Editing Robbinston, Maine

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

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = John Brewer House, Robbinston, Maine 2012.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = John N.M. Brewer House
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map              = Maine#USA
|pushpin_label            = Robbinston
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|image_map                =  
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = 
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- 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     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name ="Gazetteer files"/>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 87.39
|area_land_km2            = 73.01
|area_water_km2           = 14.37
|area_total_sq_mi         = 33.74
|area_land_sq_mi          = 28.19
|area_water_sq_mi         = 5.55

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 539
|population_density_km2   = 7.4
|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              = 66
|elevation_ft             = 217
|coordinates              = {{coord|45|4|36|N|67|8|26|W|region:US-ME|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 04671
|area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 23-63275
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0582697
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Robbinston''' is a town in [[Washington County, Maine|Washington County]], [[Maine]], United States. The population was 539 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2302963275| title=Census - Geography Profile: Robbinston town, Washington County, Maine| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=January 30, 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|33.74|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|28.19|sqmi|sqkm|2}}  is land and {{convert|5.55|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]]|access-date=December 16, 2012}}</ref> It is situated {{convert|35|mi}} northeast of [[Machias, Maine|Machias]], {{convert|16|mi}} north of [[Lubec, Maine|Lubec]] and {{convert|12|mi}} south of [[Calais, Maine|Calais]].

===Climate===
{{Weather box   <!-- Infobox begins -->
| single line = Y
| location    = Robbinston, Maine (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1994–present)
|Jan record high F = 57
|Feb record high F = 63
|Mar record high F = 83
|Apr record high F = 83
|May record high F = 92
|Jun record high F = 97
|Jul record high F = 97
|Aug record high F = 95
|Sep record high F = 95
|Oct record high F = 82
|Nov record high F = 73
|Dec record high F = 61
| Jan avg record high F = 49.2
| Feb avg record high F = 48.6
| Mar avg record high F = 57.3
| Apr avg record high F = 68.7
| May avg record high F = 81.2
| Jun avg record high F = 87.8
| Jul avg record high F = 90.1
| Aug avg record high F = 88.7
| Sep avg record high F = 84.8
| Oct avg record high F = 72.2
| Nov avg record high F = 62.0
| Dec avg record high F = 54.5
| year avg record high F = 92.7
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =28.7
| Feb high F  =31.6
| Mar high F  =39.7
| Apr high F  =50.8
| May high F  =62.2
| Jun high F  =70.9
| Jul high F  =76.9
| Aug high F  =76.8
| Sep high F  =69.1
| Oct high F  =56.6
| Nov high F  =45.2
| Dec high F  =34.4
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =19.9
| Feb mean F  =22.1
| Mar mean F  =30.8
| Apr mean F  =41.4
| May mean F  =51.7
| Jun mean F  =60.4
| Jul mean F  =66.5
| Aug mean F  =66.3
| Sep mean F  =59.0
| Oct mean F  =48.0
| Nov mean F  =37.7
| Dec mean F  =26.9
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =11.0
| Feb low F  =12.7
| Mar low F  =21.8
| Apr low F  =32.1
| May low F  =41.2
| Jun low F  =49.9
| Jul low F  =56.1
| Aug low F  =55.8
| Sep low F  =49.0
| Oct low F  =39.4
| Nov low F  =30.2
| Dec low F  =19.4
| Jan avg record low F = -8.5
| Feb avg record low F = -6.6
| Mar avg record low F = 1.9
| Apr avg record low F = 21.3
| May avg record low F = 30.3
| Jun avg record low F = 39.4
| Jul avg record low F = 48.5
| Aug avg record low F = 45.9
| Sep avg record low F = 35.9
| Oct avg record low F = 26.9
| Nov avg record low F = 15.1
| Dec avg record low F = 0.7
| year avg record low F = -10.6
|Jan record low F = -20
|Feb record low F = -19
|Mar record low F = -9
|Apr record low F = 8
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 35
|Jul record low F = 44
|Aug record low F = 41
|Sep record low F = 29
|Oct record low F = 22
|Nov record low F = 5
|Dec record low F = -8
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =4.85
| Feb precipitation inch  =4.17
| Mar precipitation inch  =4.82
| Apr precipitation inch  =4.39
| May precipitation inch  =4.35
| Jun precipitation inch  =4.10
| Jul precipitation inch  =3.18
| Aug precipitation inch  =3.45
| Sep precipitation inch  =4.23
| Oct precipitation inch  =5.43
| Nov precipitation inch  =5.50
| Dec precipitation inch  =6.27
|Jan precipitation days = 13.7
|Feb precipitation days = 12.8
|Mar precipitation days = 13.1
|Apr precipitation days = 13.2
|May precipitation days = 14.5
|Jun precipitation days = 12.3
|Jul precipitation days = 11.5
|Aug precipitation days = 9.9
|Sep precipitation days = 10.0
|Oct precipitation days = 12.0
|Nov precipitation days = 12.6
|Dec precipitation days = 14.1
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch
<!-- Snowfall -->
| Jan snow inch  =24.8
| Feb snow inch  =21.9
| Mar snow inch  =18.9
| Apr snow inch  =6.0
| May snow inch  =0.2
| Jun snow inch  =0.0
| Jul snow inch  =0.0
| Aug snow inch  =0.0
| Sep snow inch  =0.0
| Oct snow inch  =0.3
| Nov snow inch  =3.6
| Dec snow inch  =19.3
| year snow inch  =95.0
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 11.8
|Feb snow days = 10.5
|Mar snow days = 8.3
|Apr snow days = 3.6
|May snow days = 0.2
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.2
|Nov snow days = 3.2
|Dec snow days = 8.4
|year snow days = 
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
| source = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00177238 |title=NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |publisher=NOAA |access-date=July 7, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=car |title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = July 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}<!-- Infobox ends -->

