Richmond, Maine
Encyclopedia
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.
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
.
During Dummer's War
, following the battle at Georgetown, Maine
, Fort Richmond was attacked in a 3 hour siege
by warriors from Norridgewock
(1722). 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 whaleboat
s, 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 potato
es. With the arrival of steamboat
s 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.
A little known fact about Richmond is that it was once the epicenter of the largest Russian-speaking settlement in the United States. People of Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish heritage emigrated to the US during WWII to settle along the Kennebec Valley.
, the town has a total area of 31.6 square miles (81.8 km²), of which 30.4 square miles (78.7 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) (3.70%) is water. Richmond is drained by Mill Brook, Abagadasset River and Kennebec River
. Peacock Beach State Park
, established in May 2010, is a state park located on Pleasant Pond in Richmond.
At the 2000 census
, there were 3,298 people, 1,290 households and 900 families residing in the town. The population density
was 108.5 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% Asia
n, 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 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.
Age distribution was 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 household income
was $36,654, and the median family income 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.
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 Sagadahoc County
Sagadahoc County, Maine
Sagadahoc County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 35,293. Its county seat is Bath. In total area, it is the smallest county in Maine....
, 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 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 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...
–South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
–Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, Maine metropolitan statistical area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
.
Richmond is the departure point for state boat service to Swan Island, site of the Steve Powell Refuge and Wildlife Management Area.
History
The tract of land which comprises Richmond and GardinerGardiner, Maine
Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,198 at the 2000 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture.-History:...
was purchased in 1649 from the Abenaki Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
by Christopher Lawson. In 1719, Fort Richmond was built by Massachusetts
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...
on the western bank of the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
at what is today Richmond village. Named for Ludovic Stewart
Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox
Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox and 1st Duke of Richmond was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was the son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox and his wife Catherine de Balsac. Stewart was involved in the Plantation of Ulster in Ireland and the colonization of Maine in New England...
, 1st Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond
The title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
, the fort included a blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
, trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
, chapel, officers' and soldiers' quarters, all surrounded by a palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
.
During Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, following the battle at Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown, Maine
Georgetown is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2000 census. Home to Reid State Park, the town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Fort Richmond was attacked in a 3 hour siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
by warriors from Norridgewock
Norridgewock
The Norridgewock were a band of the Abenaki Native Americans/First Nations, an Eastern Algonquian tribe of the United States and Canada. The tribe occupied an area in Maine to the west and northwest of the Penawapskewi tribe, which was located on the western bank of the Penobscot River...
(1722). Houses were burned and cattle slain, but the fort held. Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
and other settlements near the mouth of the Kennebec were destroyed. The defense was enlarged in 1723 during Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
. On August 19, 1724, a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
of 208 soldiers departed Fort Richmond under command of captains Jeremiah Moulton and Johnson Harmon, traveled up the Kennebec in 17 whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
s, 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
Fort Western
Fort Western was a colonial outpost at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River at modern Augusta, Maine, United States.It was built in 1754 by a Boston land company to promote settlement in the area. The fort was a log palisade with blockhouses which protected a store and warehouse. It was...
and Halifax were built upriver.
Settled in 1725, the community was part of Bowdoinham
Bowdoinham, Maine
Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.-History:Fort Richmond was...
when it was incorporated in 1762 by the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
. In 1790, Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
veteran John Plummer was awarded a land grant on Plummer Road, where his son built the surviving house about 1810. But President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's Embargo of 1807
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 and the subsequent Nonintercourse Acts were American laws restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years of 1807 and 1812. The Acts were diplomatic responses by presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison designed to protect American interests...
crippled the port's economy, bankrupted merchants and created a recession which lingered through the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
The town was set off and incorporated on February 10, 1823, taking its name from the old fort. Farms produced hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
and 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. With the arrival of steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s in the 1830s, Richmond boomed as a shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
and trade center. A brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
was established. The community also produced shoes
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
, 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
Riverport
Riverport can refer to:*Riverport, Nova Scotia which is located around Ritcey's Cove and surrounded by the communities of Five Houses, Lower LaHave, East LaHave and Middle LaHave, Upper and Lower Rose Bay, Upper and Lower Kingsburg, Indian Path, Bayport, Feltzen South and The Ovens are collectively...
popular with tourists.
A little known fact about Richmond is that it was once the epicenter of the largest Russian-speaking settlement in the United States. People of Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish heritage emigrated to the US during WWII to settle along the Kennebec Valley.
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 31.6 square miles (81.8 km²), of which 30.4 square miles (78.7 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) (3.70%) is water. Richmond is drained by Mill Brook, Abagadasset River and Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
. Peacock Beach State Park
Peacock Beach State Park
Peacock Beach State Park is a state park in Richmond, Maine. Established in 2010, Peacock Beach is located on Pleasant Pond, on U.S. Route 201 between the Maine Turnpike and I-295, about south of Augusta.-References:...
, established in May 2010, is a state park located on Pleasant Pond in Richmond.
Demographics
See also: Richmond (CDP), MaineRichmond (CDP), Maine
Richmond is a census-designated place in the town of Richmond in Sagadahoc County, Maine. The population was 1,864 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
At the 2000 census
Census
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...
, there were 3,298 people, 1,290 households and 900 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 108.5 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
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.18% Native American, 0.24% Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There were 1,290 households of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% 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, 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.
Age distribution was 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 household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $36,654, and the median family income was $48,125. Males had a median income of $30,557 versus $25,844 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 $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.
Sites of interest
- Richmond Historical & Cultural Society
- H. T. J. Southard House Museum -- built about 1870 and remodeled in 1886
Notable people
- De Alva S. AlexanderDe Alva S. AlexanderDe Alva Stanwood Alexander was an American journalist, lawyer, historian, and member of the United States House of Representatives....
, journalist, lawyer, congressman - Walter A. BurleighWalter A. BurleighWalter Atwood Burleigh was an American physician, lawyer, and pioneer. He represented the Dakota Territory as a non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives....
, physician, congressman - Seth GoodallSeth GoodallSeth Goodall is an American politician and lawyer. Goodall is a Democratic State Senator from Maine's 19th District, representing part of Sagadahoc County, including the population centers of Bath and Topsham. He was first elected to the Maine State Senate in 2008 after serving from 2007 to 2008 as...
, State Senator - George Hamilton-GordonGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 6th Earl of AberdeenGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 6th Earl of Aberdeen , styled Lord Haddo from 1860 to 1864, was a Scottish peer and sailor.Hamilton-Gordon was born at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the eldest son of the 5th Earl of Aberdeen...
, Scottish earl, sailor