New Gloucester, Maine
Encyclopedia
New Gloucester is a town in Cumberland County
, Maine
, in the United States
. It is home to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
, the last active Shaker Village in the U.S. The town's population was 4,803 at the 2000 census
, and has substantially grown 13.7% from then, placing the estimated 2008 population at 5,461 people.
New Gloucester is part of the Portland
–South Portland
–Biddeford
, Maine metropolitan statistical area
.
. In 1736, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony
granted a six-square-mile tract of land in the Maine Territory to sixty inhabitants of the Gloucester
fishing village on Cape Ann
. The first settlers followed the road newly bushed out from North Yarmouth
and built cabins on Harris Hill between 1739 and 1742. The settlement was abandoned from 1744-1751 due to the heightened Indian attacks during King George's War
.
Settlers returned and in 1753 commenced work on a two story, fifty-foot square blockhouse
with a palisade
stockade
110 feet (33.5 m) on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) of common land under the protection of two swivel guns manned by a garrison
of six soldiers. One attack was made upon the fort, resulting in one scalping
and two men captured. As the Indians gradually withdrew to Canada
, the settlers moved out into their own newly built homes. The blockhouse continued to serve for worship and town affairs until the first meetinghouse was built in 1773. In 1788, the blockhouse was sold at auction for seven bushels of corn and moved to a farm in the intervale, where it was rebuilt as a hog house.
New Gloucester became a half shire town
with Portland
, and the courts met here from 1791 until the organization of Oxford County
in 1805, when they returned to Portland. With good soil for agriculture
, the town developed as a prosperous farming community. In 1858, when the population was 1,848, other industries included six sawmill
s, two gristmill
s and two tanneries
.
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was founded in 1783 by the United Society of True Believers at what was then called Thompson's Pond Plantation. It was formally organized on April 19, 1794. Today, the village is the last of formerly nineteen religious societies, stretching from Maine to Florida
, to be operated by the Shakers
themselves. It comprises 18 buildings on 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of land.
, the town has a total area of 47.8 square miles (123.7 km²), of which, 47.1 square miles (122.0 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.42%) is water. New Gloucester is drained by the Royal River
.
The town is crossed by Interstate 95
, U. S. Route 202 and state routes 4
, 26
and 231.
It borders the towns of Raymond
to the west, Poland
to the northwest, Auburn
to the northeast, Durham
to the east, Pownal
and North Yarmouth
to the southeast, and Gray
to the southwest.
of 2000, there were 4,803 people, 1,761 households, and 1,313 families residing in the town. The population density
was 102.0 people per square mile (39.4/km²). There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of 40.1 per square mile (15.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.17% White, 0.23% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 1,761 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
As of a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $60,664 and the per capita income
for the town was $24,958. As of the 2000 census and the median income for a family was $57,727. Males had a median income of $35,699 versus $26,358 for females. About 4.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is home to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is a Shaker village near New Gloucester and Poland, Maine, in the United States. It is the last active Shaker community, with only three members as of 2009. The community was established in either 1782, 1783 or 1793 at the height of the Shaker movement in the United...
, the last active Shaker Village in the U.S. The town's population was 4,803 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, and has substantially grown 13.7% from then, placing the estimated 2008 population at 5,461 people.
New Gloucester is part of the 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...
–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...
–Biddeford
Biddeford, 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...
, Maine metropolitan statistical area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
.
History
New Gloucester was established under a grant from the Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. In 1736, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
granted a six-square-mile tract of land in the Maine Territory to sixty inhabitants of the Gloucester
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
fishing village on Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
. The first settlers followed the road newly bushed out from North Yarmouth
North Yarmouth, Maine
North Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and built cabins on Harris Hill between 1739 and 1742. The settlement was abandoned from 1744-1751 due to the heightened Indian attacks during King George's War
King George's War
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession . It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia...
.
Settlers returned and in 1753 commenced work on a two story, fifty-foot square blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
with a palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
110 feet (33.5 m) on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) of common land under the protection of two swivel guns manned by a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
of six soldiers. One attack was made upon the fort, resulting in one scalping
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
and two men captured. As the Indians gradually withdrew to 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...
, the settlers moved out into their own newly built homes. The blockhouse continued to serve for worship and town affairs until the first meetinghouse was built in 1773. In 1788, the blockhouse was sold at auction for seven bushels of corn and moved to a farm in the intervale, where it was rebuilt as a hog house.
New Gloucester became a half shire town
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
with 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...
