- Georgetown, Maine
Infobox Settlement
official_name = Georgetown, Maine
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =
imagesize =
image_caption = Five Islands
image_|pushpin_
pushpin_label_position =left
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of Maine
pushpin_mapsize =
|mapsize =
map_caption =
mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 =Maine
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Sagadahoc
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1716unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 82.5
area_land_km2 = 48.5
area_water_km2 = 34.0
area_total_sq_mi = 31.8
area_land_sq_mi = 18.7
area_water_sq_mi = 13.1population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1020
population_density_km2 = 21.0
population_density_sq_mi = 54.4timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 10
elevation_ft = 33
latd = 43 |latm = 48 |lats = 38 |latNS = N
longd = 69 |longm = 44 |longs = 36 |longEW = Wpostal_code_type =
ZIP code
postal_code = 04548
area_code = 207
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 23-27295
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0582489
website =
footnotes =Georgetown is a town in Sagadahoc County,
Maine ,United States . The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. Home toReid State Park , the town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located on an island accessible by car from the mainland, Georgetown includes the villages of Five Islands, Georgetown, Bay Point, Marrtown, West Georgetown and Robinhood. It is a popular tourist destination.History
Abenaki Indians called the island Erascohegan, meaning "good spear-fishing." John Parker, afisherman from Bedfordshire,England , purchased it in 1649 from Chief Mowhotiwormet, commonly known as Chief Robinhood, for ahogshead ofrum and somepumpkin s. Parker built the first permanent homestead on what eventually became known as Parker's Island.The
Kennebec River valley was attacked and burned in 1676 duringKing Philip's War , then again in 1689 at the outset ofKing William's War , and was not resettled until after the 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth. The town of Newtown-on-Arrowsic was rebuilt in 1714 on the southern end of Arrowsic Island, which was incorporated in 1716 by theMassachusetts General Court as Georgetown-on-Arrowsic, named for King George I. The town's boundaries were extended to encompass Parker's Island, Woolwich, Phippsburg and Bath (which included West Bath). Abandoned duringDummer's War and beleaguered during theFrench and Indian Wars , the region resettled slowly in the 1750s until peace was assured with the 1759 Fall of Quebec.About half of Parker's Island provided
grazing land , and some residents raisedlivestock and producedbutter andcheese . In 1858, there were 2sawmill s, 2 shingle mills, a pailmaker and ashipbuilder . But themerchant marine andfishing were the town's principal occupations. By 1841, all the other parts of Georgetown had been set off and incorporated as towns, leaving Parker's Island with sole claim to the ancient name. Situated between the mouths of the Sheepscot and Kennebec rivers on theGulf of Maine , Georgetown developed into a summer resort, attracting a number of prominent artists. The island is a noted site forbird watching .Notable residents
*
Marsden Hartley , artist
*Gaston Lachaise , sculptor
*Laura E. Richards , children's author
*Marguerite Zorach , artist
*William Zorach , artistGeography
According to the
United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 31.9square mile s (82.5km² ), of which, 18.7 square miles (48.5 km²) of it is land and 13.1 square miles (34.0 km²) of it (41.16%) is water. Georgetown is located on an island near the mouth of theKennebec River andGulf of Maine , part of theAtlantic Ocean .It is crossed by Maine State Route 127. The island is separated by water from Westport to the northeast, Southport to the east, Phippsburg to the west, Arrowsic to the northwest, and Woolwich to the north.
Demographics
As of the
census GR|2 of 2000, there were 1,020 people, 441 households, and 287 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 54.4 people per square mile (21.0/km²). There were 931 housing units at an average density of 49.7/sq mi (19.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.92% White, 0.10% African American, 0.49% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.There were 441 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,813, and the median income for a family was $58,438. Males had a median income of $39,028 versus $24,792 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $24,709. About 3.9% of families and 6.8% of the population were below thepoverty line , including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.Education
* [http://www.georgetown.u47.k12.me.us/ Georgetown Central School]
ites of interest
* Ledgemere Nature Preserve
* [http://www.georgetownhistoricalsociety.org/ Georgetown Historical Society & Museum]
* [http://www.georgetown.u47.k12.me.us/newman.html Josephine Newman Wildlife Sanctuary]
* [http://lighthouse.cc/perkins/ Perkins Island Light]
* [http://maine.gov/cgi-bin/doc/parks/find_one_name.pl?park_id=13 Reid State Park]
* [http://lighthouse.cc/seguin/ Seguin Island Light]References
Further reading
* [http://history.rays-place.com/me/georgetown-me.htm History of Georgetown, Maine (1886)]
* A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, "A History and Description of New England", 1859; H. O. Houghton & Company, printers; Cambridge, Massachusetts
* [http://www.georgetownhistoricalsociety.org/Georgetown%20History%2010-07.html A History of Georgetown Island, Maine]
* [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mesagada/george.htm Brief Description and History of Georgetown, Maine]
* [ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/me/kennebec/kennebecvalley/shwhitney/kv44-58.txt The Kennebec Valley -- Sagadahoc County (1887)]External links
* [http://www.georgetown.u47.k12.me.us/history.html Town of Georgetown, Maine]
* [http://www.patten.lib.me.us/ Patten Free Library]
* [http://www.lkrlt.org/ Lower Kennebec Regional Land Trust]
* [http://www.lighthousefoundation.org/alf_lights/perkinsisland/perkinsisland_info.htm Friends of Perkins Island Light]
* [http://www.seguinisland.org/ Friends of Seguin Island Lighthouse]
* [http://maine.gov/local/sagadahoc/georgetown/ Maine.gov -- Georgetown, Maine]
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