Belgrade, Maine
Encyclopedia
Belgrade is a town
in Kennebec County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 2,978 at the 2000 census
. Belgrade's population, however, approximately doubles during the summer months as part-year residents return to seasonal camps located on the shores of Great Pond
, Long Pond and Messalonskee Lake. Belgrade includes the villages of North Belgrade, Belgrade Depot and Belgrade Lakes (or The Village).
, from which inhabitants obtained their titles. Called Washington Plantation, it was first settled in 1774 by Philip Snow from New Hampshire
. On February 3, 1796, it was incorporated as Belgrade, named after Belgrade
, Serbia
. The surface of the town is uneven, much of it covered by water in the form of a connected chain of lakes. The largest lake is Great Pond
, which dominates the town. Agriculture
became the chief occupation of the inhabitants, with potato
es the principal crop.
Outlets of the ponds provided water power for mills
. In 1859, there was a shovel
factory and spool
factory, as well as several sawmill
s and gristmill
s. By 1886, there were also factories that made rake
s, shingle
s, excelsior
, scythe
s and boxes. With the arrival of the railroad, Belgrade developed into a tourist resort of fishing
, boating
and lakeside cottages. The Belgrade Hotel, designed by noted Portland
architect
John Calvin Stevens
, was built at Belgrade Lakes. The town was an annual summertime destination for the writers E.B. White and Ernest Thompson. The latter's sojourns at Great Pond inspired his 1979 play On Golden Pond, which was made into the Academy Award–winning 1981 movie, On Golden Pond
.
, the town has a total area of 57.9 square miles (150 km²), of which, 43.2 square miles (111.9 km²) of it is land and 14.7 square miles (38.1 km²) of it (25.32%) is water. Belgrade is drained by the Belgrade Stream.
The town is crossed by 11, 27
, 135 and 225
. It borders the towns of Smithfield
to the northeast, Oakland
and Sidney
to the east, Manchester
and Readfield to the south, Mount Vernon
to the southwest, and Rome
to the northwest.
of 2000, there were 2,978 people, 1,178 households, and 876 families residing in the town. The population density
was 68.9 people per square mile (26.6/km²). There were 2,007 housing units at an average density of 46.4 per square mile (17.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.69% White, 0.10% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 1,178 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $39,053, and the median income for a family was $42,321. Males had a median income of $32,226 versus $24,962 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,407. About 8.4% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
, but there is also a lumber factory owned by Hammond Lumber which provides around 80 jobs.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Kennebec County
Kennebec County, Maine
Kennebec County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 122,151. Its county seat is Augusta. The center of population of Maine is located in Kennebec County, in the city of Augusta....
, 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...
. The population was 2,978 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Belgrade's population, however, approximately doubles during the summer months as part-year residents return to seasonal camps located on the shores of Great Pond
Great Pond
The largest great pond in Maine named Great Pond is located in Kennebec County and is part of the Kennebec River watershed. There are several other, smaller ponds named Great Pond in Maine and New England. Great Pond is among the largest waterbodies in the world named "pond".Great Pond receives...
, Long Pond and Messalonskee Lake. Belgrade includes the villages of North Belgrade, Belgrade Depot and Belgrade Lakes (or The Village).
History
The land was originally owned by the Plymouth CompanyPlymouth Company
The Plymouth Company was an English joint stock company founded in 1606 by James I of England with the purpose of establishing settlements on the coast of North America.The Plymouth Company was one of two companies, along with the London Company, chartered with such...
, from which inhabitants obtained their titles. Called Washington Plantation, it was first settled in 1774 by Philip Snow from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. On February 3, 1796, it was incorporated as Belgrade, named after Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The surface of the town is uneven, much of it covered by water in the form of a connected chain of lakes. The largest lake is Great Pond
Great Pond
The largest great pond in Maine named Great Pond is located in Kennebec County and is part of the Kennebec River watershed. There are several other, smaller ponds named Great Pond in Maine and New England. Great Pond is among the largest waterbodies in the world named "pond".Great Pond receives...
, which dominates the town. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
became the chief occupation of the inhabitants, with potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es the principal crop.
Outlets of the ponds provided water power for mills
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
. In 1859, there was a shovel
Shovel
A shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Shovels are extremely common tools that are used extensively in agriculture, construction, and gardening....
factory and spool
Bobbin
A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in sewing machines, cameras, and within electronic equipment....
factory, as well as several 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....
s and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s. By 1886, there were also factories that made rake
Rake
Rake may refer to:* Rake , a horticultural implement, a long-handled tool with tines* Rake or hay rake, a farm implement* Rake or castor angle – various fork offset angles in bicycle and motorcycle geometry...
s, shingle
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
s, excelsior
Excelsior (wood wool)
Wood wool, known primarily as excelsior in North America, is a product made of wood slivers cut from logs and is mainly used in packaging, for cooling pads in home evaporative cooling systems known as swamp coolers, for erosion control mats, and as a raw material for the production of other...
, scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
s and boxes. With the arrival of the railroad, Belgrade developed into a tourist resort of 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....
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
and lakeside cottages. The Belgrade Hotel, designed by noted 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...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
John Calvin Stevens
John Calvin Stevens
John Calvin Stevens was an American architect who worked in two related styles — the Shingle Style, in which he was a major innovator, and the Colonial Revival style, which dominated national domestic architecture for the first half of the 20th century...
, was built at Belgrade Lakes. The town was an annual summertime destination for the writers E.B. White and Ernest Thompson. The latter's sojourns at Great Pond inspired his 1979 play On Golden Pond, which was made into the Academy Award–winning 1981 movie, On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond (1981 film)
On Golden Pond is a 1981 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson was adapted from his 1979 play of the same title. Henry Fonda won the Academy Award in what was his final film role. Co-star Katharine Hepburn also received an Oscar, as did Thompson for his...
.
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 57.9 square miles (150 km²), of which, 43.2 square miles (111.9 km²) of it is land and 14.7 square miles (38.1 km²) of it (25.32%) is water. Belgrade is drained by the Belgrade Stream.
The town is crossed by 11, 27
Maine State Route 27
State Route 27 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from the village of Newagen in Southport to the Canadian Border in Coburn Gore...
, 135 and 225
Maine State Route 225
State Route 225 is a route that runs almost entirely through the town of Rome, Maine. It begins at the intersection of State Route 27 in Rome, and is the main road for the town...
. It borders the towns of Smithfield
Smithfield, Maine
Smithfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 930 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated on February 29, 1840 making it the only town in Maine incorporated on Leap Day. The town was named after the Rev...
to the northeast, Oakland
Oakland, Maine
Oakland is a town in Kennebec County in the U.S. state of Maine. The population was 6,240 at the 2010 census. . Gateway to the Belgrade Lakes region, Oakland is 4 miles west of Waterville and approximately 18 miles north of Augusta, the state capital.-History:It was first settled about 1780 by...
and Sidney
Sidney, Maine
Sidney is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,514 at the 2000 census. Sidney was incorporated as a town on January 30, 1792...
to the east, Manchester
Manchester, Maine
Manchester is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, located at . The population was 2,465 at the 2000 census. In the early 19th century, the town was known as "The Forks".-Geography:...
and Readfield to the south, Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Maine
Mount Vernon is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,524 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.4 square miles , of which, 37.9 square miles of it is land and 5.6 square miles of...
to the southwest, and Rome
Rome, Maine
Rome is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 980 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Belgrade Lakes resort area.-History:...
to the northwest.
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 2,978 people, 1,178 households, and 876 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 68.9 people per square mile (26.6/km²). There were 2,007 housing units at an average density of 46.4 per square mile (17.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.69% White, 0.10% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.03% 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 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 1,178 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $39,053, and the median income for a family was $42,321. Males had a median income of $32,226 versus $24,962 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 $20,407. About 8.4% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Belgrade is largely a commuter townCommuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, but there is also a lumber factory owned by Hammond Lumber which provides around 80 jobs.
Notable people
- Joseph Force Crater, judge
- Anson P. MorrillAnson P. MorrillAnson Peaslee Morrill was an American politician. Born in 1803 in Belgrade, Maine, originally a storekeeper and millkeeper, he was the 24th Governor of Maine from 1855 to 1856, represented Maine's fourth district in the United States House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863 and served in the...
, congressman, 24th governor of Maine - Lot M. MorrillLot M. MorrillLot Myrick Morrill was an American statesman who served as the 28th Governor of Maine, in the United States Senate and as Secretary of the Treasury....
, secretary of the treasury, senator, 28th governor of Maine - Olin Sewall Pettingill JrOlin Sewall Pettingill JrOlin Sewall Pettingill, Jr., , better known as Sewall Pettingill, was an American naturalist, author and filmmaker, president of the Wilson Ornithological Society from 1948 to 1950, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society from 1955 to 1974, and a Life Fellow of the...
, naturalist, author and filmmaker - Greenleaf T. StevensGreenleaf T. StevensGreenleaf T. Stevens commanded the 5th Maine Battery in the American Civil War. His battery is commemorated by a monument on Stevens' Knoll, named for him, on the Gettysburg Battlefield. It was among the first parts of the battlefield purchased for preservation.-Pre War:Greenleaf Thurlow Stevens...
, military officer