Ogunquit, Maine
Encyclopedia
Ogunquit is a town in York County
, Maine
, United States
. As of the 2000 census its population was 1,226. The popularity of the town as a summer resort is epitomized by its motto, "Beautiful Place by the Sea."
Ogunquit is part of the Portland
–South Portland
–Biddeford
, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
, was first a village within Wells
, which was settled in 1641. The first sawmill
here was established in 1686, and shipbuilding
developed along the tidal Ogunquit River. Besides constructing schooner
s and brig
s, local shipwrights built the famous "Ogunquit dory
."
At what was then called Fish Cove, near the unnavigable Josias River, fishing
was a major livelihood. But the cove was unprotected by a headland
or breakwater
from Atlantic
storms, so fishermen had to protect their boats by hauling them ashore each night. Resolving to create a safe anchorage, they formed the Fish Cove Harbor Association, and dug a channel across land they purchased to connect Fish Cove with the Josias River. When the trench was complete, in roared the ocean, its erosion helping to further widen the passage. The resulting tidewater basin would be called Perkins Cove, across which spans a manually-operated draw footbridge
, possibly one of the most photographed objects in Maine
. With a 3 and a half mile beach of pale sand and dunes forming a barrier peninsula
, connected to the mainland in 1888 by bridge across the Ogunquit River, the weatherbeaten old village was discovered by artist
s. It became a popular art colony
and tourist area. Particularly after 1898, when the Ogunquit Art Colony was established, it was not unusual to see artists and fishermen plying their respective trades around Perkins Cove. To accommodate summer crowds, several grand seaside hotels and inns were built. Ogunquit is also known for its historical trail known as Marginal Way, which stretches approximately one and one-half miles along the craggy coastline. The walk is scenic, embracing the coast from Perkins Cove to Ogunquit Beach.
Today, Ogunquit remains a vibrant seasonal resort town, having separated from Wells in 1980. Visitors often arrive from great distances and in great numbers, some from Canada
. Part of Stephen King
's The Stand
, published in 1978, is set in Ogunquit.
tourists, and features numerous LGBT-owned and -operated hotels, restaurants, bars, theaters, and other businesses. Most of the LGBT-oriented businesses are in the Village area of the town.
provides education for students of all ages in the coastal southern Maine towns of Wells
and Ogunquit.
, the town has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which, 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (4.43%) is water. Ogunquit is drained by the Josias River and Ogunquit River.
Ogunquit’s Marginal Way, a one and a quarter mile long trail with views of the coast, is neatly paved and the treacherous cliffs are, in places, fenced. The path leads from the downtown shopping area to the fishing village in Perkins Cove, now an outdoor mall of jewelry, clothing and candle boutiques.
of 2000, there were 1,226 people, 668 households, and 346 families residing in the town. The population density
was 299.0 people per square mile (115.5/km²). There were 2,114 housing units at an average density of 515.6 per square mile (199.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.53% White, 0.49% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.08% from other races
, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 668 households out of which 10.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples
living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.41.
In the town the population was spread out with 10.4% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 37.1% from 45 to 64, and 30.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,727, and the median income for a family was $56,731. Males had a median income of $44,583 versus $31,528 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $34,289. About 1.2% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
York County, Maine
York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred.Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States....
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census its population was 1,226. The popularity of the town as a summer resort is epitomized by its motto, "Beautiful Place by the Sea."
Ogunquit 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
Ogunquit, which meant "coastal lagoon" to native Abenaki IndiansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, was first a village within Wells
Wells, Maine
Wells is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Founded in 1643, it is the third-oldest town in Maine. The population was 9,400 at the 2000 census. Wells Beach is a popular summer destination.-History:...
, which was settled in 1641. The first 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....
here was established in 1686, and shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
developed along the tidal Ogunquit River. Besides constructing schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s and brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s, local shipwrights built the famous "Ogunquit dory
Dory
The dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about long. It is a lightweight and versatile boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. They are easy to build because of their simple lines. For centuries, dories have been used as traditional fishing boats, both in coastal waters and in the...
."
At what was then called Fish Cove, near the unnavigable Josias River, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
was a major livelihood. But the cove was unprotected by a headland
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
or breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
from Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
storms, so fishermen had to protect their boats by hauling them ashore each night. Resolving to create a safe anchorage, they formed the Fish Cove Harbor Association, and dug a channel across land they purchased to connect Fish Cove with the Josias River. When the trench was complete, in roared the ocean, its erosion helping to further widen the passage. The resulting tidewater basin would be called Perkins Cove, across which spans a manually-operated draw footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
, possibly one of the most photographed objects 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...
. With a 3 and a half mile beach of pale sand and dunes forming a barrier peninsula
Bar (landform)
A shoal, sandbar , or gravelbar is a somewhat linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles. A spit or sandspit is a type of shoal...