, and the courts met here from 1791 until the organization of Oxford County
Oxford County, Maine
Oxford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine with a population of 57,833 as of the 2010 U.S. census. Its county seat is Paris.Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is...
in 1805, when they returned to Portland. With good soil for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, the town developed as a prosperous farming community. In 1858, when the population was 1,848, other industries included six sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s, two gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s and two tanneries
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
.
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was founded in 1783 by the United Society of True Believers at what was then called Thompson's Pond Plantation. It was formally organized on April 19, 1794. Today, the village is the last of formerly nineteen religious societies, stretching from Maine to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, to be operated by the Shakers
Shakers
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a religious sect originally thought to be a development of the Religious Society of Friends...
themselves. It comprises 18 buildings on 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of land.
Geography
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 town has a total area of 47.8 square miles (123.7 km²), of which, 47.1 square miles (122.0 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.42%) is water. New Gloucester is drained by the Royal River
Royal River
The Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
.
The town is crossed by Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Maine
In the U.S. state of Maine, Interstate 95 is a long highway running from the New Hampshire border near Kittery, to the Canadian border near Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine...
, U. S. Route 202 and state routes 4
Maine State Route 4
State Route 4 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from the New Hampshire border in South Berwick to Haines Landing on Mooselookmeguntic Lake in the town of Rangeley...
, 26
Maine State Route 26
State Route 26 is a 96.7 mile-long state highway in southwestern Maine. It was first commissioned in 1925, as part of the New England road marking system. Route 26 in Maine, as well as New Hampshire and the short stub in Vermont, covers the route of the old New England Interstate Route 26...
and 231.
It borders the towns of Raymond
Raymond, Maine
Raymond is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,299 at the 2000 census. It is a summer recreation area and is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
to the west, Poland
Poland, Maine
Poland is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,866 at the 2000 census. Home to Range Ponds State Park, Poland is a historic resort area...
to the northwest, 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...
to the northeast, Durham
Durham, Maine
Durham 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...
to the east, Pownal
Pownal, Maine
Pownal is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,491 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pownal is home to Bradbury Mountain State Park....
and North Yarmouth
North Yarmouth, Maine
North Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to the southeast, and Gray
Gray, Maine
Gray is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,820 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Gray is home to regional headquarters for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and...
to the southwest.
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 4,803 people, 1,761 households, and 1,313 families residing in the town. 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 102.0 people per square mile (39.4/km²). There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of 40.1 per square mile (15.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.17% White, 0.23% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.12% 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 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 1,761 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
As of a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $60,664 and 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 town was $24,958. As of the 2000 census and the median income for a family was $57,727. Males had a median income of $35,699 versus $26,358 for females. About 4.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
- New Gloucester Historical Society & Museum
- Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village & Museum
- Intervale Farm Pumpkins
Notable people
- Joseph BrackettJoseph BrackettJoseph Brackett Jr. , an American songwriter and Elder of The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing , was born in Cumberland, Maine, and died in the Shaker community of Sabbathday Lake at New Gloucester, Maine.Brackett is known as the author of the Shaker dancing song "Simple...
, songwriter, Shaker elder - Todd ChretienTodd ChretienTodd Chretien , an American activist. Chretien is a leading member of the International Socialist Organization. He was the Green Party candidate for United States Senate in California in 2006.-Background:...
, activist - Jonathan Greenleaf EvelethJonathan Greenleaf EvelethJonathan Greenleaf Eveleth founded the first oil company in America with George Bissell in 1854. Partners in the Wall Street law firm of Eveleth & Bissell, the two formed the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company with 5 other investors from New York, New Haven, and Titusville, Pennsylvania, to "raise,...
, oil company founder - Samuel FessendenSamuel FessendenSamuel Fessenden was an American abolitionist and Massachusetts state legislator. -Biography:...
, abolitionist, legislator - Samuel C. FessendenSamuel C. FessendenSamuel Clement Fessenden was a United States Congressman from Maine, son of abolitionist Samuel Fessenden, and brother of Treasury Secretary William Pitt Fessenden and Congressman T. A. D. Fessenden. He was an uncle of Union Army generals, Francis Fessenden and James D...
, congressman - William Pitt Fessenden, congressman, Secretary of the Treasury
- Ezekiel WhitmanEzekiel WhitmanEzekiel Whitman was a United States Representative from Massachusetts and from Maine. He was born in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts on March 9, 1776. He graduated from Brown University in 1795...
, congressman
External links
- Town of New Gloucester, Maine
- New Gloucester Public Library
- Royal River Riders Snowmobile Club
- Gray-New Gloucester Independent Newspaper
- Maine.gov -- New Gloucester, Maine
- Gray and New Gloucester News Online
- Intervale Farm Pumpkins, Squash and Gourds
- Maine Genealogy: New Gloucester, Cumberland County, Maine