Editing Pownal, Maine

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Pownal, Maine
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = First Parish Congregational Church, Pownal ME.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = First Parish Congregational Church
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Cumberland County Maine incorporated and unincorporated areas Pownal highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland 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        = [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]
|parts_type               = Villages
|parts                    = North&nbsp;Pownal<br>Pownal&nbsp;Center<br>West&nbsp;Pownal
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = [[Incorporation (municipal government)|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = 1808

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name ="Gazetteer files"/>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 59.26
|area_land_km2            = 59.21
|area_water_km2           = 0.05
|area_total_sq_mi         = 22.88
|area_land_sq_mi          = 22.86
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1566
|population_density_km2   = 26.4
|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              = 69
|elevation_ft             = 226
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|54|45|N|70|10|44|W|region:US-ME|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 04069
|area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 23-60685
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0582684
|website                  = {{URL|www.pownalmaine.org}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Pownal''' is a town in [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland County]], [[Maine]], United States. Pownal was included in the [[Lewiston-Auburn]], Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 1,566 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2300560685| title=Census - Geography Profile: Pownal town, Cumberland County, Maine| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> It is part of the [[Portland, Maine|Portland]]&ndash;[[South Portland, Maine|South Portland]]&ndash;[[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]], Maine [[Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Pownal is home to [[Bradbury Mountain State Park]].

==History==
Originally the northwest portion of [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]], it was first settled in 1680. The town was set off and incorporated by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] on March 3, 1808, named in honor of former Governor [[Thomas Pownall]], who had died three years before.<ref name="books.google.com">[https://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&dq=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA277 Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, ''A History and Description of New England;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1859]</ref> It swapped land with the town of [[North Yarmouth, Maine|North Yarmouth]] in 1813 and 1816.<ref>[http://www.maine.gov/local/cumberland/pownal/ Maine.gov -- Pownal, Maine]</ref> With an undulating surface of generally productive soil, [[agriculture]] became the principal occupation. By 1859, when the population was 1,074, other industries included a [[gristmill]] and a [[carriage]] factory.<ref name="books.google.com"/>

Pownal was chosen by author [[Stephen King]] as the hometown of schoolteacher Johnny Smith, protagonist of his 1979 novel ''[[The Dead Zone (novel)|The Dead Zone]],'' and of Ray Garraty, protagonist of his 1979 novel [[The Long Walk (novel)|''The'' ''Long Walk'']]. King grew up in neighboring [[Durham, Maine|Durham]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stephenking.com/the_author.html|title=StephenKing.com - About the Author|website=www.stephenking.com|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|22.88|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|22.86|sqmi|sqkm|2}}  is land and {{convert|0.02|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=2012-12-16}}</ref> Pownal is drained by the eastern branches of the [[Royal River]].

The town is served by [[Maine State Route 9]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 2043
|1800= 1678
|1810= 872
|1820= 1058
|1830= 1308
|1840= 1210
|1850= 1074
|1860= 1053
|1870= 981
|1880= 874
|1890= 712
|1900= 592
|1910= 625
|1920= 514
|1930= 462
|1940= 575
|1950= 752
|1960= 778
|1970= 800
|1980= 1189
|1990= 1262
|2000= 1491
|2010= 1474
|2020= 1566
|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=2012-12-16}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,474 people, 590 households, and 422 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|64.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 613 housing units at an average density of {{convert|26.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 590 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the town was 44.6 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 36.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,491 people, 560 households, and 437 families living in the town.  The population density was {{convert|65.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 567 housing units at an average density of {{convert|24.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.47% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.07% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.13% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.27% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.13% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.07% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 560 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,219, and the median income for a family was $60,000. Males had a median income of $38,000 versus $26,188 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $26,691.  About 2.6% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Site of interest==
* [[Bradbury Mountain State Park]]

==Notable person==
*[[Frank Knight (arborist)|Frank Knight]], arborist

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.pownalmaine.org Town of Pownal official website]
* [http://www.bradburymountain.com/ Bradbury Mountain State Park]
* [http://www.rrct.org/ Royal River Conservation Trust]
* [http://www.maine.gov/local/cumberland/pownal/ Maine.gov – Pownal, Maine]
* [http://my.mainetoday.com/town.html?town=Pownal myMaineToday.com - Pownal news on myMaineToday.com]
* [http://www.mainegenealogy.net/individual_place_record.asp?place=pownal Maine Genealogy: Pownal, Cumberland County, Maine]

{{Cumberland County, Maine}}

[[Category:Pownal, Maine| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Cumberland County, Maine]]
[[Category:Portland metropolitan area, Maine]]