Old Town, Maine
Main Street in Old Town
Location of city of Old Town in state of Maine
Coordinates: 44°56′35″N 68°40′35″W / 44.94306, -68.67639
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Penobscot
Area
- Total	42.7 sq mi (110.5 km²)
- Land	38.3 sq mi (99.2 km²)
- Water	4.4 sq mi (11.3 km²)
Elevation	108 ft (33 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	8,130
- Density	212.3/sq mi (82.0/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04468
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-55225
GNIS feature ID	0572733

Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,130 at the 2000 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on a relatively large island, though its boundaries do extend past that. The island is surrounded and defined by the Penobscot River to the east and the Stillwater River to the west.

Old Town may be best known for Old Town Canoe, a major manufacturer of canoes and kayaks, which has been based in Old Town for over 100 years. Its location along a series of drops in the Penobscot River near the head of the tide just downstream in Bangor made it an ideal location in the 1800s for sawing lumber from the millions of board feet of spruce and pine logs floated annually down the Penobscot.

Old Town is also the current and historical home of the Penobscot Nation, on Indian Island. The primary access to the reservation is located in Old Town via bridge. The name "Old Town" derives from "Indian Old Town", which was the name (in English) for the largest Penobscot Indian village - the present "Indian Island". In 1840, when the present city was carved of from neighboring Orono, Maine - named for a Penobscot sachem - it was given the name "Old Town" because it contained the Penobscot village. Over time, the Penobscot village ceased to be called "Old Town" and the name migrated to the much newer American settlement across the river.

Many of the residents work for the University of Maine in Orono and Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, the two largest employers in the area.

The city of Old Town includes Treat-Webster Island, a.k.a "French Island," a predominantly residential neighborhood located on a small island in the middle of the Penobscot River. "French Island" is the intermediate land mass between Milford, Maine, and Old Town and is connected on either side by bridge.

Old Town is also home to a former Georgia-Pacific paper mill that is being redeveloped.

Geography

Old Town is located at 44°56′35″N, 68°40′35″W (44.943047, -68.676461)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.7 square miles (110.5 km²), of which, 38.3 square miles (99.2 km²) of it is land and 4.4 square miles (11.3 km²) of it (10.24%) is water.

Notable People

Singer-Songwriter Patty Griffin is from Old Town.

Actor James Bradbury Sr. (1857-1940) appeared in 33 films, most of them silent. One of his last roles was playing Gen. Winfield Scott in D.W. Griffith's Abraham Lincoln (1930)

Historic Buildings

A number of Old Town buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the U.S. Post Office (1914), designed by Oscar Wenderoth[1]; St. James Episcopal Church (1892), a late gothic revival style design by Boston-based English architect Henry Vaughn[2]; St. Anne's Church and Mission Site (1830) on Indian Island [3]; and the Edith Marion Patch House (aka Braeside).

Demographics

Stillwater Avenue, with the Fuller Residence in the background

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 8,130 people, 3,426 households, and 1,993 families residing in the city. The population density was 212.3 people per square mile (82.0/km²). There were 3,686 housing units at an average density of 96.3/sq mi (37.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.62% White, 0.65% African American, 1.48% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population.

There were 3,426 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.

Pushaw Lake in Old Town.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 18.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,886, and the median income for a family was $40,589. Males had a median income of $32,961 versus $23,723 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,100. About 11.8% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• City of Old Town

• Old Town, Maine is at coordinates 44°56′35″N 68°40′35″W / 44.943047, -68.676461 (Old Town, Maine)Coordinates: 44°56′35″N 68°40′35″W / 44.943047, -68.676461 (Old Town, Maine)

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