, connected to the mainland in 1888 by bridge across the Ogunquit River, the weatherbeaten old village was discovered by artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s. It became a popular art colony
Art colony
right|300px|thumb|Artist houses in [[Montsalvat]] near [[Melbourne, Australia]].An art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
and tourist area. Particularly after 1898, when the Ogunquit Art Colony was established, it was not unusual to see artists and fishermen plying their respective trades around Perkins Cove. To accommodate summer crowds, several grand seaside hotels and inns were built. Ogunquit is also known for its historical trail known as Marginal Way, which stretches approximately one and one-half miles along the craggy coastline. The walk is scenic, embracing the coast from Perkins Cove to Ogunquit Beach.
Today, Ogunquit remains a vibrant seasonal resort town, having separated from Wells in 1980. Visitors often arrive from great distances and in great numbers, some from 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...
. Part of Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen 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...
's The Stand
The Stand
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
, published in 1978, is set in Ogunquit.
LGBT destination
Over the past 100 years, Ogunquit has become a destination for LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
tourists, and features numerous LGBT-owned and -operated hotels, restaurants, bars, theaters, and other businesses. Most of the LGBT-oriented businesses are in the Village area of the town.
Education
The Wells-Ogunquit Community School DistrictWells-Ogunquit Community School District
The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District provides education for students of all ages in the coastal southern Maine towns of Wells and Ogunquit.-History:...
provides education for students of all ages in the coastal southern Maine towns of Wells
Wells, Maine
Wells is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Founded in 1643, it is the third-oldest town in Maine. The population was 9,400 at the 2000 census. Wells Beach is a popular summer destination.-History:...
and Ogunquit.
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 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which, 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (4.43%) is water. Ogunquit is drained by the Josias River and Ogunquit River.
Ogunquit’s Marginal Way, a one and a quarter mile long trail with views of the coast, is neatly paved and the treacherous cliffs are, in places, fenced. The path leads from the downtown shopping area to the fishing village in Perkins Cove, now an outdoor mall of jewelry, clothing and candle boutiques.
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 1,226 people, 668 households, and 346 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 299.0 people per square mile (115.5/km²). There were 2,114 housing units at an average density of 515.6 per square mile (199.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.53% White, 0.49% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.08% 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 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 668 households out of which 10.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% 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, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.41.
In the town the population was spread out with 10.4% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 37.1% from 45 to 64, and 30.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,727, and the median income for a family was $56,731. Males had a median income of $44,583 versus $31,528 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 town was $34,289. About 1.2% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
Cultural sites & museums
- Historical Society of Wells and Ogunquit (1862) (located in Wells)
- Ogunquit Museum of American ArtOgunquit Museum of American ArtThe Ogunquit Museum of American Art is a small art museum open only in the summer months. It sits on three acres on the coast of Ogunquit, Maine, at 543 Shore Road, and houses over 1,600 pieces in its permanent collection. It is the only museum in Maine devoted solely to American art.-History:The...
- Ogunquit Playhouse
- Captain James Winn House (c. 1785)
Notable people
- John Kendrick BangsJohn Kendrick BangsJohn Kendrick Bangs was an American author, editor and satirist.-Biography:He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was a lawyer in New York City....
, author. - Bobby CoombsBobby CoombsRaymond Franklin "Bobby" Coombs was a Major League Baseball pitcher. The 5'9½", 160 lb. right-hander played for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants...
, Major League Baseball pitcher. - Nathan Haskell DoleNathan Haskell DoleNathan Haskell Dole was an American editor, translator, and author. He attended Phillips Academy, Andover, and graduated from Harvard University in 1874. He was a writer and journalist in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston...
, author. - Arnie GinsburgArnie GinsburgArnie Ginsburg was a well-known American disc jockey in the Boston radio market from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Following this period, he became involved in the business side of radio as a business manager, president and owner of WVJV-TV , and later as an executive with Pyramid Broadcasting and...
, radio personality. - Walt KuhnWalt KuhnWalt Kuhn was an American painter and was an organizer of the modern art Armory Show of 1913, which was the first of its genre in America.-Biography:Kuhn was born in Brooklyn, New York City...
, artist. - Peter George OlenchukPeter George OlenchukPeter George Olenchuk was a Major General in the United States Army.-Biography:Originally a native of Bayonne, New Jersey, Olenchuk would graduate from Lebanon Valley College before obtaining a M.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a M.D. in Business Administration from...
, U.S. Army Major General. - J. Scott SmartJ. Scott SmartJ. Scott Smart, also known as Jack Smart , was an American radio, film and stage actor during the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s....
, radio, film and stage actor. - Sally StruthersSally StruthersSally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
, actress. - Charles H. Woodbury, artist.