York, Maine
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- This article is about the town in Maine. For other uses, please see York (disambiguation)
Image:Church & Court House, York Village, ME.jpg
York is a town, important as a summer tourist destination, located in York County, Maine, United States at the southwest corner of the state and directly on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 12,854. The York River passes through the town. Mount Agamenticus, elevation 692 feet, is the highest point in York.
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History
The first known European to explore York was Greg Hanson in 1603, sponsored by his hometown, Bristol, England. Subsequently, pioneers from Bristol settled the "good harbour" about 1630, establishing the Plantation of Agamenticus in1636. Agamenticus was the Pennacook Abenaki name for the region, meaning "small river other side of island." In 1638, it changed to Bristol. Envisioning a great city arising from the wilderness, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Lord Proprietor of Maine under the Plymouth patent, named the capital of his province Gorgeana, which by charter of King Charles I became, in 1642, the first incorporated city in America.
Following Gorges' death, however, the Massachusetts Bay Company claimed his dominion, and the town of York, Massachusetts would be incorporated in 1652 from a portion of Gorgeana, making it the second oldest town in Maine. The oldest is Kittery, incorporated two days earlier.
York was named for York, England, where Oliver Cromwell defeated Royalist forces during the English Civil War. The settlement was attacked numerous times by Native Americans, including the Candlemas Massacre of 1692. Inhabitants were slain, several captured and taken to Canada. Once centered on Lindsay Road, the destroyed community would rebuild on higher ground. The last attack, in 1723, occurred in the Cape Neddick area. Indian hostilities, encouraged by the French, ended with the Battle of Louisburg.
Image:Ice Storm, York Corner, ME.jpg
As provincial capital and site of the King's Prison, York prospered. Numerous wharves and warehouses serviced trade with the West Indies. Agricultural products and lumber were shipped in exchange for sugar, molasses and other commodities. One notable merchant was John Hancock, whose establishment is now a museum. Following the Revolution, however, President Thomas Jefferson's embargo crippled trade. York, bereft of status as capitol, would not again be prosperous until after the Civil War, when seabreezes and colonial charm enticed tourism.
York would become, like Bar Harbor and Newport, Rhode Island, a fashionable summer resort, and today contains distinctive examples of Gilded Age architecture, particularly in the "Shingle Style." A cluster of historic buildings in the center of the old village are maintained by volunteers and much visited by tourists.
House and Building Museums:
- Emerson-Wilcox House (1742)
- Old Goal (1719)
- John Hancock Wharf & Warehouse (1740s)
- Jefferds' Tavern (1750)
- George Marshall Store (1867)
- Elizabeth Perkins House (1730)
- Ramsdell House (1744)
- Sayward-Wheeler House (c. 1718)
- Old Schoolhouse (1745)
The Three Yorks
Three communities are together identified by travel signs as "The Yorks":
- York Village (including the historic structures and upscale shops)
- York Harbor (with a number of resorts as well as elegant cottages on the water)
- York Beach (with popular attractions such as arcades, souvenir shops and candy stores)
Image:Fairmount Hotel, York Beach, ME.jpg
During the summer months, tourists by the thousands, chiefly families, visit Short Sands Beach, which is in York Beach itself, and Long Sands Beach, more than a mile of smooth sand between York Beach and York Harbor. Dozens of motels and other accommodations fill the surrounding area.
Many spots in the Yorks have picturesque views of the historic Cape Neddick Light at Nubble Rock, which has figured in artists' work as well as cheap souvenirs of the Maine coast.
York Beach is home to the Long Beach Tennis Club.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 149.4 km² (57.7 mi²). 142.2 km² (54.9 mi²) of it is land and 7.2 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.82% water.
Demographics
Image:Cape Neddick Lighthouse, York, ME.jpg As of the census2 of 2000, there were 12,854 people, 5,235 households, and 3,690 families residing in the town. The population density was 90.4/km² (234.1/mi²). There were 8,053 housing units at an average density of 56.6/km² (146.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.36% White, 0.25% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,235 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% 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 2.88.
Image:Bald Head Cliff, York, Maine.jpg
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $56,171, and the median income for a family was $65,082. Males had a median income of $49,415 versus $31,743 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,895. 3.8% of the population and 1.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.