Dover-Foxcroft, Maine Facts for Kids

Dover-Foxcroft is a town in Maine, United States. It is the biggest town in Piscataquis County. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 4,422 people lived there. The town is located close to the middle of Maine.

History of Dover-Foxcroft
Geography
- Climate
Population Information
Education
Notable People
Images for kids
See also

History of Dover-Foxcroft

Dover-Foxcroft wasn't always one town. It used to be two separate towns: Dover and Foxcroft. The Piscataquis River flowed between them. Dover was south of the river, and Foxcroft was north.

How Dover Started

Dover was bought from Massachusetts by two merchants from Boston. They were Charles Vaughan and John Merrick, who came from England. The first people to settle there permanently arrived in 1803. Dover officially became a town on January 19, 1822. Early settlers mostly worked in farming. They grew crops like potatoes, corn, and grain.

How Foxcroft Started

Foxcroft was once known by a longer name, T5 R7 NWP. It was one of five towns given to Bowdoin College in 1796. Joseph E. Foxcroft bought it from the college in 1800. The first settlers, John, Eleazer, and Seth Spaulding, arrived in 1806. They built the first mill there. For a while, it was called Spauldingtown. On February 29, 1812, it officially became Foxcroft, named after its owner.

Growing Together

The Piscataquis River was very important for both towns. It provided water power for many mills. By 1859, Dover had about 2,500 people. Its industries included sawmills, shingle makers, a gristmill (for grinding grain), tanneries (for making leather), and factories that made carriages and wool products.

Foxcroft also had many industries. By 1859, it had about 1,045 people. Its businesses included sawmills, a shingle mill, and makers of carriages, chairs, and pails. There were also machinists and factories for doors and window parts. A company that made pianos started in 1866 and operated until 1921.

Finally, on March 1, 1922, the two towns of Dover and Foxcroft joined together to become one town.

Special Features and Events

Dover-Foxcroft has a cool United States post office mural. It was painted a long time ago during the New Deal era.

The American Woolen Company Foxcroft Mill is a historic area. It has old factory buildings built between 1841 and 1944. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

The town is also home to the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival. This is a fun event that happens once a year in late June. It started in 2009 to celebrate the whoopie pie. The whoopie pie became the official state treat of Maine in 2013! Many people visit the town for this festival. For example, over 7,500 people came in 2014.

Geography

Dover-Foxcroft covers a total area of about 71.18 square miles (184.36 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 67.81 square miles (175.63 square kilometers). The rest is water, about 3.37 square miles (8.73 square kilometers). The Piscataquis River flows through the town.

Several state roads pass through Dover-Foxcroft. These include Route 6, Route 7, Route 15, Route 16, and Route 153. The town is also the main place for shopping and business in Piscataquis County.

Climate

Dover-Foxcroft has a type of climate called a humid continental climate. This means it has big differences in temperature throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot, and often humid. Winters are cold, and sometimes very cold.

Population Information

The population of Dover-Foxcroft has changed over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived there during different census years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	1,042	—
1840	1,597	53.3%
1850	1,927	20.7%
1860	1,970	2.2%
1870	1,983	0.7%
1880	1,687	−14.9%
1890	1,942	15.1%
1900	1,889	−2.7%
1910	2,091	10.7%
1920	1,979	−5.4%
1930	3,750	89.5%
1940	4,015	7.1%
1950	4,218	5.1%
1960	4,173	−1.1%
1970	4,178	0.1%
1980	4,323	3.5%
1990	4,657	7.7%
2000	4,211	−9.6%
2010	4,213	0.0%
2020	4,422	5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 4,213 people living in Dover-Foxcroft. The average age of people in the town was 45 years old. About 21.5% of the residents were under 18 years old.

Education

Dover-Foxcroft is part of Regional School Unit 68 (RSU68). This school district provides education for the town and nearby communities.

There are three schools in Dover-Foxcroft:

SeDoMoCha Elementary School teaches students from Pre-K to 4th grade.
SeDoMoCha Middle School is for grades 5 to 8. Its name comes from four towns that send students there: Sebec, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson, and Charleston.
Foxcroft Academy is a private high school. It accepts all students from the RSU68 district. It also has students from other parts of Maine and even from other countries. The academy has dorms and boarding houses in town for its students.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Dover-Foxcroft:

Corey Beaulieu – a lead guitarist for the band Trivium
Clarence Blethen – a baseball pitcher
Mary Mitchell Birchall – the first woman to graduate from a college in New England
Alfred Eliab Buck – a U.S. Representative from Alabama
Stephen Decatur Carpenter – a military officer
Rob Derhak – a bass player and singer for the band Moe
Brita Filter – a drag queen and activist
Lisa Rowe Fraustino – a children's author
Frank E. Guernsey – a U.S. Representative from Maine
Laurie G. Lachance – the president of Thomas College
Chad R. Perkins – a state legislator
Henry Otis Pratt – a minister and U.S. Representative from Iowa
Nathaniel S. Robinson – a Wisconsin legislator and doctor
Ninetta May Runnals (1885–1980) – Dean of Women at Colby College
Dave Schwep – a director and photographer
Douglas Smith – a state legislator
Lillian M. N. Stevens – a worker for temperance (a movement against alcohol)
Henry M. Thompson – a Wisconsin legislator and businessperson
Amasa Tracy – a military officer
Leroy M. Washburn – a Wisconsin legislator