==History==
Robbinston is in Washington County, the easternmost of the United States. As it was settled, the areas, or "Plantations" were numbered, and then became villages and cities. It was named for [[Edward Robbins|Edward Hutchinson Robbins]] and Nathaniel J. Robbins who received a land grant for the area on October 21, 1786, and became the third and fourth family settled there.<ref name="masshist">{{cite web |title=Murray-Robbins Family Papers, 1658-1944 |url=http://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fa0343 |website=www.masshist.org |publisher=[[Massachusetts Historical Society]] |access-date=April 24, 2019}}</ref> A post office was established by 1796, and Robbinston was incorporated on February 18, 1811.<ref>George Jones Varney, ''A Gazetteer of the State of Maine'', p.479</ref>

The area near Robbinston was first settled by the French explorer Pierre de Monts from 1604 to 1605 and then abandoned when the colony lost 36 people that first winter.<ref name="Williamson">William D. Williamson, ''History Of The State Of Maine: From Its First Discovery, A.D. 1602''</ref> That island, once called De Mont's Island, then the Neutral Island, is now the [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|St. Croix Island International Historic Site]]. It marks the boundary between the United States and Canada as set out by treaty in 1783.<ref>George Jones Varney, ''A Gazetteer of the State of Maine'', p.525</ref> Traces of the fort were first excavated in 1798, then the St. Croix Lighthouse was installed in 1856 at the head of [[Passamaquoddy Bay]] where it meets the [[Saint Croix River (Maine – New Brunswick)|St. Croix River]]. It now has seven life-sized historical statues as part of the park walk.

The river is {{convert|3|mi|0}} wide separating Robbinston from the town of [[St. Andrews, New Brunswick]], Canada. Still saltwater, the tidal range is {{convert|27.5|ft}}. Because of the abundance of wood, much of the early industry centered around shipbuilding. For example, in 1856, 17 vessels, ranging from 100 to 1000 tons each, were built at Robbinston.<ref>George Jones Varney, ''A Gazetteer of the State of Maine'', p.567</ref> When steam-powered ships arrived, Robbinston returned to fishing and farming potatoes, which escaped the blight found in warmer areas. The granite quarry in Red Beach also was a local industry. The seven lakes and streams in Robbinston boasted pickerel, trout, perch and salmon.

