Richmond, Maine
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| Richmond, Maine | |
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  Richmond, Maine
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Sagadahoc |
| Incorporated | 1823 |
| Area | |
| - Total | 31.6 sq mi (81.8 km²) |
| - Land | 30.4 sq mi (78.7 km²) |
| - Water | 1.2 sq mi (3.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 210 ft (64 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,298 |
| - Density | 108.5/sq mi (41.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 04357 |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-62645 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582695 |
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Richmond is the departure point for state boat service to Swan Island, site of the Steve Powell Refuge and Wildlife Management Area.
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[edit] History
The tract of land which comprises Richmond and Gardiner was purchased in 1649 from the Abenaki Indians by Christopher Lawson. In 1719, Fort Richmond was built by Massachusetts on the western bank of the Kennebec River at what is today Richmond village. Named for Ludovic Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, the fort included a blockhouse, trading post, chapel, officers' and soldiers' quarters, all surrounded by a palisade.
In 1722, Fort Richmond was attacked in a 3 hour siege by warriors from Norridgewock. Houses were burned and cattle slain, but the fort held. Brunswick and other settlements near the mouth of the Kennebec were destroyed. The defense was enlarged in 1723 during Dummer's War. On August 19, 1724, a militia of 208 soldiers departed Fort Richmond under command of captains Jeremiah Moulton and Johnson Harmon, traveled up the Kennebec in 17 whaleboats, and sacked Norridgewock. Fort Richmond would be rebuilt in 1740, attacked by another tribe in 1750, then dismantled in 1755 when forts Shirley (also called Frankfort), Western and Halifax were built upriver.
Settled in 1725, the community was part of Bowdoinham when it was incorporated in 1762 by the Massachusetts General Court. In 1790, Revolutionary War veteran John Plummer was awarded a land grant on Plummer Road, where his son built the surviving house about 1810. But President Thomas Jefferson's Embargo of 1807 crippled the port's economy, bankrupted merchants and created a recession which lingered through the War of 1812.
The town was set off and incorporated on February 10, 1823, taking its name from the old fort. Farms produced hay and potatoes. With the arrival of steamboats in the 1830s, Richmond boomed as a shipbuilding and trade center. A brass foundry was established. The community also produced shoes, sails and wood products. Its peak years were between 1835 and 1857, endowing the town with a wealth of fine Greek Revival architecture, which today makes the old riverport popular with tourists.
[edit] Notable residents
- De Alva S. Alexander, journalist, lawyer & congressman
- Walter A. Burleigh, physician & congressman
- George Hamilton-Gordon, Scottish peer & sailor
- George Harrison, Song Writer, Guitarist, Beatle
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.6 square miles (81.8 km²), of which, 30.4 square miles (78.7 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (3.70%) is water. Richmond is drained by Mill Brook, Abagadasset River and Kennebec River.
[edit] Demographics
See also: Richmond (CDP), Maine
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,298 people, 1,290 households, and 900 families residing in the town. The population density was 108.5 people per square mile (41.9/km²). There were 1,475 housing units at an average density of 18.7 persons/km² (48.5 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 98.18% White, 0.42% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,290 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 11.1% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,654, and the median income for a family was $48,125. Males had a median income of $30,557 versus $25,844 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,896. 13.6% of the population and 14.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 22.7% are under the age of 18 and 6.1% are 65 or older.
[edit] Sites of interest
- Richmond Historical & Cultural Society
- C. H. T. J. Southard House Museum, built about 1870 and remodeled in 1886
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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