Bath, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bath
City
Bath City Hall
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  City of Ships
Location of Bath in Maine
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Sagadahoc
Incorporated (town)	February 17, 1781
Incorporated (city)	June 14, 1847
Area
• Total	13.22 sq mi (34.23 km2)
• Land	9.12 sq mi (23.62 km2)
• Water	4.10 sq mi (10.61 km2)
Elevation	62 ft (19 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,766
• Density	961.18/sq mi (371.10/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	04530
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-03355
GNIS feature ID	0561723
Website	http://www.cityofbath.com/

Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. It's often called "The City of Ships" because so many sailing ships were built here. Bath is also the main town of Sagadahoc County.

As of 2024, about 8,870 people live in Bath. The city is growing slowly. Many visitors come to Bath to see its beautiful 19th-century buildings. It is home to the famous Bath Iron Works and hosts the fun Heritage Days Festival every year around the Fourth of July.

History of Bath: From Native Americans to Shipbuilders

This historic Street clock stands at Front and Centre Streets.

The first people in this area were the Abenaki Indians. They called the place Sagadahoc, which means "mouth of big river." This name referred to the Kennebec River, which Samuel de Champlain explored in 1605.

The first English settlement, Popham Colony, was started nearby in 1607. It didn't last long because of bad weather and poor leadership. However, the colonists built the Virginia of Sagadahoc, the first oceangoing ship made by English shipbuilders in the New World. This ship helped them sail back to England.

How Bath Got Its Name

Around 1660, more settlers arrived in Sagadahoc. The land was bought from a local Indian leader called Robinhood. In 1753, this area became part of Georgetown.

On February 17, 1781, Bath officially became its own town. The postmaster, Dummer Sewall, named it after Bath in Somerset, England. Later, in 1844, a part of Bath became West Bath. On June 14, 1847, Bath became a city. In 1854, it was chosen as the county seat.

Bath's Famous Shipbuilding Industry

Bath became a hub for many businesses, including lumber, iron, and brass. It also traded in ice and coal. But the city is most famous for its shipbuilding. At one point, over 200 shipbuilding companies were in Bath!

The industry started in 1743 when Jonathan Philbrook and his sons built two ships. Since then, about 5,000 ships have been launched from Bath. By the mid-19th century, it was the fifth-largest seaport in the nation.

The beautiful clipper ships built in Bath sailed to ports all over the world. The last company to build wooden ships here was the Percy & Small Shipyard. Their schooner Wyoming is known as the largest wooden ship ever built. Today, you can see it preserved at the Maine Maritime Museum.

The most well-known shipyard is the Bath Iron Works. Thomas W. Hyde started it in 1884. This company has built hundreds of wooden and steel ships, mostly warships for the U.S. Navy. During World War II, Bath Iron Works launched a new ship about every 17 days! Today, it's a major employer and part of the General Dynamics Corporation.

Important Buildings and Movies

Bath is known for its beautiful buildings in styles like Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate. One example is the 1858 Custom House and Post Office.

You might be interested to know that parts of the movies Message in a Bottle (1999) and The Man Without a Face (1993) were filmed in Bath.

The Historic Street Clock

In 1915, Fred Cox, who owned Hallet's Drug Store, bought the large street clock at Front and Centre Streets. It was built in Boston four years earlier. The clock was moved in 1966 and later given to the city by the Harry Crooker family. They asked that it always be kept working. The clock was restored in 2000 and still keeps time today.

Geography and Nature in Bath

Bath is located at 43°54′59″N 69°49′21″W / 43.91639°N 69.82250°W / 43.91639; -69.82250. The city covers about 13.22 square miles (34.23 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with some water.

Beautiful Green Spaces

Bath has several nature preserves that are protected by the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust. These include:

• Thorne Head Preserve (just north of Bath)
• Butler Head Preserve (a bit further north)

There are also many parks and walking trails around the city, like the Whiskeag Trail. These places are great for exploring nature.

Population of Bath

What the 2010 Census Showed

In 2010, there were 8,514 people living in Bath.

• Most residents (95.1%) were White.
• About 1.2% were African American.
• About 0.3% were Native American.
• About 0.6% were Asian.
• About 1.8% were Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Bath was 41 years old.

• 22.2% of people were under 18.
• 24.7% were between 25 and 44.
• 16.5% were 65 or older.

There were more females (53.3%) than males (46.7%) living in the city.

Education in Bath

The historic Erudition Schoolhouse (1794) in 1911.

Bath has several schools for students of different ages:

• RSU 1 (Regional School Unit 1)
  • Dike-Newell Elementary for grades K–2
  • Fisher-Mitchell Elementary for grades 3–5
  • Bath Middle School for grades 6–8. Their mascot is "the Destroyers," named after the ships built at Bath Iron Works.
  • Morse High School is home to the "Shipbuilders" team. They offer many sports like soccer, basketball, and track. They also have clubs like the International Club and Debate Team. A new school building opened in 2021. Morse High School has one of the oldest active High School Alumni Associations in the U.S.

Morse High School

• Hyde School is a private college preparatory school for grades 9–12. Their mascot is the wolfpack.

Local Library

• Patten Free Library is the public library for Bath.

Notable People from Bath

Sister City

Bath has a special friendship with a city in Japan:

• – Tsugaru, Aomori, Japan (since 2006)

Climate in Bath

Bath has a climate with cold, snowy winters and mild summers. It rains or snows a lot throughout the year. Winters are not as harsh as in some inland areas, but it can get very cold.

Fun Places to Visit in Bath

Bath has many interesting places to explore:

• Maine Maritime Museum: Learn all about Maine's rich sea history and shipbuilding.
• Maine's First Ship: See a replica of the Virginia of Sagadahoc.
• Chocolate Church Arts Center: Enjoy plays, concerts, and art shows.
• Studio Theatre of Bath: Watch local theater performances.
• Midcoast Youth Center: A place for young people to gather and have fun.
• Bath Municipal Band: Listen to live music performances.

Panoramic view of Sagadahoc Bridge with the old train and elevated road bridge behind it during the Heritage Days festival, Bath, Maine, USA 2012

Cemeteries in Bath

Oak Grove Cemetery and, across the street, Maple Grove Cemetery.

Bath has about twenty known cemeteries. This is fewer than some nearby towns. This is because Bath became a busy city early on, leaving less space for small family burial grounds.

The city takes care of its three main cemeteries:

• Oak Grove
• Maple Grove
• Calvary

They also manage four smaller ones: Dummer Sewall, David Trufant, Pettingill, and Fairview. The David Trufant cemetery is believed to be the oldest in Bath.

Many other old family plots exist, but they are not managed by the city. Some of these include Harrison, Crawford, Roberts-Edgecomb, and Purington. Some old cemeteries, like Whittam and Wise-Welch, are hard to find today. Wise-Welch has Bath's oldest known burial from 1749.

Images for kids

• 

  Waterfront in 1907

• 

  Front Street c. 1920

• 

  Custom House c. 1905

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  Washington Street in 1914

• 

  Library Park in 1917

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  Old City Hall in 1909

See also

In Spanish: Bath (Maine) para niños