile factories actually did. King attended elementary school in the nearby town of Durham, MaineDurham, MaineDurham is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,419 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area.-Geography:According to the United...
and high school in the neighboring town of Lisbon Falls, MaineLisbon Falls, MaineLisbon Falls is a census-designated place in the town of Lisbon, located in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population of Lisbon Falls was 4,420 at the 2000 census... - Twins Francis Edgar StanleyFrancis Edgar StanleyFrancis Edgar Stanley was an American businessman and was the co-founder, along with his twin brother Freelan Oscar Stanley, of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company which built the Stanley Steamer.-Biography:...
and Freelan O. Stanley invented the photographic dry plate process, that they used in their studio on Lisbon Street in the late 19th century. They later sold the patent to a company that became Eastman KodakEastman KodakEastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
. They eventually went on to invent the Stanley SteamerStanley SteamerThe Stanley Motor Carriage Company was a manufacturer of steam-engine vehicles; it operated from 1902 to 1924. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced.-Early history:...
.
Places of interest
- Railroad Park, a large park in downtown Lewiston. Also one of the launching points of the largest balloon festival in New England, the Great Falls Balloon FestivalGreat Falls Balloon FestivalThe Great Falls Balloon Festival is a hot air balloon festival held in the twin cities of Lewiston, Maine and Auburn, Maine. It has been held annually each August since 1992. The festival sitting on the banks of the Androscoggin River has attracted about 100,000 people, both locals and tourists...
. - Grand Trunk Rail Station, a historical look at the railroad running through downtown Lewiston.
- Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary, just off of Highland Spring Road, it is the largest bird sanctuary in New England.
- The Public Theatre, a nationally recognized theatre for their artistic excellence, The Public Theatre is a professional Equity theatre located in the heart of downtown Lewiston.
- The Lewiston Skate Park, on Park Street. It includes a nine foot pool coaping-bowl, snake-run, pole-jam, stair-set, hand-rail, and ledges. The entire park is surfaced with concrete. It is one of the largest skate parks north of Boston.
- Mount David, often referred to as "Mount Davis" or "Davis Mountain" due to its being named after a man named David Davis. A small, 389 feet (118.6 m) mountain with several trails, located on the campus of Bates College.
- Lewiston Falls on the Androscoggin River separates downtown Lewiston and Auburn. The falls, also known as the "Great Falls", were once a fishing destination for Native Americans. The river has since become polluted and is no longer a popular fishing place.
- Museum L-AMuseum L-AThe full name of Museum L-A is the Museum L-A: The Story of Work and Community in Lewiston-Auburn. Located in Lewiston, Maine, USA, the museum focuses on the local history of the Industrial Revolution and the contributions and cultural heritage of its workers in the Lewiston-Auburn area...
: The Story of Work and Community in Lewiston-Auburn. Documents and celebrates the economic, social and technological legacy of Lewiston-Auburn and its people. It is located in the Bates Mill Complex at the corner of Canal and Chestnut streets. - St. Peter's CemeterySt. Peter's Cemetery (Lewiston, Maine)St. Peter's Cemetery is a cemetery in Lewiston, Maine. Located on of land, it was officially consecrated in 1876. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland...
National Register of Historic Places listings
- Androscoggin Mill BlockAndroscoggin Mill BlockAndroscoggin Mill Block is an historic block at 269-271 Park Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1866 and added to the National Historic Register in 2001....
- Atkinson BuildingAtkinson BuildingThe Atkinson Building is an historic building at 220 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The building was constructed in 1892 and added to the National Historic Register in 1983....
- Bergin BlockBergin BlockBergin Block is an historic block at 330 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1912 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Bradford HouseBradford House (Lewiston, Maine)Bradford House is an historic house at 54-56 Pine Street in Lewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1876 and added to the National Historic Register in 1978....
- Captain Holland HouseCaptain Holland HouseCaptain Holland House is an historic house at 142 College Street in Lewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1872 and added to the National Historic Register in 1985....
- College Block-Lisbon BlockCollege Block-Lisbon BlockCollege Block-Lisbon Block is an historic site at 248-274 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The Block was built in 1855 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Continental Mill HousingContinental Mill HousingContinental Mill Housing is an historic site at 66-82 Oxford Street in Lewiston, Maine.The housing was built in 1866 and added to the National Historic Register in 1979....
- Cowan MillCowan MillCowan Mill was an historic mill at Island Mill Street in Lewiston, Maine....
- Dominican BlockDominican BlockThe Dominican Block is an historic block at 141-145 Lincoln Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1882 and added to the National Historic Register in 1980....
- Dr. Louis J. Martel HouseDr. Louis J. Martel HouseDr. Louis J. Martel House is a historic house at 122-124 Bartlett Street in Lewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1883 and added to the National Historic Register in 1983....
- Dr. Milton Wedgewood HouseDr. Milton Wedgewood HouseDr. Milton Wedgewood House is a historic house at 101 Pine Street inLewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1873 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- First Callahan BuildingFirst Callahan BuildingFirst Callahan Building is an historic building at 276 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The building was built in 1892 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- First McGillicuddy BlockFirst McGillicuddy BlockFirst McGillicuddy Block is an historic site at 133 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. The block was built in 1895 by John McGillicuddy, father of U.S. Congressman Daniel J. McGillicuddy. The block was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
- First National BankFirst National Bank (Lewiston, Maine)First National Bank is an historic site at 157--163 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine.The bank was built in 1903 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Grand Trunk Railroad StationGrand Trunk Railroad StationGrand Trunk Railroad Station is a historic train station in Lewiston, Maine.The station was built in 1885 by the Grand Trunk Railway and added to the National Historic Register in 1979....
- Hathorn HallHathorn HallHathorn Hall is a historic academic building at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine featuring a brick exterior, white corinthian columns, a weathervane, and a bell tower.-History:...
, Bates CollegeBates CollegeBates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists... - Healey AsylumHealey AsylumHealey Asylum is an historic site at 81 Ash Street in Lewiston, Maine.The asylum was built in 1893 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979....
- Holland-Drew HouseHolland-Drew HouseThe Holland-Drew House is a historic house at 377 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1854 and added to the National Historic Register in 1978....
- James C. Lord HouseJames C. Lord HouseJames C. Lord House is a historic house at 497 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1885 and added to the National Historic Register in 1978....
- John D. Clifford HouseJohn D. Clifford HouseThe John D. Clifford House is a historic house at 14-16 Ware Street in Lewiston, Maine.The house was built in 1926 and added to the National Historic Register in 1987....
- Jordan SchoolJordan SchoolJordan School is a historic school at 35 Wood Street in Lewiston, Maine.The school was built in 1902 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
- Kora TempleKora TempleKora Temple is an historic Masonic building at 11 Sabattus Street in Lewiston, Maine.The temple was built in 1908 by the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Shriners are a fraternal organization affiliated with Freemasonry and are known for their charitable works such as the...
- Lewiston City Hall
- Lewiston Public LibraryLewiston Public LibraryLewiston Public Library is a historic site at Park and Pine Streets in Lewiston, Maine.The Colonial Revival library building was constructed in 1902 by Coombs & Gibbs. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....
- Lewiston Trust and Safe Deposit CompanyLewiston Trust and Safe Deposit CompanyLewiston Trust and Safe Deposit Company is a historic building at 46 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The building was constructed in 1898 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Lord BlockLord BlockLord Block is an historic site at 379 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1865 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Lower Lisbon Street Historic DistrictLower Lisbon Street Historic DistrictLower Lisbon Street Historic District is a historic district in Lewiston, Maine on Lisbon Street between Cedar and Chesnut Street.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985....
- Lyceum HallLyceum HallLyceum Hall is an historic site at 49 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The hall was built in 1872 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Maine Supply Company BuildingMaine Supply Company BuildingMaine Supply Company Building is an historic site at 415-417 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The building was built in 1911 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Manufacturer's National BankManufacturer's National BankManufacturer's National Bank is an historic site at 145 Lisbon Street Lewiston, Maine.The bank was built in 1914 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Marcotte Nursing HomeMarcotte Nursing HomeMarcotte Nursing Home is an historic site at 100 Campus Avenue in Lewiston, Maine.The home was built in 1927 and added to the National Historic Register in 1985....
- Oak Street School
- Odd Fellows BlockOdd Fellows Block (Lewiston, Maine)Odd Fellows Block is an historic block at 182-190 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1876 and served historically as a clubhouse. It was added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Osgood BuildingOsgood BuildingThe Osgood Building is an historic site at 129 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The building was built in 1893 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Pilsbury BlockPilsbury BlockPilsbury Block is an historic block at 200-210 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1870 and added to the National Historic Register in 1983....
- Saint Mary's General Hospital
- Savings Bank BlockSavings Bank BlockSavings Bank Block is an historic site at 215 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1870 and added to the National Historic Register in 1978....
- Second Callahan BlockSecond Callahan BlockSecond Callahan Block is an historic site at 282 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine.The block was built in 1910 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....
- Sen. William P. Frye HouseSen. William P. Frye HouseSenator William P. Frye House is a historic house on 453-461 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine.William P. Frye served as U.S. Senate Majority Leader and was a trustee of Bates College which is adjacent to his home. His house was built in 1874 and added to the National Historic register in 1976....
- St. Joseph's Catholic ChurchSt. Joseph's Catholic Church (Lewiston, Maine)St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic church at 253 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine.The church was built in 1865 by Patrick C. Keely and added to the National Historic Register in 1989....
- Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
- Trinity Episcopal ChurchTrinity Episcopal Church (Lewiston, Maine)Trinity Episcopal Church is a historic church at Bates and Spruce Streets in Lewiston, Maine near Bates College.The church was built in 1879 and added to the National Historic Register in 1978....
- US Post Office-Lewiston MaineUS Post Office-Lewiston MaineThe U.S. Post Office-Lewiston Main is an historic main post office at 49 Ash Street in Lewiston, Maine.The post office was built in 1933 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
- Union BlockUnion Block (Lewiston, Maine)Union Block in Lewiston, Maine was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
Further reading
- Elder, Janus G., A History of Lewiston, Maine with a Genealogical Register of Early Families. Heritage Books, Inc., 1989
- Hodgkin, Douglas I., Lewiston Memories: A Bicentennial Pictorial. Jostens Printing & Publishing, 1994
- Finnegan, William, Letter from Maine: New in Town, the Somalis of Lewiston. The New Yorker, December 11, 2006
- Hodgkin, Douglas I., Frontier to Industrial City:Lewiston Town Politics 1768–1863. Just Write Books, Topsham, ME, 2008
- Richard, Mark Paul. Loyal but French: The Negotiation of Identity by French-Canadian Descendants in the United States (2008) on acculturation in Lewiston since 1860
External links
- City of Lewiston, Maine
- Lewiston Public Library
- Lewiston Sun-Journal Online
- L/A Arts
- Lewiston, Maine detailed profile
- The Public Theatre
- Hillside Family Riders Snowmobile Club
- LATC - Purple Bus
- Museum L-A: The Story of Work and Community in Lewiston-Auburn
- Lewiston Auburn Magazine
- Maine Genealogy: Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine
- Art Pulse, an artisan co-op and gallery