Lewiston, ME
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Lewiston (; ) is the second most populous city in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
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 ...
, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
, and
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
, the state's most populous city. A part of
Androscoggin County Androscoggin County ( French: ''Comté d'Androscoggin'') is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 111,139. Its county seat is Auburn and its most populous city is Lewiston. Androscoggin Cou ...
, it is one-half of the
Lewiston–Auburn Lewiston–Auburn (L–A) are twin cities in Androscoggin County, Maine, USA. Together, they have a population of 61,182 in a combined . The cities are commonly called "Cities of the Androscoggin," as they are seated along the banks of the Andro ...
metropolitan statistical area, commonly referred to as "L/A." or "L-A." Lewiston exerts a significant impact upon the
diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...
, religious variety, commerce, education, and economic power of Maine. It is known for having an overall low cost of living, substantial access to medical care, and a low violent-crime rate. In recent years, the city of Lewiston has also seen a spike in economic and social growth. While the dominant language spoken in the city is English, it is home to a significant Somali population as well as the largest French-speaking population in the United States (by population) while it is second to
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana St. Martin Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. At the 2020 census, the population was 51,767. St. Martin Parish is part of ...
, in percentage of speakers. The Lewiston area traces its roots to 1669 with the early presence of the
Androscoggin tribe The Androscoggin (Ammoscongon) were an Abenaki people from what are now the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. By the 18th century, they were absorbed by neighboring tribes. Name The name of the Androscoggin is derived from an anglicizati ...
(the namesake of the county in which the city resides). In the late 18th century, in 1795, Lewiston was incorporated as Lewistown. The presence of the
Androscoggin River The Androscoggin River (Abenaki: ''Ammoscongon'') is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data''The National Map'', a ...
and Lewistown Falls made the town an attractive area for manufacturing and hydro-power businesses. The rise of Boston rail and textile tycoon
Benjamin Bates Benjamin Bates or Ben Bates may refer to: * Several members of the American Bates family including: ** Benjamin Bates II (1716–1790), British physician, art connoisseur, and socialite ** Benjamin Bates IV (1808–1878), American rail industria ...
saw rapid
economic growth In economics, economic growth is an increase in the quantity and quality of the economic goods and Service (economics), services that a society Production (economics), produces. It can be measured as the increase in the inflation-adjusted Outp ...
rivaling that of
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
,
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...
, and
Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other words Arts and media * ''Concord'' (video game), a defunct 2024 first-person sh ...
. Irish immigrants were recruited to build the railroad links and dig the canals for the textile mills. In the
1850 U.S. census The 1850 United States census was the seventh decennial United States Census Conducted by the Census Office, it determined the resident population of the United States to be 23,191,876—an increase of 35.9 percent over the 17,069,453 persons e ...
, Lewiston was 23% Irish born. The increase in economic stimulus prompted thousands of Quebecers to migrate, causing a
population boom Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70 million annu ...
; the populace rose from 1,801 in 1840 to 21,701 in 1890. In 1855, local preacher
Oren Burbank Cheney Oren Burbank Cheney (December 10, 1816 – December 22, 1903) was an American politician, minister, and statesman who was a key figure in the abolitionist movement in the United States during the later 19th century. Along with textile tycoon Be ...
founded the Maine State Seminary, the first coeducational university in New England and one of the first universities to admit black students before the
Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Proclamation had the eff ...
. Lewistown became closely linked with the college and incorporated as "Lewiston" in 1864, a year before the school was chartered as
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
. The city is home to the only
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
in Maine, Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul; 5 colleges and universities; 44 listings 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 ...
; the Androscoggin Bank Colisée; the Stephens Observatory; the Olin Arts Center; the
Bates College Museum of Art The Bates College Museum of Art is an art museum located on the campus of, and maintained by, Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. The museum's collection consists of works of art that showcase Maine as well as art from around the world, with a foc ...
; and two significant general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.


History


Conception

Prior to
European colonization The phenomenon of colonization is one that stretches around the globe and across time. Ancient and medieval colonialism was practiced by various civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Han Chinese, and A ...
, the region of Lewiston was inhabited by the Androscoggin, an
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 ...
people. During the 17th century, Androscoggin were among the first
Native American tribes In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in the United States. Modern forms of t ...
to make contact with European colonists in Maine. Relations soon deteriorated over colonial expansion, and conflicts with colonists and epidemics of infectious diseases devastated the Androscoggin, which responded by migrating to
New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
from 1669 onwards. By 1680, the Androscoggin had been completely driven out of Maine. The
governor of New France The governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French nobleman, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Chat ...
, Louis de Buade, allocated them two ''
seigneur A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owned a seigneurie, seigneury, or lordship—a form of ...
ies'' on the
Saint Francis River The St. Francis River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, about long, in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas in the United States. The river drains a mostly rural area and forms part of the Missouri-Arkansas state line along th ...
.


