Kittery is a town in

York County, Maine York County is both the southernmost and the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Maine, along the state of New Hampshire's eastern border. It is divided from Strafford County, New Hampshire, by the Salmon Falls River and the connected ti ...

, United States, and the oldest incorporated town in

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 ...

. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. The southernmost town in the state, it is a tourist destination known for its many outlet stores. Kittery is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. The town's population was 10,070 at the 2020 census.

History

English settlement around the natural harbor of the Piscataqua River estuary began about 1623. By 1632 the community was protected by Fort William and Mary on today's New Hampshire side of the river; in 1689 defensive works that later became Fort McClary in Kittery Point were added on today's Maine side to the north. Kittery was incorporated in 1647, staking a claim as the "oldest incorporated town in Maine." It was named after the birthplace of a founder, Alexander Shapleigh, from his manor of Kittery Court at Kingswear in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Shapleigh arrived in 1635 aboard the ship ''Benediction'', which he co-owned with another prominent settler, Captain Francis Champernowne, a cousin of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, lord proprietor of Maine. Together with the Pepperrell family, they established

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...

offshore at the Isles of Shoals, where fish were caught, salted, and exported to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Other pioneers were hunters, trappers, and workers of the region's abundant

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

. The settlement at the mouth of the Piscataqua River was protected by Fort McClary. Thomas Spencer, Esquire, immigrant from

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England, was also settler of Kittery, with his wife Patience Chadbourne. Their story is included in ''The Maine Spencers: a history and genealogy, with mention of many associated families''. Kittery originally extended from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

inland up the Salmon Falls River, including the present-day towns of Eliot, South Berwick, Berwick, and

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 ...

. Located opposite

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, the town developed into a center for trade and shipbuilding. In 1652, after the death of Gorges, Maine became part of the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...

. Francis Small was a pioneer resident of Kittery, and operated a trading post near the confluence of the Ossipee River and Saco River. Here major Indian trails converged—the Sokokis Trail (now Route 5), the Ossipee Trail (now Route 25), and the Pequawket Trail (now Route 113). The site supported the lucrative

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

with Indians, but had the risks of living isolated in the

wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...

. Small became the largest property owner in the history of Maine, and was known as "the great landowner". In 1663,

John Josselyn John Josselyn (fl. 1638 – 1675) was a seventeenth-century English traveller to New England who wrote with credulity about what he saw and heard during his sojourn there before returning to England. Yet his books give some of the earliest and ...

wrote: "Towns there are, are not many in this province. Kittery, situated not far from Passacataway (Portsmouth), is the most populous." In late 1694 or early 1695 the enslaved woman Rachel of Kittery, Maine was murdered by her enslaver, Nathaniel Keen in Kittery. During the colonial era in Kittery Parish, which included present-day Kittery, Eliot, Berwick and South Berwick, as many as 500 enslaved people were brought to Kittery Parish. The Maine Historical Society calls Sir William Pepperrell (1696 – 1759) of Kittery "Maine's most prolific and infamous slave owner." In 1705, during Queen Anne's War, tribes of the

Wabanaki Confederacy The Wabanaki Confederacy (''Wabenaki, Wobanaki'', translated to "People of the Dawn" or "Easterner"; also: Wabanakia, "Dawnland") is a North American First Nations and Native American confederation of five principal Eastern Algonquian nations ...

raided the town, killing six residents and taking five prisoners. During the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

, the first vessels of the U.S. Navy were constructed on Badger's Island, including the USS ''Ranger'' (1777) commanded by

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the nation's first federal navy yard, was established in 1800 on Fernald's Island. It connects to the mainland by two bridges. During the Civil War, the facility rebuilt the USS ''Constitution'', and built the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

USS ''Kearsarge''. Seavey's Island was annexed and became site of the now defunct Portsmouth Naval Prison. In 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth, which formally ended the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

, was signed at the shipyard. From 1946 and 1977, when racial discrimination in public accommodations was common, Clayton and Hazel Sinclair operated the Rock Rest summer guest house in Kittery Point providing lodging to Black vacation travelers. The property was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2008. Rock Rest was featured in the 2020 documentary ''Driving While Black'', that aired on PBS.

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 are covered by water. Situated beside the

Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America. It is bounded by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and by Cape Sable Island at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northea ...

and

, Kittery is drained by Spruce Creek, Spinney Creek, Chauncey Creek, and the Piscataqua River. Kittery is Maine's southernmost town. The town is crossed by

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

, U.S. Route 1, Maine State Route 101, Maine State Route 103, and

Maine State Route 236 State Route 236 (SR 236) is a state highway located in extreme southern Maine, entirely within York County. It begins at State Route 103 in Kittery and runs north, terminating at State Route 9 in Berwick. Between Kittery and South Berw ...

Demographics

:''See also Kittery (CDP), Maine and Kittery Point, Maine for village demographics''

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 9,490 people, 4,302 households, and 2,488 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 4,942 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.1%

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 ...

, 0.01%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.5% from other races, and 1.5% 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 2.6% of the population. There were 4,302 households, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. Of all households, 32.8% were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the town was 43.2 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 30.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 9,543 people, 4,078 households, and 2,528 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 4,375 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.98%

, 1.78%

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 ...

, 0.18% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02%

, 0.45% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population. There were 4,078 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were

living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $52,200, and the median income for a family was $53,343. Males had a median income of $37,096 versus $29,850 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $24,153. About 5.7% of families and 7.6% 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 ...

, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Kittery economy is driven by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In 2021, 438 shipyard workers lived in Kittery and were paid a combined $37,784,774. The shipyard's total economic affect on the region in 2022 was $1,457,952,317 and in 2021 was $1,322,611,898. In 2022, 7,251 people were employed at the shipyard. The Kittery Outlets is an outdoor shopping area located on Route 1 next to Interstate 95 with over 100 retailers, including national brands and local shops. The town in 2024 approved the removal of one of the shopping plazas, The Outlets at Kittery, to be replaced with apartment housing, a hotel, and a restaurant. Kittery Foreside is a popular, walkable neighborhood adjacent to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard that has many commercial businesses, including boutique shops, restaurants, and cafes. It also features historic homes, large shade trees, and a number of arts and culture organizations. The Weathervane Restaurant chain was founded in Kittery in 1969. In 2023, the '' Portland Press Herald'' reported that Kittery has the highest per capita number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants and food businesses in Maine.

Climate change

In Kittery, coastal property, shoreland infrastructure, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are all vulnerable to rising seas caused by the changing climate. Most vulnerable are low-lying roads, the bridges to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, other bridges, businesses, a church, a fire station, and the working waterfront. To respond to these threats, the town formed a Climate Change Adaptation Committee.

Arts and culture

The Kittery Art Association was formed in 1958. It manages the KAA Gallery at 2 Walker Street in Kittery Foreside, as a cultural center and exhibition gallery. The Kittery Art Association purchased the gallery building in 2022 from the town library, where the property was known as the Taylor Building, for $558,700. The Kittery Art Association used to be located at 8 Coleman Avenue in Kittery Point. The Rice Public Library was built in 1889 at 8 Wentworth Street. The library reopened in 2022 after a $6.1 million renovation. The nonprofit The Dance Hall is located in the former Grange Hall in Kittery Foreside. It hosts performances and classes in dance and music.

Sites of interest

Sites of interest include: * John Bray House, built in 1662, believed to be the oldest extant house in Maine. * Fort McClary State Historic Site * John Paul Jones Memorial Park, which includes the Maine Sailors' and Soldiers' Memorial by Bashka Paeff. * Kittery Community Center * The Kittery Historical and Naval Museum, opened in 1977. * Lady Pepperrell House, built in 1760. * Rock Rest * Seapoint Beach and Fort Foster, originally a harbor defense, at Kittery Point. * William Pepperrell House, built in 1733 File:Sir William Pepperrell House.jpg, Pepperrell House File:Government Street, Kittery, ME.jpg, Government St. File:Navy Yard Bridge, Kittery, ME.jpg, Navy Yard Bridge File:Dry Dock, Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.jpg, Shipyard dry dock

Parks and recreation

Kittery includes many parks, beaches, and recreational spaces. The largest is Fort Foster, a former federal military installation from the 19th century until the 1950s. Other parks include * John Paul Jones Memorial Park * Fort McClary State Historic Site * Inspiration Park * Rogers Park Conservation Area * Kittery Memorial Field * Cutts Island Trail on the Rachel Carson Nature Preserve Beaches include: * Seapoint Beach * Crescent Beach * Fort Foster Horn Point—East Cove Beach * Fort Foster Pier Beach * Fort Foster Scuba Beach

Education

Kittery is home to Robert William Traip Academy (9–12), a formerly private, preparatory school which became public and town-run in 1967. Kittery is also home to Horace Mitchell Primary School (K–3) and Shapleigh School (4–8).

Media

The movie '' Thinner'' (1996), based on the 1984

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

, was filmed in Kittery.

Notable people

* Jess Abbott, guitarist of the band Now, Now * William Badger, master shipbuilder * William Black, first settler of bailey island * Devin Beliveau, state representative * John Haley Bellamy, woodcarver, folk artist * George Berry, captain, shipbuilder * Dennis C. Blair, admiral * Scott Brown, ambassador, senator from Massachusetts (2010–2013) *

Tunis Craven Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven (11 January 1813 – 5 August 1864) was an officer in the United States Navy. His career included service in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Early life Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven was b ...

, naval officer * Shem Drowne, metalworker, creator of Boston's Grasshopper Weathervane * Elisha T. Gardner, Wisconsin politician, lawyer * William Dean Howells, writer, magazine editor * Sandi Jackson, Chicago city alderman * Kenneth F. Lemont, state legislator * Jeremiah O'Brien, naval officer *

John O'Hurley John George O'Hurley Jr. (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor and game show host. He played Jacopo Peterman, J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', provided the voice for King Neptune on ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', and hosted the game s ...

, television actor and game show host * Sean Regan, drink special from the Corner Pub named for him * Joseph T. Palastra Jr., U.S. Army

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

* Sir William Pepperrell, merchant, soldier * Rachel of Kittery, Maine, an enslaved women who was murdered by her enslaver * Arthur Shawcross, serial killer * Hunt Slonem, artist * Francis Small, trader and landowner * Celia Thaxter, poet * John Treworgie, last proprietary governor of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

* Donald Valle (1908–1977), American businessman and owner of the eponymously named Valle's Steak House * Walter Wheeler, state representative * William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence

In popular culture

The Saturday morning cartoon '' DinoSquad'' is based in Kittery/Kittery Point.

References

External links

Town of Kittery official website
{{Authority control 1623 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Populated coastal places in Maine Populated places established in 1623 Portland metropolitan area, Maine Towns in Maine Towns in York County, Maine