2.1 LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT OF STUDY
2.2 HISTORY OF THE MERRYMEETING BAY AREA
2.3 REFERENCES
Merrymeeting Bay is a large freshwater tidal bay located in the
mid coastal region of Maine and formed by the confluence of six
rivers including the Androscoggin, Kennebec, Eastern, Cathance,
Abagadasset, and Muddy Rivers. The Kennebec and Androscoggin are
Maine's second and third largest rivers draining 5,870 and 3,450
square miles respectively. The remaining four rivers drain
collectively less than 200 square miles. The Bay itself encompasses
about 8,400 acres with approximately 99 miles of shoreline.
Geographically, Merrymeeting Bay lies within 30 minutes of three of
Maine's major population centers: Portland to the south;
Lewiston-Auburn to the west; and Augusta to the north. The
surrounding towns include Richmond, Bowdoinham, Topsham, Brunswick,
Bath Woolwich, and Dresden. These lie in three counties: Sagadahoc,
Lincoln, and Cumberland (see accompanying map).
This planning study has defined the Merrymeeting
Bay Region as including those areas within commuting distance of
the Bay, i.e. the Portland, Lewiston-Auburn, and Augusta areas. The
Merrymeeting Bay Area includes the surrounding towns plus Bowdoin
which contains the upper reaches of the Cathance River. The Study
Area includes a narrow band of land bordering the Bay and its
tributaries as defined by the Study Area Map on the next page. This
area approximates the zone most immediately influencing the natural
systems of the Bay and follows various watershed lines, ridge lines,
roadways, and town lines generally avoiding already built up areas.
This zone including some 40,500 acres was studied extensively for
natural resources considerations affecting the Bay, such as soils,
geology, hydrology, ecology, and topography. The Merrymeeting Bay
Region and Merrymeeting Bay Area (surrounding towns) were studied in
terms of the socioeconomic considerations, which might affect the
Bay--population, traffic, recreation, economic activity and
employment, taxation and real estate trends. These relate more to
geographic than natural boundaries.
The history of Merrymeeting Bay is closely linked to the
activities that centered around its tributary rivers, particularly
the Kennebec, Rivers were the highways of the North American
wilderness, and the Kennebec was used extensively as a route to the
interior of Maine.
Indians early inhabited the Bay, reaping its bounty, and introducing
wild rice to its waters from the Midwest. Europeans first viewed the
Bay in 1605 when George Weymouth of England sailed up the Kennebec
after landing on Monhegan Island. His praises of the Kennebec's
harbors, its fish and its rich timber covered land were extravagant
enough to entice Sir John Popham to found a colony at the Kennebec's
mouth in 1607. Popham's men stayed the winter, long enough to explore
up to Merrymeeting Bay, then built the first of the Kennebec's many
ships, named her the "Virginia" and set sail for home. Over the next
twenty years a few winter fishing camps were established and by 1623
there was a village at Bath on Merrymeeting Bay.
Weymouth's arrival at the Kennebec preceded that of Champlain by only
a month. Throughout the seventeenth century, and into the mid
eighteenth century the French also had a lively interest in the area.
Both the English and French hoped that the Kennebec would provide a
trade route north to Quebec and access to the rich raw materials of
the Maine and New Hampshire forests.
A conflict between the French and English led to the French and
Indian Wars which Lasted 150 years and retarded the growth of Maine
coastal towns. Consequently, ports to the south, such as Plymouth,
Newburyport, and Boston gained an advantage in establishing trade
routes in the northeast.
During the French and Indian Wars, a group of Irishmen attempted to
settle on the eastern side of the Bay near Cork Cove in the present
town of Dresden. That attempt was abandoned in 1722 and the first
permanent settlement was made by French Protestants in 1752, called
Frankfort. The town was later called Pownalborough after Governor
Pownal of Massachusetts (which included Maine at the time) and
finally, Dresden in 1794 when the town was incorporated.
The French were finally driven from the area in the 1760s ending the
French and Indian Wars. About that same period the town of Bowdoinham
was incorporated (1762) including present day Richmond and a large
part of Bowdoin. Bowdoinham's first settlers lived along Merrymeeting
Bay and on the shores of the Kennebec and Abagadasset Rivers. A
meetinghouse was built in 1765 overlooking the Abagadasset but was
burned by Tories during the American Revolution.
In 1788 Bowdoin separated from Bowdoinham and incorporated.