Colonial beginnings

A grant comprising the area of Lewiston was given to Moses Little and Jonathan Bagley, members of the
Pejepscot Proprietors The Pejepscot Proprietors was a company of land investors who colonized the current towns of Brunswick, Maine, Brunswick, Topsham, Maine, Topsham and Harpswell, Maine, between 1715 and 1814. The area known as Pejepscot, Maine, was first inhab ...
, on January 28, 1768, on the condition that fifty families live in the area before June 1, 1774. Bagley and Little named the new town Lewistown. Paul Hildreth was the first man to settle in Lewiston in the fall of 1770. By 1795, Lewiston was officially incorporated as a town. At least four houses that have survived from this period are currently 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 ...
. King Avenue and Ralph Avenue were named after Ralph Luthor King, who owned the land near the fairgrounds. Elliott Avenue was named after his wife, Grace O. Elliott, whose son eventually built the family home at 40 Wellman Street.


Industrial development and Benjamin Bates

Lewiston was a slow but steadily growing farm town throughout its early history. By the early-to-mid-19th century, however, as
water power Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kin ...
was being honed, Lewiston's location on the Androscoggin River would prove to make it a perfect location for emerging industry. In 1809, Michael Little built a large wooden sawmill next to the falls. Burned in 1814 by an
arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...
ist, it was later rebuilt. In 1836, local entrepreneurs—predominantly the Little family and friends—formed the Androscoggin Falls
Dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
,
Lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...
&
Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
Company:
...for the purpose of erecting and constructing dams, locks, canals, mills, works, machines, and buildings on their own lands and also manufacturing cotton, wool, iron, steel, and paper in the towns of Lewiston,
Minot Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...
, and Danville.
The sales of stock attracted
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
investors—including Thomas J. Hill, Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward and Alexander De Witt. De Witt convinced textile and rail
tycoon A business magnate, also known as an industrialist or tycoon, is a person who is a powerful entrepreneur and investor who controls, through personal enterprise ownership or a dominant shareholding position, a firm or industry whose goods or ser ...
Benjamin Bates Benjamin Bates or Ben Bates may refer to: * Several members of the American Bates family including: ** Benjamin Bates II (1716–1790), British physician, art connoisseur, and socialite ** Benjamin Bates IV (1808–1878), American rail industria ...
, then-President of the
Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
, to come to Lewiston and fund the emerging Lewiston Water Power Company. Soon after Bates arrived, the company created the first
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
in the city. In the spring of 1850, some 400 Irish men recruited in and around Boston by construction contractor Patrick O'Donnell arrived in Lewiston and began work on the canal system. Impressed with the labor force and "working spirit" of the Lewistonions, Bates founded the Bates Manufacturing Company, leading to the construction of 5
mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...
starting with Bates Mill No. 1. In August 1850, Maine Governor John Hubbard signed the incorporation act and the mill was completed 1852. Bates positioned the mill in Lewiston due to the location of the Lewiston Falls which provided the mill with power. Under Bates' supervision, during the Civil War, the mill produced textiles for the Union Army. His mills generated employment for thousands of Irish, Canadians, and immigrants from Europe. The mill was Maine's largest employer for three decades. This company began Lewiston's transformation from a small
farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
town into a textile manufacturing center on the model of
Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...
. The creation of the Bates manufacturing trusts saw rapid economic growth, positioning the city as the wealthiest city in Maine, and created budding
affluent Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...
districts such as the
Main Street–Frye Street Historic District The Main Street–Frye Street Historic District is a historic district comprising houses on Frye Street and parts of College Street and Main Street in Lewiston, Maine. This area was part of the most fashionable residential district of the cit ...
. Although the odd-majority of the population was
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
, a distinctive
upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status. Usually, these are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper cla ...
emerged at this time. The
Bates Mill The Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1860s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital fo ...
remained the largest employer in Lewiston from the 1850s to the mid-late 20th century. Railroad construction was key to the development of both Lewiston and its neighbor, Auburn. In 1849, the Androscoggin & Kennebec railroad, running through Lewiston and Auburn, connected these towns to Waterville and the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railway line between Portland, Maine, and Montreal, Quebec. The Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad was constructed by Irish laborers, many of whom joined the Lewiston canal construction crews in 1850. The Irish laborers and their families lived in shanty-town neighborhoods called "patches". By 1854, one quarter of Lewiston's population was Irish, the highest concentration in any settlement in Maine. Subsequently, trains connected
