New Gloucester, Maine

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New Gloucester is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, in the United States.

[edit] History

New Gloucester was established under a grant from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
"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. 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 due to the heightened Indian attacks during King George’s War. In 1753, settlers returned and commenced work on a two story, fifty-foot square blockhouse with a stockade 110 feet on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding sixty acres 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."
Plaque at the site of the New Gloucester Blockhouse, Rededicated by the New Gloucester Historical Society, May 17, 2003.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village:

"Hands to work, hearts to God."

In 1783, the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was established in New Gloucester. It is the last of formerly nineteen religious "societies," stretching from Maine to Florida, to be operated by the Shakers themselves. Several other villages, now disbanded by the church, are managed as museums for the preservation and study of the Shaker legacy.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 123.7 km² (47.8 mi²). 122.0 km² (47.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (1.42%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 4,803 people, 1,761 households, and 1,313 families residing in the town. The population density was 39.4/km² (102.0/mi²). There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of 15.5/km² (40.1/mi²). 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.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,599, and the median income for a family was $57,727. Males had a median income of $35,699 versus $26,358 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,527. 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.

Coordinates: 43°57′46″N, 70°16′57″W