Newcastle, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Newcastle, Maine
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Damariscotta River c. 1920
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Location in Lincoln County and the state of Maine.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Lincoln |
| Incorporated | 1753 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 32.57 sq mi (84.36 km2) |
| • Land | 29.05 sq mi (75.24 km2) |
| • Water | 3.52 sq mi (9.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,848 |
| • Density | 64/sq mi (24.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
04553
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| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-48645 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582617 |
Newcastle is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,848 at the 2020 census. The village of Newcastle is located in the eastern part of the town, on the Damariscotta River. Together with the village of Damariscotta linked by the Main Street bridge, they form the Twin Villages (see Damariscotta-Newcastle CDP).
Contents
History
Originally called Sheepscot Plantation, Newcastle was first settled in the 1630s by fishermen and around 50 families. Around 1649-50, John Mason purchased a considerable tract of land from the sachems Chief Robinhood and Chief Jack Pudding. The territory was claimed in 1665 by the Duke of York. Renamed New Dartmouth, the plantation was attacked and destroyed in 1676 during King Philip's War. When the war was over, some of the inhabitants returned. But it was destroyed again in 1689 during King William's War, and the village was not reoccupied for about 40 years. In 1730, Colonel David Dunbar, the superintendent and governor of the Province of Sagadahoc, resettled it as Newcastle, named in honor of the Duke of Newcastle.
In 1978, the picturesque village of Sheepscot on the Sheepscot River in western Newcastle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sheepscot Historic District. It includes 51 buildings in the Italianate, Greek Revival, and Federal styles, on 12,000 acres (49 km2). (The USGS recognizes Sheepscott, Shepscooke, Shippscutt, and Shipscot as variants of the name Sheepscot.)
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.57 square miles (84.36 km2), of which, 29.05 square miles (75.24 km2) of it is land and 3.52 square miles (9.12 km2) is water. Newcastle is situated beside the Damariscotta River.
The town is crossed by U. S. Route 1 and state routes 194 and 215. It borders the towns of Jefferson to the north, Edgecomb to the south, and Alna to the northwest. Separated by water, it is near the towns of Wiscasset to the southwest, and Nobleboro, Damariscotta, Bristol and South Bristol to the east.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 896 | — | |
| 1800 | 996 | 11.2% | |
| 1810 | 1,232 | 23.7% | |
| 1820 | 1,243 | 0.9% | |
| 1830 | 1,544 | 24.2% | |
| 1840 | 1,712 | 10.9% | |
| 1850 | 2,012 | 17.5% | |
| 1860 | 1,791 | −11.0% | |
| 1870 | 1,729 | −3.5% | |
| 1880 | 1,534 | −11.3% | |
| 1890 | 1,282 | −16.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,075 | −16.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,066 | −0.8% | |
| 1920 | 993 | −6.8% | |
| 1930 | 914 | −8.0% | |
| 1940 | 994 | 8.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,021 | 2.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,101 | 7.8% | |
| 1970 | 1,076 | −2.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,227 | 14.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,538 | 25.3% | |
| 2000 | 1,748 | 13.7% | |
| 2010 | 1,752 | 0.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,848 | 5.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,752 people, 787 households, and 505 families living in the town. The population density was 60.3 inhabitants per square mile (23.3/km2). There were 992 housing units at an average density of 34.1 per square mile (13.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.8% White, 0.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.
There were 787 households, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.70.
The median age in the town was 49.6 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.8% were from 25 to 44; 33.4% were from 45 to 64; and 23.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
Sites of interest
St. Patrick's Church is the oldest Catholic Church in New England, built in 1803. Among the founders are Roger and Patrick Hanly, brothers from Bristol via Ireland approx. 1777. *Damariscotta River Cruises
Notable people
- Edwin Flye, US congressman
- William T. Glidden, clipper ship line co-owner and railroad investor
- Frances Perkins, US Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Roosevelt
- Peter Throckmorton, American pioneer underwater archaeologist
Images for kids
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Second Congregational Church
See also
In Spanish: Newcastle (Maine) para niños
