Berwick is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) in the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

of Berwick in York 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 nor ...

, United States. The population was 2,187 at the 2010 census, out of a total of 7,246 in the entire town. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–

Biddeford Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...

, Maine

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

Geography

Berwick is located at (43.267359, −70.861803). 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 th ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.77%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,993 people, 776 households, and 506 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 806 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.24%

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

, 0.85%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

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 ...

, 0.25% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 1.40% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population. There were 776 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,294, and the median income for a family was $41,985. Males had a median income of $38,050 versus $23,450 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,822. About 17.4% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

Early history

Ambrose Gibbens was the first white settler in Berwick, ''circa'' 1630. He made a settlement and established a trading post at Newichawannok (Old Berwick) near Quampeagan Falls, the head of navigation on the Piscataqua. The region hosted numerous pine trees and was one of the attractions to early settlers. As such, the first sawmill in America—called Gibbens' Sawmill—was set up at Newichawannok, on the Great Works River. That one sawmill quickly grew to 18 and the Native Americans called it "the place of great works". The area soon grew into a bustling community of more than 200 people. By 1647, the settlements at Kittery had become the first town in Maine. Old Kittery included what is now Eliot, South Berwick, and Berwick. Newichawannok (Old Berwick) became the parish of Unity and was also called Kittery Commons, and Kittery, North Parish. Over time, townspeople ceased using the name Unity and began to refer to this area as "Barwick".

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Maine Portland metropolitan area, Maine Census-designated places in York County, Maine 1630 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies