The history of a town helps a community define its sense of "place". Historic patterns of development, to a large measure, dictate where a community will grow in the future. History also gives us a window to view the lives of our forebearers and a mirror to reflect their images in our own endeavors.

The first native Americans arrived in Maine approximately 12,000 years ago. All our knowledge of these early Americans has come about through archaeological study, the scientific review of the life and culture of earlier people through the excavation of specific sites. Lincolnville's recorded history begins in 1770 with the first permanent European settlement.

This inventory will begin with a discussion of the pre-European history of Lincolnville, outline Lincolnville's history since the arrival of the Europeans and conclude with an inventory of significant historic and archaeological resources within Lincolnville.

The reader should note that brief glimpses of Lincolnville's history are contained in the following sections of this plan: Marine Resources, Forest and Agricultural Resources, and Critical Natural Resources.

PRE-EUROPEAN HISTORY OF LINCOLNVILLE

The retreat of the most recent ice age, approximately 13,000 years ago, left the Maine landscape treeless and bleak As grasses gained a foothold in the soil, large bison and other mammals moved into the area. Evidence suggests that the first homo sapiens, the Paleo-Indians, arrived in Maine approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years ago in pursuit of new hunting grounds. Although no archaeological evidence has been presented to show they inhabited Lincolnville, there is certainly a possibility these early Americans hunted in this area.

During the Archaic Period, extending from 8,500 to 4,000 years ago, there was a gradual warming of the earth with the result that Maine became reforested. Artifacts from this period suggest that the native Americans inhabiting this area developed complex tools.

Approximately 4,000 years ago a unique group of native Americans appeared, commonly referred to as the "Red Paint People." This name is derived from their custom of decorating the dead with red ochre as part of their burial ceremony. Artifacts indicate that these people lived in the Lincolnville area and fished for swordfish and sturgeon from boats. Examination of their middens indicates they also consumed substantial quantifies of shellfish.

Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 years ago native Americans of the Mid-Coast region showed evidence of the Susquanhana tradition in their use of flaked tools. Archaeologists believe that the Indians lived in the Mid-Coast region year round. There was certainly travel through the inland hills and ponds but no seasonal migration off the coastal plateau. These native Americans lived primarily through hunting, gathering and fishing.

The arrival of the Europeans brought to an end the native Americans traditional way of life. Within two decades approximately 80 to 90 percent of the native Americans had died off due to disease or moved elsewhere.

LINCOLNVILLE'S HISTORY SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE EUROPEANS

Throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries small Indian settlements and European settlements co-existed in New England. The first European settlements were temporary fishing camps on the islands. Early records indicate that Nathan Knight, in 1770, was the first European to permanently settle in the Plantation of Canaan. During the next 30 years, settlements at Ducktrap and Canaan, as the Center was then called, grew slowly. The 1790 census listed 298 people residing in these settlements.

Lincolnville was incorporated as a town in June of 1802 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The first town meeting of this newest Massachusetts town took place in September of 1802 at the home of John Calderwood, whose log cabin stood at the corner of present Fire Road 49 and Route 173.

From its Incorporation until 1850, Lincolnville's population grew steadily, peaking at 2,174 during the 1850 census. A study of the 1859 survey map reveals some interesting information about the distribution of Lincolnville's population during that period. During the first half of the 19th century, people settled near their work or found a way to make a living where they lived. Neighborhoods often arose around family units.

The Beach Area: Since its settlement by the extended French family in 1799, the area around the beach and the land abutting the track heading toward Camden, now Route One, became a center of development. With the xception of the Beach area itself, there appeared to be very little development down on the shore or on the steeper slopes of what is now the State Park.

Although not blessed with a natural harbor, the Beach area did serve as a shipping and shipbuilding port for Lincolnville. Lime, ice, lumber, shingles, and barrels were all shipped from the Beach.

Ducktrap: From the 1770s through 1905, Ducktrap was the industrial hub of Lincolnville. During the early part of the 19th century, the Ulmer brothers, Sam Whitney, and John Wilson built mills, a toll bridge and mill pond that transformed the "Trap" area into a small industrial village. Among the enterprises started were: saw, shingle and grist mills; a lime kiln; hay press; barrel factory and shipyard. The finished products were traded locality as well as to more distant ports.

Naturally, this type of industrial enterprise required workers. A number of cabins and homes were built in the vicinity of Ducktrap. A general store, school, house of worship (the Bayshore Union Church), and a fraternal organization (the Masonic Hall), were established.

West Lincolnville and Wiley Town: This area of town, comprising High Street and Moody Mountain, was mainly agricultural, although it had two schools and a corn mill.

Andrews Pond: At the eastern end of what is now called Coleman Pond, a small community developed around a dam and mill pond located on Black Brook. The 1859 map shows quarries, lime kilns, a grist mill, saw mill, school and general store provided employment and the necessities of life for this area. A horse- drawn wooden railroad delivered lime to Ducktrap for shipment on what is now called Slab City Road. The ruined remains of the mill pond and dam can still be seen by visitors to this site off of Slab City Road.

The Center: Along with Ducktrap, early settlers populated the area around what we now call Lincolnville Center. The 1859 map shows 10 commercial establishments in the Center. In 1820, the Lincolnville Center Meeting House was erected by Capt. Joshua Lamb Jr. This building, now the United Christian Church, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Southern End of Town: During the mid 1800s the land adjacent to what is now Youngtown Road and that portion of Route 173 from Drake's Corner to Carver's Corner was peppered with many residences as well as several schoolhouses and stores.

Northern End of Town: This area, generally framed by what is now Route 52 and the Northport and Searsmont town lines, contained a number of homesteads, according to the 1859 survey. This area was primarily devoted to agrarian pursuits. Tranquility Grange was located on its southern edge.

Patterns of Development: As the years have gone by since Lincolnville's initial settling, some neighborhoods have changed; some have disappeared, leaving only cellar holes and stone walls to mark their existence. Other neighborhoods are newly developed. The reasons for these changes are varied. At one time, the only road to Camden from the interior of Lincolnville was over the mountains, and a settlement thrived along what is now the Cameron Mountain trail in the State Park. The "new" Turnpike–Route 52 along Megunticook Lake–probably was one of the factors dooming such a neighborhood, as it was left along a little-used road.

Another road, which is now just a narrow track through the woods, is in the Andrews (Coleman) Pond area of town. Here several mills once utilized the water power of Black Brook and the Ducktrap River. But the demise of the mills spelled the end of the neighborhood. A few old houses remain on the Chester Dean Road, but the cooperage, the school and the store are long-gone.

About 6,382 acres of land passed out of private ownership in the 1930s with the development of Camden Hills State Park and Tanglewood.

New neighborhoods have appeared in the past 10 to 15 years as people have sought land that is inexpensive, scenic or isolated. For example, the Route 1 end of Cobbtown Road from Pitcher Pond is now being developed, as is the long-impassable end of the Thurlow Road. All over town, roads abandoned long ago are being repaired and built upon. The pond shores, especially, have been intensively developed as people seek easy access to their recreational possibilities.

INVENTORY OF HISTORIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
AND STRUCTURES IN LINCOLNVILLE

Lincolnville has a number of historic buildings that deserve special mention. The following list references those structures and sites that are especially significant to Lincolnville, and includes an assessment of the impact of future growth on their physical integrity.

Bayshore Union Church: The Union meeting house was built in 1835. Over the years, a variety of different organizations has used the facility At the present time, the church is used for Baptist services throughout the year. Because the building is located very close to U.S. Route 1, any widening of the road in this section would threaten the church building.

Beach School House: This schoolhouse, now home of the LincolnvilleImprovement Association and the Lincolnville Historical Society, is located on Route 173. The building was used as a school from 1892 until the Lincolnville Central School was built in 1947.

The building is currently owned by the town of Lincolnville and maintained by the Lincolnville Improvement Association, a community organization. The Lincolnville Historical Society rents the second floor for use as a museum, part of which is set up as an old schoolroom. The upstairs room also serves as a center for genealogical research and historical society lectures. Recent repairs and renovations, undertaken by volunteers and funded by the rganizations, have left the building in excellent shape. It is a popular meeting place for a wide range of community activities.

Lime Kilns: Along with the rest of the Mid-Coast area, Lincolnville was part of the prosperous lime trade. At one time, there were more than 25 kilns scattered in the community, but with the invention of cement and the increased use of gypsum in the construction industry, the lime industry fell on hard times.

Only a few of the kilns in Lincolnville were similar in design to those preserved in Rockport. (One kiln on Fernald's Neck, however, is included on the 1854 tax list, much earlier than those built in Rockport at the turn of the century. Most of the kilns that existed in Lincolnville were small farm kilns and are in an advanced state of deterioration. Others have disappeared completely. A quarry and some kilns are now underwater on the Back Pond connecting Megunticook Lake and Norton Pond. At one time, the lime industry was an important part of the community, and much of the land in Lincolnville was deforested for wood to burn in the kilns.

Masonic Hall: In early 1849, a number of Masons who belonged to various lodges conceived of the idea of establishing a lodge in Lincolnville. A petition requesting this dispensation was drawn up by residents of Lincolnville and presented to Grand Master J. L. Stevens.

The first meeting of this group was held in a hall over the Howe and Davis Store in November 1849 at what is now the corner of Route 1 and the Howe Point (Ducktrap) Road. The following year a charter was granted to the Lodge named King David #62

In 1865, a Lodge Hall was built on land that had been previously owned by David Howe. The new Lodge was dedicated in 1866. A short time later a stable with 14 stalls was added. By 1870, the Lodge had 136 members.

In the rural agrarian society of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Masons met the fraternal and religious needs of many Lincolnville men. Since this building is located quite close to the Howe Point Road, any widening of this lane would jeopardize it.

Petunia Pump: This site, at the intersection of Routes 235 and 52 in Lincolnville Center, was a community water supply in the early 1900s. During the 1930s, the gazebo-like structure was built. It was re-built in the 1960s, and again in the 1980s by Lincolnville Boy Scout Troop 244. Use of the well was discontinued long ago, but in each growing season the flower boxes at the pump are planted with a new crop of petunias. Petunia Pump has become a symbol for the whole community of the continuity of life in this small town. It is hoped that community groups will continue to maintain It.

Old Schoolhouses: Prior to the construction of the Lincolnville Central School in 1947, there were at least 18 neighborhood schoolhouses used by Lincolnville children. Most of these buildings have been torn down, moved or converted into homes or garages, but seven remain in recognizable form.

Tranquility Grange: Granges have been an important tradition in rural America, dating back to the late 1860s. A local grange offered farmers the opportunity to join a cooperative effort to improve their economic and social lot in life. Tranquility Grange in Lincolnville was organized in 1898 at the Old Town House. The current grange building was built at its present site in 1907. Unfortunately, that structure burned the following spring. The building was rebuilt in August of 1907 on the same spot. The physical condition of this building is presently fair, and the declining membership of Tranquility Grange puts this building at risk. This building would also be threatened by any widening of Route 52.

United Christian Church: The United Christian Church, located north of Lincolnville Center, was built between 1820 and 1821. by Capt. Joshua Lamb, Jr. It was originally known as the Lincolnville Center Meeting House. The builder retained ownership of the building for 10 years, selling pew space to cover his costs.

In this Federalist structure the pulpit sits against the front wall. Only about a dozen meeting houses in Maine were constructed in this fashion. The Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Maintenance of the church is an ongoing problem for its small membership.

Old Homes: Many 18th and 19th century homes exist in Lincolnville, some in more original condition than others. These have been partially documented by the Historical Society and by individual owners, but the process and its results are incomplete.

For Further Reference: Site lists for old schoolhouses, lime kilns and mills are available in the records of the Lincolnville Historical Society.