Berwick is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in York County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States, situated in the southern part of the state beside the

Salmon Falls River The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake, Newichawannock Canal, and Horn Pond and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border b ...

. Today's South Berwick was set off from Berwick in 1814, while

North Berwick North Berwick (; ) is a seaside resort, seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holi ...

was partitioned from the town in 1831. The population was 7,950 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

History

The area comprising modern Berwick, South Berwick,

, and the banks of the

was originally known by its native

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

inhabitants as Newichawannock, meaning "river of many falls" or "land of great falls." Originally part of Kittery, the area later comprised by Berwick was settled about 1631 by Ambrose Gibbens and called Kittery Commons or Kittery North Parish. Gibbens would eventually found a trading post to sell arms and ammunition to fellow white settlers. The dense forests of Southern Maine provided large pine for shipbuilding, and the first

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

in English America was built in the area that is now South Berwick on the Great Works Falls. It was colloquially known as Gibbens' Mill after the first settler of the Berwick area, and as many as 18 sawmills were eventually built in the area.

Logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksclapboards and

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...

staves loaded aboard ''Pied Cowe'' at South Berwick in 1634. Kittery North Parish was later called Unity after the ship that transported Scots

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

from the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 to the colonies. These Scots had been force-marched to

Durham Cathedral Durham Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Durham and is the Mother Church#Cathedral, mother church of the diocese of Durham. It also contains the ...

Durham, England Durham ( , locally ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in the county of County Durham, Durham, England. It is the county town and contains the headquarters of Durham County Council, the unitary authority which governs the district of Count ...

, then tried for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

for supporting Charles II rather than

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

Lord Protector Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') is a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometime ...

. Many settled near Berwick in an area near the northern Eliot-

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

border, which came to be known—and still is—as ''Scotland Bridge''. Landing in

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, the

royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

soldiers were sold as indentured servants, many of whom went to work at the Great Works mills until they were able to pay for their own freedom. The raid by Indians in 1675 was the first of several during what was known as

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

. In 1690–1691 during

King William's War King William's War (also known as the Second Indian War, Father Baudoin's War, Castin's War, or the First Intercolonial War in French) was the North American theater of the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), also known as the War of the Grand Allian ...

, the village was burned and abandoned in the Raid on Salmon Falls. During these raids, approximately 30 white settlers were killed and over 50 were captured. It was resettled in 1703 and renamed Newichawannock for a short time before again being renamed Berwick after

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...

, England. Neighboring Kittery requested that Berwick and its many mills be split into multiple independent municipalities before incorporation, but it was regardless incorporated by the Great and General Court on June 9, 1713, as the ninth town in what is now Maine.Taylor, Jessie (2014) p. 8 The first schoolhouse in the state was built here in 1719. The town was raided numerous times during Father Rale's War. Berwick was once considerably larger in size. In 1749, the people of Berwick voted to divide the town into a northern and southern

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

, known as Blackberry Hill and Old Fields, respectively. Distinct communities began to form around these parishes, and in 1814, South Berwick was granted a request to be set off, followed by North Berwick in 1831. The introduction of the railroad in the mid 19th-century limited the town's reliance on its rivers as it continued to produce lumber. Beginning in the 19th century, Berwick had a

symbiotic Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

economic relationship with

Somersworth, New Hampshire Somersworth is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2020 census. Somersworth has the smallest area and third-lowest population of New Hampshire's 13 cities. History Prior to European settle ...

, the

mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe ...

to which it is connected by bridge. Additional industry eventually came to Berwick, such as Nute's Shoe Factory in the late 19th-century and Prime Tanning in the early 20th-century. Prime Tanning grew to be an international producer of leather products but merged with a Chinese company in 2008 after declaring bankruptcy. Later that year it shuttered its headquarters in Berwick. In 2021, the town announced the construction of a new

mixed-use development Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...

, named ''The Edge at Berwick'', on the former property of Prime Tanning. Image:Salmon Falls River from Somersworth, NH.jpg, Berwick as seen from Somersworth, NH Image:View of Salmon Falls River, Berwick, ME.jpg, Looking up the Salmon Falls River in 1915 Image:On the Salmon Falls River, Berwick, ME.jpg, Rochester Street from the river in 1921 Image:Sullivan High School, Berwick, ME.jpg, Old Sullivan High School about 1920

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Berwick is drained by the Little River and

. Diamond Hill, at an elevation of 490 feet (149.4 m) above sea level, is the town's highest point. The lowest elevation, which is approximately 70 feet (21.3 m) above sea level, is on the Salmon River as it crosses the southernmost town border with South Berwick. The town is served by state routes 9 and 236.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Berwick has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,353 people, 2,319 households, and 1,723 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,414 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.36%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.14% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.06% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population. There were 2,319 households, out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.15. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,629, and the median income for a family was $53,776. Males had a median income of $36,329 versus $24,911 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,988. About 6.9% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,246 people, 2,749 households, and 2,029 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,934 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.2%

, 0.5%

, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 2,749 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.2% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age in the town was 39.1 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Notable people

* Daniel B. Allyn,

Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army The vice chief of staff of the Army (VCSA) is the principal deputy to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, chief of staff of the Army, and is the second-highest-ranking officer on active duty in the United States Department of the Army, ...

, 2014–2017 * John Jay Butler, minister and professor * Hannah Tobey Farmer, philanthropist, writer, social reformer * Benjamin Franklin Hayes, legislator and judge * Frederick Hayes, Civil War veteran, awarded medal of honor * John Alfred Hayes, Union Army physician * Thomas Lavigne, state legislator *

Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His Debut novel, first novel, ''Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, ...

, writer * Alphonso M. Lunt, army sergeant * James Sullivan, seventh

governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

* Sarah Wilson AKA Princess Sophia Carolina Augusta, Queen Charlotte’s sister AKA Princess Carolina Matilda, Princess of Cronenburgh, Marchioness de Waldegrave. English Imposter, Thief and Convict who died in Berwick in 1780.

Schools

Berwick Maine is part of MSAD60/RSU 60. There are three schools in Berwick: * Vivian E. Hussey School (K–3) * Eric L. Knowlton School (4–5) * Noble Middle School (6–7) Students in grades 8–12 from Berwick attend Noble High School in the neighboring town of North Berwick.

Downtown revitalization

The Town of Berwick was awarded several Brownfield grants in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to help with a downtown revitalization effort. On October 31, 2019, Great Falls Construction purchased the property and over the years has developed the site into The Edge at Berwick Maine.

References

External links

*
The Falls Chamber of Commerce (historically known as The Greater Somersworth Chamber of Commerce)
{{authority control 1631 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Populated places established in 1631 Portland metropolitan area, Maine Towns in York County, Maine Towns in Maine