Shapleigh, Maine
Shapleigh, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 43°32′26″N 70°50′53″W / 43.54056, -70.84806
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	York
Incorporated	March 5, 1785
Government
- Type	Town Meeting
- Board of Selectmen	Michael S. Perro Bill Hayes Ruth S. Ham
Area
- Total	41.2 sq mi (106.8 km²)
- Land	38.8 sq mi (100.5 km²)
- Water	2.4 sq mi (6.3 km²)  5.89%%
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,326
- Density	59.9/sq mi (23.1/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04076
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-67475
GNIS feature ID	0582722
Website: http://www.shapleigh.net/

Shapleigh, pronounced "Shap-LEE", is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. Shapleigh is home to the villages of Ross Corner and Emery Mills.

History

In 1661, Francis Small kept a trading house in Limington. In 1663, Captain Sunda met Small to deed him the Ossipee Tract. A man known as Major Nicholas Shapleigh of Kittery was deeded an undivided half of all of the lands Sunda conveyed, taking Hubbardstown, renaming it to Shapleigh. The son of Alexander Shapleigh, an English merchant from Devonshire who founded Kittery, Maine, Major Nicholas Shapleigh died in 1682.

In 1770, Nicholas Shapleigh's heirs reposessed the deed, and possessed the land Shapleigh owned. The area became a township called the Shapleigh Plantation. Shapleigh was later incorporated as a town on March 5, 1785.

In 1830, Shapleigh's west half was separated as the Town of Acton, and in 1846, 600-800 acres of the northeastern part of Shapleigh was annexed to Newfield. Waterboro later claimed an east portion of Shapleigh to finalize its borders.

General Information

• Shapleigh has one post office under the ZIP code of 04076.

• Maine State Routes 11 and 109 cross through Shapleigh.

• The local telephone exchanges are 793 are 636.

• Shapleigh has two fire departments within its borders: The Shapleigh Fire Department, and the Ross Corner Fire Department.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.2 square miles (106.8 km²), of which, 38.8 square miles (100.5 km²) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²) of it (5.89%) is water. Shapleigh borders the towns of Acton to its west, Waterboro to its east, Alfred to its southeast, Newfield to its north, and Sanford to its south. The town's highest elevation is Abbott Mountain.

All of Shapleigh's woodlands are protected by The Nature Conservancy.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,326 people, 912 households, and 673 families residing in the town. The population density was 59.9 people per square mile (23.1/km²). There were 1,813 housing units at an average density of 46.7/sq mi (18.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.41% White, 0.21% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population.

There were 912 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,026, and the median income for a family was $45,591. Males had a median income of $34,519 versus $26,739 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,331. About 2.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Shapleigh students attend Shapleigh Memorial School which is a part of Maine School Administrative District 57. Students in grades 7-8 from Shapleigh attend Massabesic Middle School, and students in grades 9-12 attend Massabesic High School in Waterboro.

Notable Residents

• Frank Abbott, (1836-1897), born in Shapleigh, noted dentist, author and president of the American Dental Association^[2]

External links

• Official Town Page
• Shapleigh at Maine.gov
• Shapleigh Fire Department
• Contact Information for Shapleigh, Maine
• http://www.topix.net/city/shapleigh-me
• City Data Profile
• Epodunk Town Profile
• Shapleigh History
• The Shapleigh Family Association

References

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