South China is a village in the town of China in Kennebec 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 ...

, United States. It is one of five villages in the town. Located between Augusta and Waterville, South China sits along the shores of its namesake,

China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake is a United States military facility in California. China Lake may also refer to: Places in the United States *China Lake, Kern County, California, an unincorporated community named for a nearby dry lake * Ch ...

. It is an hour and a half from both Bangor and Portland.

Maine State Route 3 State Route 3 (SR 3) is a state highway located in southern Maine. It is a major interregional highway, connecting the Interstate 95 corridor to the Atlantic coast. The western terminus is at SR 8, SR 11 and SR 27 in Augusta and the eastern ...

runs through the major part of the town, leading west to Augusta and east to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, and U.S. Route 202 (Lakeview Drive) connects South China with China.

Communities

South China is home to Friends Camp, a Quaker summer camp which has been active for over 50 years. It is also the home of a Christian church, South China Community Church, across from the South China Library (founded in 1830). The church is open to and welcomes all practicing Christians of any denomination. Three-Mile Pond can be accessed from Route 3, a mile south of the South China Community Church. South China is also home to Maine's second largest private high school, Erskine Academy.

Business

Ron Reed Antiques is on Mayflower Drive. At the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Mayflower Drive is the Pond and three camps to the right is Grammy's Camp at 12 West Washington Boulevard. In 2008, a new restaurant was established along Lakeview Drive known as the "China Dine-ah," which serves country cooking-style meals. MJEK's grill opened in the summer of 2012 right beside the China Dine-ah and specializes in seafood. An ice cream shop, Back's Dairy Bar, is open during the spring and summer. In 2008, a new Hannaford's was constructed right off of Route 3. A

Family Dollar Family Dollar Stores, Inc. is an American variety store chain. With over 8,000 locations in all states except Alaska and Hawaii, it was the second largest retailer of its type in the United States until it was acquired by Dollar Tree in 2015 and i ...

store was also recently built. Norm's restaurant, adjacent to the Family Dollar on Route 3, opened in 2013 but has since closed. Most recent is the upgrade of a convenience store also on Route 3. It has both a Subway and a Dunkin' Donuts franchise in it.

Entertainment

For the people who live or go here during vacation, swimming in China Lake is a popular pastime. There is a small beach area by the China Community Church on Lakeview Drive. In the winter of 2013, G.O. Tubing opened up on Alder Park Road. South China is only a fifteen minute's drive from places such as Augusta and Lake St. George.

Notable people

* Rufus Jones (1863-1948), writer, magazine editor, philosopher, Quaker

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, historian, and college professor; the only person to have delivered two

Swarthmore Lecture Swarthmore Lecture is one of a series of lectures, started in 1908, addressed to Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The preface to the very first lecture explains the purpose of the series. “This book is t ...

s * Mary Mayhew, 2018 Republican candidate for governor who currently resides in South China *

Stacy Westfall Stacy Westfall (born September 26, 1974) is a professional horse trainer who specializes in reining. In 2006, she became the first woman to compete in and win the Road to the Horse competition. In 2006, she also won the All American Quarter Horse Co ...

, horsewoman and inductee in

National Cowgirl Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Established in 1975, it is dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneering fortitude. The museum is an educ ...

, was raised in South China. {{Kennebec County, Maine China, Maine Villages in Kennebec County, Maine