Boothbay, Maine

Boothbay, Maine
—  Town  —
Farnham's Cove in 1907
Boothbay, Maine
Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Maine
County Lincoln
Incorporated 1764
Area
 • Total 46.1 sq mi (119.5 km2)
 • Land 22.1 sq mi (57.2 km2)
 • Water 24.0 sq mi (62.2 km2)
Elevation 23 ft (7 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 2,960
 • Density 134.0/sq mi (51.7/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 04537, 04549
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-06050
GNIS feature ID 0582358
Website www.town.boothbay.me.us

Boothbay is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of East Boothbay and Trevett. The Boothbay region is a center of summer tourist activity, and a significant part of its population does not live there year round.[1]

Contents

History

The first European presence was a British fishing station on Cape Newagen in 1623. By the 1630s, there were a few families. Henry Curtis purchased from the sachem Mowhotiwormet (commonly known as Chief Robinhood) the right to settle here in 1666. The inhabitants fled in 1676 during King Philip's War and returned in 1677. In 1689 during King William's War, they were driven out again, and the village remained a desolate waste for 40 years.[2]

Colonel David Dunbar, governor of the Territory of Sagadahock, laid out a town in 1730 known as Townsend, and convinced about 40 families of Scots-Irish Presbyterians, largely from the north of Ireland, to settle here. Some were veterans of the Revolution of 1688. Named for Lord Charles Townshend, this settlement survived and was incorporated November 3, 1764. It was renamed Boothbay in 1842 after the hamlet of Boothby, which is located about a mile east of Welton le Marsh in Lincolnshire, England.[3] Southport was set off in 1842 and incorporated as a town, followed in 1889 by Boothbay Harbor.[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.1 square miles (119 km2), of which 22.1 square miles (57 km2) is land and 24.0 square miles (62 km2) (52.09%) is water. Situated on the Cape Newagen peninsula extending into the Gulf of Maine, Boothbay lies between the Sheepscot River and Damariscotta River. The town includes Damariscove Island.

Boothbay is crossed by state routes 27 and 96. It borders the towns of Edgecomb to the north, and Boothbay Harbor to the south. Separated by water, it is near the towns of Westport to the west, and South Bristol to the east.

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,960 people, 1,261 households, and 881 families residing in the town. The population density was 134.0 people per square mile (51.7/km²). There were 2,046 housing units at an average density of 92.6 per square mile (35.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.05% White, 0.03% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population.

There were 1,261 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,406, and the median income for a family was $45,761. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $28,370 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,036. About 5.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

References

  1. ^ Information obtained in a February 27th, 2011 interview with a former Boothbay resident.
  2. ^ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 59–60. http://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA9&dq=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA59#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  3. ^ Varney, George J. (1886), Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Boothbay, Boston: Russell, http://history.rays-place.com/me/boothbay-me.htm 
  4. ^ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson. ed. Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc.. pp. 325. 
  5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

Further reading

External links