Editing New Gloucester, Maine (section)

==History==

New Gloucester was established in 1736 under a [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] grant of a {{convert|6|sqmi|sqkm|adj=on}} tract of land in the Maine Territory to sixty inhabitants of the [[Gloucester, Massachusetts|Gloucester]] fishing village on [[Cape Ann]]. The first settlers followed the road newly bushed out from [[North Yarmouth, Maine|North Yarmouth]] and built cabins on Harris Hill between 1739 and 1742. The settlement was abandoned from 1744–1751 due to the heightened native tribe attacks during [[King George's War]].<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield   | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge  | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n260 225]–226| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref>

Settlers returned and in 1753 commenced work on a two-story, fifty-foot square [[blockhouse]] with a [[palisade]] [[stockade]] {{convert|110|ft|m}} on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding {{convert|60|acre|m2}} of common land under the protection of two swivel guns manned by a [[garrison]] of six soldiers. One attack was made upon the fort, resulting in one [[scalping]] and two men captured. As the Native Americans gradually withdrew to [[Canada]], the settlers moved out into their own newly built homes. The blockhouse continued to serve for worship and town affairs until the first meetinghouse was built in 1773. In 1788, the blockhouse was sold at auction for seven bushels of corn and moved to a farm in the Intervale, where it was rebuilt as a hog house.<ref name="Coolidge"/>

New Gloucester was incorporated on March 8, 1774,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.city-data.com/city/New-Gloucester-Maine.html |title= New Gloucester, Maine|publisher= City-Data.com |access-date=August 26, 2012}}</ref> and was named after [[Gloucester, Massachusetts]], the native home of a large share of the early settlers.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3aQgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FWkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1463%2C5719635 | title=Some Maine town names | work=The Lewiston Daily Sun | date=June 13, 1928 | access-date=October 17, 2015 | author=Yates, Edgar A.P. | pages=4}}</ref>

New Gloucester became a half [[county seat|shire town]] with [[Portland, Maine|Portland]], and the courts met here from 1791 until the organization of [[Oxford County, Maine|Oxford County]] in 1805, when they returned to Portland. With good soil for [[agriculture]], the town developed as a prosperous [[farming]] community. In 1858, when the population was 1,848, other industries included six [[sawmill]]s, two [[gristmill]]s and two [[Tanning (leather)|tanneries]].<ref>{{citation | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/new-gloucester-me.htm | first = George J. | last = Varney | title = History of New Gloucester, Maine | date = 1886 | publisher = B.B. Russell | location = Boston, MA }}</ref>

[[Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village]] was founded in 1783 by the United Society of True Believers at what was then called Thompson's Pond Plantation. It was formally organized on April 19, 1794. Today, the village is the last of some over two-dozen religious societies, stretching from Maine to [[Florida]], to be operated by the [[Shakers]] themselves. It comprises 18 buildings on {{convert|1800|acre|km2}} of land.<ref>[http://www.shaker.lib.me.us/museum.html Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village & Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019035254/http://www.shaker.lib.me.us/museum.html |date=October 19, 2007 }}</ref>

<gallery>
Image:Mayallrd.jpg|Mayall Road
Image:Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community Meetinghouse, West of State Route 26, South of North Raymond Road, Northwest edge of church family area, Sabbathday Lake Village (Cumberland County, Maine).jpg|Shaker Meetinghouse, [[Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village]]
Image:Town House, New Gloucester, ME.jpg|Town Hall {{circa|1915}}
</gallery>