Bowdoinham Village or Cathance Landing was settled in about 1800,
later to become a bustling commercial center. Richmond withdrew from
the town and incorporated in 1823.
The principal economic activities in the Bay towns in the early
history of the area included shipbuilding (Dresden, Richmond,
Bowdoinham, and Bath all were thriving centers), ice, agriculture,
and commercial fishing. Dresden also supported a brick industry.
Populations peaked in the 1850s when Bowdoinham numbered 2,382
residents tin 1970, the population was about 1,400).
The tall pines of the Kennebec first attracted the agents of the
Royal Navy and for a long time they were a principal source of masts
for ocean-going vessels. Development on a larger scale began after
the Revolution when President Jefferson decided to encourage the
construction of a domestic merchant marine. Because of its good
harbors and seemingly endless supplies of wood, Maine builders
constructed a large proportion of these. The demand for Yankee
shipping boomed through the turn of the century as American merchants
did a thriving business with the warring nations in the Napoleonic
conflicts. Rowe (1948:reports that Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar had
masts of Maine pine.
Between 1830 and 1840 the south's cotton production more than doubled
and Maine's traders played a large part in that trade. Between 1800
and 1840 the average size of Maine's many ships grew from 130 tons to
321 tons. In the decade after the 40s the "Rappahanock" and the
"Saratoga" were launched at Bath and vied with each other as the
largest ships of their day (Rowe 1948). Bath was traditionally
foremost of the Kennebec shipyards, but in this golden age of wooden
ships Richmond's full square riggers surpassed her.
After the Civil War, shipbuilding went into decline, not in
launchings or tonnage, but in spirit. There was a last extravagant
fling with the fast and graceful clipper ships and afterward coastal
schooners were constructed until the turn of the century. But the
railroad made steady inroads into the coastal trade and the cheap
agricultural goods of the west devastated New England farming. By
1875 only Bath, Phippsburg, and Richmond of the many Kennebec towns
that once had launched ships were still in operation. In 1894 the
first American steel sailing ship, the "Dirigo" was launched at
Bath.
There were other industries along the Kennebec. During the whole
shipbuilding era vast quantities of lumber floated down the Kennebec
and when the pine was gone, the spruce floated to the pulp mills of
the Androscoggin. Pulpwood is still trucked to mills in Brunswick on
the corner of Merrymeeting Bay.
Between 1860 and 1900 Kennebec ice was a fantastic source of
prosperity. "White gold" (tidewater ice) was famed over the entire
country and was shipped as far as the West Indies. By the end of the
century, 3,000,000 tons (Rowe 1948) were harvested in a year.
Thereafter, as a result of the invention of artificial refrigeration,
the industry declined
From 1900 to the Second World War, the economy of the Merrymeeting
Bay area depended on the pulp industry, some limited shipbuilding,
and tourism, The Eastern and Kennebec Rivers had many public
landings. In 1906 the Eastern Steamship Company built a wharf at
Cedar Grove in Dresden, where Boston steamers landed twice a day with
up to 150 vacationing passengers. Many small summer hotels were found
in the towns.
Since the Second World War the Bath Iron Works has revived the
economies of Bath and Brunswick, but elsewhere towns have
increasingly become bedroom communities supplying workers to the
major employment centers of Augusta, Bath/Brunswick, and Portland.
Out of the mainstream of the major economic corridor in Maine
(centered on the Turnpike and I-95) the Merrymeeting Bay towns have
grown slowly.
This now is being changed by the linkage of I-95 in Brunswick to the
major transportation network, the Maine Turnpike in Augusta. This
linkage will put the Bay towns back into the mainstream of activity
and will introduce a new surge of growth. Properly guided it could
mean a revitalization of the area. Unguided, it could cause
irreversible ecological damage and monotonous suburban sprawl.
The history of the area has left a rich cultural heritage worthy of
protection. Richmond has more Greek Revival homes than any other town
in Maine, and several buildings on the National Historic Register,
reminders of the prosperous shipbuilding and ice industries. Bath
contains several noteworthy homes and an Historic District which
contains 19th century residences built in the period of maritime
prosperity. Brunswick contains many historic structures and a 19th
century Historic District as do Topsham and Woolwich, Dresden has an
outstanding courthouse built in 1761, the Pownalborough Courthouse.
These are listed in the accompanying table on historic resources.