During the mid-19th century, Robbinston was a last stop for the [[Underground Railroad]] where escaping slaves would cross over into Canada and freedom. One of the houses that supported them still stands, the John N. Brewer Sr Mansion.   Built in 1785 with an addition added around 1821, it is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The John N. M. Brewer Jr  House built in 1826 is across hwy 1 and is now operated as a B&B. Other historical sites in Robbinston are the Grace Episcopal Church, James S. Pike Racing Milestones, Pulpit Rock, [[Henrietta Brewer House|Henrietta Brewer]] Cottage (wife of John Brewer Jr) (Redclyffe Shore Motel) and Sewall Memorial Congregational Church, with its roots in 1817.

Up five miles along [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|Coastal Route 1]] is Devil's Head, a high rocky bluff overlooking the river and landmark for watercraft. There is a nice trail and picnic site next to the water. The highest lookout point, at {{convert|300|ft}} above sea level, is Trimble Mountain, off Brewer Road. The three islands are accessible by boat, which can be rented or hired. <!-- This would be a good place for local input for activities and events. -->

Many people have family historical roots in the area and visit for business as well as pleasure. The Washington County Historical Society is best contacted in advance, since many of the records are held in the larger towns and are more easily navigated with a little direction.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 424
|1830= 616
|1840= 822
|1850= 1028
|1860= 1113
|1870= 926
|1880= 910
|1890= 787
|1900= 844
|1910= 691
|1920= 747
|1930= 583
|1940= 637
|1950= 554
|1960= 476
|1970= 396
|1980= 492
|1990= 495
|2000= 525
|2010= 574
|2020= 539
|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|access-date=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]]|access-date=December 16, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 574 people, 238 households, and 165 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|20.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 354 housing units at an average density of {{convert|12.6|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 96.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.2% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.3% of the population.

[[Image:RobbinstonME RiverView.jpg|thumb|left|View of the St. Croix River from Robbinston; [[St. Andrews, New Brunswick]] lies across the river]]
There were 238 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.7% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% 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 2.84.

The median age in the town was 48.6 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 35.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.1% male and 46.9% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 525 people, 201 households, and 157 families residing in the town.  The [[population density]] was 18.6 people per square mile (7.2/km{{sup|2}}).  There were 329 housing units at an average density of 11.7 per square mile (4.5/km{{sup|2}}).  The racial makeup of the town was 95.81% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.33% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 2.86% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 201 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 15.9% 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 2.61 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,250, and the median income for a family was $36,346. Males had a median income of $31,389 versus $26,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,801.  About 6.4% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 13.3% 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 Robbinston, 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.
-->

* [[Grace Macurdy]] (1866–1946), educator
* [[Laurence Trimble]] (1885–1954), silent film actor, writer and director

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal | last = Wright | first = Virginia M. | title = A Town in Repose | journal = Down East: The Magazine of Maine |  issue = May 2011 }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Robbinston
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/robbinston-me.htm }}
* [http://www.washingtoncountymaine.com/towns/robbinston.html Town of Robbinston]
* [http://www.sunrisecounty.org/pb/hist/histrbn.htm Robbinston Historical Sites]
* [http://www.washingtoncountymaine.com/wchgs/ Washington County Historical Society]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20010307122325/http://lighthouse.cc/stcroix/history.html Lighthouse Photos]}}
* [http://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Robbinston-Maine/tides/latest Tide Forecast]

{{Washington County, Maine}}

{{Coord|45|04|41|N|67|06|34|W|type:city_region:US-ME|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Washington County, Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Maine]]
[[Category:Underground Railroad in Maine]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Maine]]