Editing Cushing, Maine

{{Short description| Town in the state of Maine, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Cushing, Maine
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = ME18 Olson House, Maine.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = [[Olson House (South Cushing, Maine)|Olson House]], 1995
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Knox County Maine incorporated and unincorporated areas Cushing highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Knox County, Maine|Knox County]] and the state of [[Maine]]

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Maine]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Maine|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Knox County, Maine|Knox]]
|parts_type               = Villages
|parts                    = Cushing<br/>North&nbsp;Cushing<br/>South&nbsp;Cushing
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Incorporated
|established_date         = 1789

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name ="Gazetteer files"/>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 67.47
|area_land_km2            = 49.83
|area_water_km2           = 17.64
|area_total_sq_mi         = 26.05
|area_land_sq_mi          = 19.24
|area_water_sq_mi         = 6.81

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1502
|population_density_km2   = 30.1
|population_density_sq_mi =

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 26
|elevation_ft             = 85
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|59|36|N|69|16|5|W|region:US-ME|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 04563
|area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 23-15780
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0582428
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Cushing''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Knox County, Maine|Knox County]], [[Maine]],  United States.  The population was 1,502 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2301315780|title=Census - Geography Profile: Cushing town, Knox County, Maine|access-date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> A favorite of artists for its unspoiled natural setting, Cushing includes the villages of North Cushing, Cushing, South Cushing, and Pleasant Point.

==History==
Part of the [[Waldo Patent]], it was called the Lower Plantation of St. Georges, once extending across both sides of the [[Saint George River|St. George River]]. It was first permanently settled in 1733 with [[Scottish people|Scots]] and [[Irish (people)|Irish]] immigrants recruited from [[Ireland]] by Brigadier-General [[Samuel Waldo]], who offered {{convert|100|acre|km2}} for each household. Attacks during the [[French and Indian Wars]], however, deterred habitation. A stone [[blockhouse]] known as Burton's Fort was built in 1753 by its commander, Captain Benjamin Burton. Hostilities finally ceased in 1759 with the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham|Fall of Quebec]].<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| page = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n133 99]| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref> On January 28, 1789, the town was incorporated and named for [[Thomas Cushing]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n97 98]}}</ref> statesman and lieutenant governor of [[Massachusetts]]. On February 7, 1803, the town of [[St. George, Maine|St. George]] was set off and incorporated.<ref>[http://www.cushing.maine.gov/history.pdf Christoph Schmidt, "A Brief History of Cushing, Maine" 1997] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724044040/http://www.cushing.maine.gov/history.pdf |date=July 24, 2008 }}</ref>

The [[Olson House (Cushing, Maine)|Olson House]] was depicted in [[Andrew Wyeth]]'s 1948 painting, ''[[Christina's World]],'' which in turn was used as Dahlia Gillespie's house in the horror video game series ''[[Silent Hill]]'', and inspired the farmer's house in the 1978 film ''[[Days of Heaven]]''. The building is now operated by the [[Farnsworth Art Museum]] of [[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/olson-house |title=The Olson House -- Farnsworth Art Museum |access-date=December 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719114802/http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/olson-house |archive-date=July 19, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|26.05|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|19.24|sqmi|sqkm|2}}  is land and {{convert|6.81|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name ="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer2010.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=December 16, 2012}}</ref> Cushing, which includes Gay Island, is situated on [[Muscongus Bay]] between the [[Meduncook River]] to the west and [[Saint George River|St. George River]] to the east.

The town is served by [[Maine State Route 97]]. It borders [[Friendship, Maine|Friendship]] to the west, [[Warren, Maine|Warren]] and [[Thomaston, Maine|Thomaston]] to the north, and separated by the St. George River, [[South Thomaston, Maine|South Thomaston]] and [[St. George, Maine|St. George]] to the east.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 942
|1800= 1415
|1810= 532
|1820= 600
|1830= 681
|1840= 790
|1850= 807
|1860= 796
|1870= 704
|1880= 805
|1890= 688
|1900= 604
|1910= 535
|1920= 416
|1930= 350
|1940= 362
|1950= 376
|1960= 479
|1970= 522
|1980= 795
|1990= 988
|2000= 1322
|2010= 1534
|2020= 1502
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |accessdate=June 4, 2015 }}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=December 16, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,534 people, 642 households, and 431 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|79.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 926 housing units at an average density of {{convert|48.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 642 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the town was 44 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 30.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,322 people, 541 households, and 383 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|68.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 778 housing units at an average density of {{convert|40.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 99.47% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.08% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.08% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.38% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.45% of the population. 28.3% were of [[English people|English]], 13.5% [[United States|American]], 9.1% [[Irish people|Irish]], 7.9% [[Germans|German]], 5.9% [[finnish people|Finnish]], 5.2% [[French people|French]] and 5.1% [[scottish people|Scottish]] ancestry according to [[2000 United States Census|Census 2000]].

There were 541 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,598, and the median income for a family was $43,929. Males had a median income of $28,553 versus $22,455 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $20,264.  About 7.6% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

== Notable people ==
<!-- Note:
· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Cushing, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please.
· All others will be deleted.
-->
* [[Raymond Cazallis Davis]], librarian
* [[Peter Halley]], artist
* [[Elisabeth Ogilvie]], writer
* [[Edward Robinson (Maine)|Edward Robinson]], US congressman
* [[Dudley Willis Rockwell]], metallurgist
* [[Andrew Wyeth]], artist

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cushing.maine.gov/ Town of Cushing, Maine]
* [http://www.librarytechnology.org/lwc-displaylibrary.pl?RC=19385 Cushing Public Library]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725213502/http://cushinghistoricalsociety.org/default.aspx Cushing Historical Society & Museum]

{{Knox County, Maine}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|44|01|09|N|69|14|23|W|type:city_region:US-ME|display=title}}

[[Category:Towns in Knox County, Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Maine]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Maine]]