TABLE: 2-1
HISTORIC RESOURCES
(from Shettleworth 1974)
BATH
1. Tugboat Sequin - Bath, Maine (1884), Public
A tug used for towing five masted sailing vessels as well as barges
from the sea to various parts of the Kennebec River. National
Register 12/3/69
2. U. S. Custom House - Bath, Maine (1853-58), Public
This Ammi B. Young Italianate Custom House stands on the Waterfront
of one of Maine's busiest 19th century seaports and shipbuilding
centers. National Register 10/6/70
3. Governor William King House - Bath, Maine (1812), Private
The home of William King, Maine's first governor
4. William D. Crooker House - Bath, Maine (c. 1850), Private
A grand late Greek Revival mansion designed and built by Isaac D.
Cole of Bath.
5. Hyde Estate - Bath, Maine (1914), Private
A palatial Georgian Revival mansion sited in a park-like setting. The
house was erected for the Hyde family, Bath shipbuilders, from
designs by John Calvin Stevens I of Portland.
6. Sagadahoc County Courthouse - Bath, Maine (1968), Public
An impressive brick and brownstone Italian style courthouse built
from designs by Francis H. Fassett of Portland.
7. Washington Street Historic District Bath, Maine (19th century),
Private and Public
A beautiful street of 19th century residences and churches from the
Federal through the Colonial Revival styles. Many of these structures
reflect the maritime prosperity which Bath enjoyed in the 19th
century. National Register 5/17/73
8, Winter Street Church - Bath, Maine (1943), Public
A major wooden Gothic Revival church in New England. Designed and
built under the supervision of Anthony C. Raymond of Bath.
9. Percy & Small Shipyard - Bath, Maine (1894), Public. This
shipyard was involved in the building of 44 vessels between 1894 and
1920, 42 of which were schooners.
BRUNSWICK
10. Cabot Textile Mill - Brunswick, Maine (1891), Private
A massive late 19th century brick textile mill built on the site of a
mill complex which started in 1834.
11. Footbridge - Brunswick, Maine (c.1900), Public
12. Bowdoin College Campus - Brunswick, Maine (19th century,
Private:
Since its founding in 1794, Bowdoin College has significantly
influenced the intellectual and literary life of Maine and has made
Brunswick an important cultural center. The following are buildings
of special interest on the campus:
ADAMS HALL (1860) - A large brick and brownstone Italianate classroom
building which once housed the Maine School of Medicine.
APPLETON HALL (1843) - A brick dormitory built on the lines of
Winthrop and Maine Halls.
CHAPEL (1S45-55) - A granite Romanesque church designed by Richard
Upjohn and built under the supervision of Samuel Melcher III,
Brunswick's leading local master builder.
COMMONS HALL (1828) - A brick structure attributed to Samuel Melcher
III.
HUBBARD HALL (1902-03) - A major late Gothic Revival building
designed by Henry Vaughn as a library
MAINE HALL (1936) - Maine Hall was built in 1836 to replace an
earlier structure of 1806-08. Maine Hall was erected from plans by
Anthony C. Raymond, a prominent Brunswick-Bath master builder.
MASSACHUSETTS HALL (1802) - Massachusetts Hall was the first building
on the Bowdoin campus. A handsome restrained Federal structure, it
provided classrooms, faculty offices, and living accommodations. The
design is attributed to Samuel Melcher III. National Register
7/27/71
MEMORIAL HALL (1868) - An imposing Gothic Revival hall built in
memory of Bowdoin men in the Civil War. Now; used as a theater.
PRESIDENT'S HOUSE (1860) - Built in 1860 for Captain Francis G.
Jordan, this grand Italianate wooden mansion has long been the home
of Bowdoin's presidents.
PSI U FRATERNITJ HOUSE (1903) - A distinguished example of John
Calvin Stevens I's late Shingle Style work.
WALKER MUSEUM OF ART (1894) - Designed by Charles F. McKim of the
famous New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White; the
museum is modeled on the exterior after Brunelleschi's Florentine
Renaissance Piazzi Chapel. Inside, in four tympana under the arches
of the central dome are murals painted by John LaFarge, Elihu Bedder,
Abbott Thayer, and Kenyon Cox symbolizing the artistic achievements
of Athens, Rome, Florence, and Venice.
WINTHROP HALL (1822) - A large brick Federal style dormitory
13. Henry Boody House - Brunswick, Mane (1849), Private
A major wooden Gothic Revival house designed by the English American
architect Gervase Wheeler. Published in 1850 in The Architecture of
Country Houses by Andrew Jackson Downing
14. Federal Street District - Brunswick, Maine (19th century),
Private and Public.
