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Gardiner, Maine

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Wakingdreaming (talk | contribs) at 22:49, 20 March 2011 (→Demographics: I deleted the sentence claiming that "Gardiner is primarily a Jewish community," since there was no reference given for this and since it's my own hometown and I know from experience that this is not true.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Gardiner, Maine
City
Water Street in 1914
Water Street in 1914
Official seal of Gardiner, Maine
Seal
Motto(s): 
Where history and progress meet
CountryUnited States
StateMaine
CountyKennebec
IncorporatedFebruary 17, 1803
Area
 • Total
16.6 sq mi (43.0 km2)
 • Land15.7 sq mi (40.6 km2)
 • Water0.9 sq mi (2.5 km2)
Elevation
23 ft (7 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
6,198
 • Density395.6/sq mi (152.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
04345
Area code207
FIPS code23-27085
GNIS feature ID0566690
Websitewww.gardinermaine.com

Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,198 at the 2000 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture.

History

Located at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River, Gardiner was founded as Gardinerstown Plantation in 1754 by Dr. Silvester Gardiner, a prominent Boston physician. Dr. Gardiner had made a fortune as a drug merchant, with one apothecary shop in Massachusetts and two in Connecticut, and became a principal proprietor of the Kennebec Purchase within the old Plymouth Patent. He proved a tireless promoter for his development, which once comprised over 100,000 acres (400 km²). [1]

Dr. Gardiner induced a gristmill builder, saw millwright, house carpenter and wheelwright to settle here. Houses, mills, a church and a blockhouse were built. Situated at the confluence of the Kennebec River and Cobbesseeconte Stream, which has falls that drop 130 feet over a mile, the location was recognized by him as ideal for water-powered mills. Gardinerstown, set off from Pittston in 1760, became center of the regional economy. [2]

The wilderness toils of Dr. Gardiner would end, however, with the Revolution. Loyal to the Crown, he fled Boston in 1776 when the British army evacuated. But his settlement lived on without him, and in 1803 was incorporated as the town of Gardiner. From the early 19th century until the Civil War, shipbuilding and trade were primary industries. It would become a city in 1849, at which time ten large riverfront wharves served shipping. Lumber, in vast quantities, passed through Gardiner. Tanneries and shoe factories prospered. [3]

The city became known worldwide for exporting ice. Each winter men cut large blocks from the Kennebec River, then covered the ice with sawdust in warehouses to keep it frozen well into summer. It was loaded year-round on large vessels for shipment throughout the United States and world. Gardiner was noted for its pristine Kennebec ice, harvested at the furthest point upriver that deep-draft vessels could reach. [4]

In 1851, the city was connected by railroad. One of the first workable steam automobiles in America was built in Gardiner in 1858. Beginning in the 1860s, paper mills flourished, as did the commercial ice industry between the 1880s and 1920s. [5] By the 1960s, however, many mills suffered decline and closure. The former mill town is now largely a bedroom community for people who work in Augusta, the state's capital, as well as Bath Iron Works in Bath. Some residents commute as far as the Portland area. The city is endowed with a great deal of antique architecture, much of it beautifully restored. In 1980, the entire downtown historic district is one of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine.

  • Downtown c. 1905
    Downtown c. 1905
  • Brunswick Avenue in 1916
    Brunswick Avenue in 1916
  • Paper mills in 1909
    Paper mills in 1909

Geography

Gardiner is located at 44°12′21″N 69°47′31″W / 44.205963°N 69.791998°W / 44.205963; -69.791998.Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43.0 km²), of which, 15.7 square miles (40.6 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.5 km²) of it (5.72%) is water. Gardiner is drained by the Cobbesseeconte Stream and Kennebec River.

Demographics

Old High School (1870-1969), designed by Francis H. Fassett

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 6,198 people, 2,510 households, and 1,603 families residing in the city. The population density was 395.6 people per square mile (152.7/km²). There were 2,702 housing units at an average density of 172.5/sq mi (66.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.90% White, 0.39% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.

There were 2,510 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97.

R. P. Hazzard Co. Shoe Factory in 1915

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,103, and the median income for a family was $42,750. Males had a median income of $33,069 versus $25,399 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,033. About 11.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

Notable people

The Park and Palmer Fountain in 1909. Melted down for the war effort, the bronze statue was later replaced.

References

  1. ^ The Gardiner Story (1949)
  2. ^ The Gardiner Story (1949)
  3. ^ Coolidge, Austin J. (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 137–138. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Varney, George J. (1886), Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Gardiner, Boston: Russell
  5. ^ Historical Sketch of Gardiner, Maine (1889)
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