Editing Machiasport, Maine

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

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|image_caption            = Machiasport {{circa|1908}}
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|pushpin_label            = Machiasport
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<!-- 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        = [[Washington County, Maine|Washington]]
|government_footnotes     = 
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|established_title        = Incorporated
|established_date         = 1826

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|area_total_km2           = 159.57
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|area_water_km2           = 104.12
|area_total_sq_mi         = 61.61
|area_land_sq_mi          = 21.41
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<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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|population_total         = 962
|population_density_km2   = 17.3
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|coordinates              = {{coord|44|39|42|N|67|22|55|W|region:US-ME|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 04655
|area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 23-42100
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0582574
|website                  = 
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}}
'''Machiasport''' is a town in [[Washington County, Maine|Washington County]], [[Maine]], United States. The population was 962 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2302942100| title=Census - Geography Profile: Machiasport town, Washington County, Maine| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref> Machiasport is a historic seaport and tourist destination.

==History==

In 1633, the [[Plymouth Company]] established a [[trading post]] here to conduct business with the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]]s. But this was part of [[Acadia]], territory which [[New France]] considered its own. So in 1634, the trading post was sacked by [[French people|French]] forces from [[Port-Royal (Acadia)|Port Royal]] under the command of [[Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour]].<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/n238 204]| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref>
In 1770, the area was granted by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to 80 petitioners, 54 from [[Scarborough, Maine|Scarborough]]. It was first part of [[Machias, Maine|Machias]], incorporated in 1784, then set off and incorporated as Machiasport in 1826.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Machiasport
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/machiasport-me.htm }}
</ref>

In 1775, following [[Battle of Machias|the capture]] of the [[British people|British]] ship HMS ''Margaretta'' by locals under leadership of [[Jeremiah O'Brien]], the residents built a small [[breastwork (fortification)|breastworks]] here to guard the mouth of the [[Machias River]] and the area settlements. Later that year, the British sent four ships under the command of Sir [[George Collier]] that defeated the local [[militia]], destroyed the breastworks, and burned several buildings. In 1777, the fort was rebuilt as a crescent shaped four-gun [[artillery battery|battery]]. In 1781 it was made part of the national defense and named [[Fort O'Brien]]. In 1808–1809, Lemuel Trescott of [[Eastport, Maine|Eastport]] oversaw the construction of a [[blockhouse]], [[barracks]] and battery. During the [[War of 1812]], in September 1814 the British captured the fort and burnt the barracks.<ref name="MAGDE">{{cite book |last= Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums |editor=Doris A. Isaacson |title=Maine: A Guide 'Down East' |year=1970 |publisher=Courier-Gazette, Inc. |location=Rockland, Me | pages = 271–272 }}</ref>

In 1863, during the [[American Civil War]], Fort Machias was built adjacent to the ruins of Fort O'Brien. It was a five-gun earthworks fort with [[Canon obusier de 12|Napoleon 12-pound cannon]]. It was actively manned from 1863 to 1865. In 1923, the U.S. government transferred the sites of both forts to the state of Maine. As of 2006, they are managed as a historic site by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.<ref>{{cite web | title = Historic Fort O'Brien | publisher = Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands | date = October 27, 2006 | url = http://www.state.me.us/doc/parks/programs/history/fortobrien/fort.htm | accessdate = December 10, 2006 }}</ref>  In 1969, they were added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]], as structure #69000024.<ref>{{cite web | title = MAINE - Washington County | publisher =  www.nationalregisterofhistoricalplaces.com | date = January 26, 2006 | url = http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ME/Washington/state.html | accessdate = December 10, 2006 }}</ref>

Machiasport has been the setting of several ethnographic documentary films about its inhabitants by the anthropologist and filmmaker Anna Grimshaw.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grimshaw |first1=Anna |title=At Low Tide |url=https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C3611340 |publisher=Royal Anthropological Institute |date=2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ramey |first1=Kathryn |title=Time and the Axe: A Review of Anna Grimshaw's Mr. Coperthwaite |url=https://culanth.org/fieldsights/time-and-the-axe-a-review-of-anna-grimshaws-mr-coperthwaite |website=Society for Cultural Anthropology |date=November 30, 2015 |access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|61.61|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|21.41|sqmi|sqkm|2}}  is land and {{convert|40.20|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> Drained by the [[Machias River]], the town is located at the head of [[Machias Bay]] on the [[Gulf of Maine]], part of the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

The town is crossed by state routes [[Maine State Route 92|92]] and [[Maine State Route 191|191]]. It is bordered by the towns of [[East Machias, Maine|East Machias]] to the north, [[Whiting, Maine|Whiting]] to the northeast, [[Machias, Maine|Machias]] to the west, and (separated by water) is near [[Cutler, Maine|Cutler]] to the east, and [[Roque Bluffs, Maine|Roque Bluffs]] to the southwest.

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
|1830= 688
|1840= 834
|1850= 1266
|1860= 1502
|1870= 1526
|1880= 1531
|1890= 1437
|1900= 1218
|1910= 1218
|1920= 1117
|1930= 851
|1940= 818
|1950= 781
|1960= 980
|1970= 887
|1980= 1108
|1990= 1166
|2000= 1160
|2010= 1119
|2020= 962
|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 1,119 people, 410 households, and 277 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|52.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 611 housing units at an average density of {{convert|28.5|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.8% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 410 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.78.

The median age in the town was 43.3 years. 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 56.3% male and 43.7% 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 1,160 people, 413 households, and 289 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|54.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 576 housing units at an average density of {{convert|27.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.50% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.09% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.78% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.26% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.38% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.26% of the population.

There were 413 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 125.7 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,531, and the median income for a family was $32,279. Males had a median income of $29,643 versus $20,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $13,727.  About 11.8% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Sites of interest==

* [[Fort O'Brien|Fort O'Brien State Historic Site]]
* [http://www.mainenaturalareas.org/docs/program_activities/links/Landtrust/Larrabee_Heath.pdf Larrabee Heath]
* [[Liberty Lighthouse]][http://lighthousefriends.com]—designed by [[Alexander Parris]]
* [[Liberty Hall (Machiasport, Maine)|Liberty Hall]] (1873)
* [http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/1158753 Machiasport Historical Society & Museum]
* [[Jasper Beach]]

== Notable people ==
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· The article must mention how they are associated with Machiasport, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
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* [[Francis Gano Benedict]], nutritionist
* [[William Coperthwaite]], naturalist
* [[David Freedberg]], professor

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070922153114/http://www.washingtoncountymaine.com/towns/machiasport.html Town of Machiasport, Maine]
* [http://www.libertyhallmaine.org/about_liberty_hall.php Liberty Hall]
* [http://www.machiaschamber.org/ Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512012909/http://www.maine.gov/corrections/Facilities/dcf/index.htm Downeast Correctional Facility]
* [http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_O%27Brien Fort O'Brien and Fort Machias at FortWiki.com]
* [http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/me.html#obrien Fort O'Brien and Fort Machias at NorthAmericanForts.com]

{{coord|44|41|55|N|67|23|41|W|type:city_region:US-ME|display=title}}

{{Washington County, Maine}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Machias, Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Washington County, Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Maine]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Maine]]
[[Category:1826 establishments in Maine]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1826]]