A stately street of Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian homes,
several of which are the work of Samuel Melcher III, Brunswick's
leading 19th century architect and builder
15. First Parish Church, Brunswick, Maine (1845), Private.
This large board and batten Gothic Revival church was designed in
1845 by Richard Upjohn and was constructed under the supervision of
the local master builder Isaiah Coombs. National Register 12/3/69
16. Captain George McManus House - Brunswick, Maine (1857),
Private
A fine example of a transitional brick Greek Revival Italianate
residence of the Maine mid-coast region. National Register
5/16/74
17. St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Brunswick, Maine (1845),
Private
An early example of the board and batten chapel form which Richard
Upjohn popularized throughout the United States. Upjohn designed this
church for the Brunswick Episcopalians
TOPSHAM
18. Pejepscot Paper Mill - Topsham, Maine (1868), Private
The Pejepscot Paper Mill at Topsham is the earliest surviving example
of Maine's 19th century wood pulp mills. Architecturally, it is also
the finest. Erected in 1868 this complex of industrial buildings is
dramatically sited at Brunswick Falls on the Androscoggin River.
19. Bank - Topsham, Maine (c. 1840), Public
A handsome brick Greek Revival bank of the C.1840 period.
Topsham Historic District - Topsham, Maine (18th and 19th centuries),
Public and Private
Topsham's unusually fine residential neighborhood is comprised
predominantly of Federal and Greek Revival homes. Many of these
houses were designed and built by Samuel Melcher III of the adjacent
town of Brunswick.
RICHMOND
21. Peacock Tavern ..- Richmond, Maine (1807), public
A well-known hostelry on the route from the coast to Augusta.
22. Southard Block - Richmond, Maine (2882), Public
The Southard Block is a late example of a small town Mansard roofed
commercial building with an original bank and counting house
surviving. The first story has a cast iron front o Boston origin. The
structure was designed and built by Thomas J. Southard, prominent
Richmond ship- builder and developer. National Register 2/23/72
23. Greek. Revival Farm House - Richmond, Maine (c. 1845),
Private
A handsome example of a small, one and a half story Greek Revival
temple style farm house.
24. Richmond Corner Meeting House - Richmond Corner, Maine
(1835),
Private
A rural Greek( Revival meeting house which is the earliest known work
of Harvey Graves, a native of Bowdoinham, Maine, who became a
prominent mid-l9th century Boston church architect built by Gaves in
conjunction with Daniel Holway of Bowdoinham.
25. Richmond Historic District - Richmond, Maine (19th century),
Public and Private
Richmond thrived as a shipbuilding center in the twenty years before
the Civil War. This prosperity created a town with more distinctive
Grecian temple style houses than any other in Maine. Other fine homes
and commercial buildings were built in the Italianate and Second
Empire styles. National Register 11/12/73
DRESDEN
26. Bridge Academy - Dresden, Maine (C. IU95), Public
A distinctive late Queen Anne style design for a school by George A.
Clough, a Boston architect.
27. Bowman-Carney House - Dresden, Maine (C. 1761), Private
Attorney Jonathan Bowman contracted with Gersham Flagg of Boston to
design and build this handsome Georgian house on the Kennebec River.
Bowman later became Judge of Probate for Lincoln County. National
Register 4/12/71
28. Pownalborough Courthouse - Dresden, Maine (1761), Public
Lincoln County was established in 1760 and the following year the
Plymouth Company proprietors voted to construct this courthouse for
the new county. Gersham Flagg of Boston was the architect and master
builder. National Register 1/13/70
29. St. John's Episcopal Church - Dresden, Maine (e. 1830),
Private
A local landmark with a pleasing composition of Federal style, Greek
Revival, and Gothic Revival elements in wood.
WOOLWICH
30. Day's Ferry Historic District - Day's Ferry, Woolwich, Maine
(18th and 19th centuries)l Public and Private
Bowdoinham Planning Board. 1975. Bowdoinham's comprehensive plan.
66 P'
Coffin, Robert P. Tristam. 1937. Kennebec, cradle of America. Farrar
and Rhinehart, New York.
Dresden Planning Board. 1971. Preliminary report of the Planning
Board. Dresden, Maine. 30 p.
Foster, Inge. Unpublished notes on the Kennebec and Eastern
Rivers.
Rowe, W. H. 1948. Maritime history of Maine. W. W. Norton Co., New
York.
Shettleworth, Earle G. 1974. Historic resources inventory. Maine
Historic Preservation Commission. 128 p.
Chapter 3