New Portland is a town in Somerset County,

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

. It is perhaps best known for its Wire Bridge, a cable suspension bridge completed in 1866 that is the last remaining bridge of its type in Maine, and possibly the U.S. Much of North New Portland's Main Street burned to the ground in the fire of 1919, including a hotel. The annual town fair draws large crowds from around, and is held in September. The population was 765 at the 2020 census. The town was given to the residents of Falmouth (now

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

) by the Massachusetts legislature to repay them for their loss when the British fleet burned Falmouth in 1775.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. The town is situated on Route 27 adjacent to Kingfield and a short drive to the popular Sugarloaf ski resort. The Carrabassett River flows through the West New Portland village and East New Portland village, whereas the Gilman Stream flows through the North New Portland village. The Carrabassett River is rocky and in places swift, whereas Gilman Stream is a slower river, amenable to kayaking and canoeing.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 718 people, 346 households, and 202 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 605 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.2%

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, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.1%

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, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.3% of the population. There were 346 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.58. The median age in the town was 48.9 years. 16.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 38.2% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.2% male and 47.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 785 people, 329 households, and 227 families living in the town. The

was 18.1 people per square mile (7.0/km). There were 564 housing units at an average density of 13.0 per square mile (5.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.34%

, 1.27% Native American, 0.13% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.25% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 329 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.77. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,521, and the median income for a family was $35,284. Males had a median income of $26,354 versus $17,014 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $14,596. About 8.3% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Joseph T. Copeland, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and general in the Union Army. Postmaster of New Portland from 1837 * Peter Percival Elder, politician, businessman, and newspaperman. Born in New Portland in 1823 *

Geoffrey Shovelton Geoffrey Richard Shovelton (27 April 1936 – 4 July 2016)

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

opera singer and illustrator. Moved to New Portland in 2002 * Abram P. Williams, teacher, businessman, and US senator from California. Born in New Portland in 1832; died in 1911 * Orrin J. Williams (1844–1913), businessman, mayor of New Richmond, Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Assemblyman

References

External links

New Portland's Official Website
{{authority control Towns in Somerset County, Maine Towns in Maine