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
with Lewiston on a daily schedule. During 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 ...
, the high demand for textiles helped Lewiston develop a strong industrial base through the Bates Enterprise. However, the concentration of wealth in
Benjamin Bates Benjamin Bates or Ben Bates may refer to: * Several members of the American Bates family including: ** Benjamin Bates II (1716–1790), British physician, art connoisseur, and socialite ** Benjamin Bates IV (1808–1878), American rail industria ...
sparked the 1861 Lewiston cotton riots which prompted him to give thousands of dollars back to the city and expand the employment opportunities at his mills. In 1861, a flood of
French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...
immigration into Maine began, spawned by industrial work opportunities in Maine cities with
water power Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kin ...
from waterfalls. This brought a significant influx of Québécois millworkers who worked alongside Irish immigrants and Yankee mill girls. Lewiston's population boomed between 1840 and 1890 from 1,801 to 21,701.
Canadiens French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the provi ...
settled in an area downtown that became known as Little Canada, and Lewiston's character has remained largely Franco-American ever since. In 1855, a Maine preacher traveled from Parsonsfield to Lewiston to establish an institution of
higher learning Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
in the city. In 1855, the
Maine State Legislature The Maine State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The legislature convenes at the State House in ...
was petitioned by Lewiston locals to found the Maine State Seminary. The school opened in 1855, and educated the working class of Maine while also providing education for blacks and women at a time when other universities barred their entrance. At its founding, it became the first coeducational college in New England and one of the earliest proponents of
abolitionism Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. ...
. During this time, in 1863, Lewiston was incorporated as a city. In 1872, St. Peter's church was built in Lewiston. This was the first French-Canadian national church in Maine. In 1864, the Maine State Seminary was renamed
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
in honor of
Benjamin Bates Benjamin Bates or Ben Bates may refer to: * Several members of the American Bates family including: ** Benjamin Bates II (1716–1790), British physician, art connoisseur, and socialite ** Benjamin Bates IV (1808–1878), American rail industria ...
. In 1880, '' Le Messager'', a French-language newspaper, began printing in Lewiston to serve its predominant ethnic population. The local Kora Shrine was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in a
Masonic temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history I ...
on Lisbon Street. This group would from 1908 to 1910 build the
Kora Temple The Kora Temple is a historic Masonic building at 11 Sabattus Street in Lewiston, Maine. The temple was built in 1908 by the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Shriners are a fraternal organization affiliated with Freemasonry ...
on Sabattus Street, the largest home of a
fraternal organization A fraternity (; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in the Western conce ...
in the state. Architect George M. Coombs designed this
Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...
-style structure. City leaders decided to build a cathedral to which the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland The Diocese of Portland () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church for the entire state of Maine in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston. The mother churc ...
could relocate. Construction of the
Church of Saints Peter and Paul St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, and variations using Saint or Saints or other, may refer to one of many churches dedicated to the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul around the world, including: Armenia * Saint Paul and Peter Church, Yerevan (de ...
began in 1905 and ended in 1938, funded mostly through thousands of small donations from Lewiston residents. It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Maine, and Lewiston's most prominent landmark. While the Diocese of Portland did not relocate to Lewiston, the church nevertheless became a
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
in 2004. It is one of the few American basilicas outside of a major metropolitan area.


Lewiston-Auburn shoe strike

In 1937, one of the largest labor disputes in Maine history occurred in Lewiston and Auburn. The Lewiston-Auburn Shoe Strike lasted from March to June and at its peak involved 4,000 to 5,000 workers on strike. After workers attempted to march across the Androscoggin River from Lewiston to Auburn, Governor
Lewis Barrows Lewis Orin Barrows (June 7, 1893 – January 30, 1967) was an American politician and the 57th governor of Maine. Early life Barrows was born in Newport, Maine, on June 7, 1893. He studied in the local schools of Newport, and later attended t ...
sent in the
Maine Army National Guard The Maine Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one-thir ...
. Some labor leaders, among them CIO Secretary
Powers Hapgood Powers Hapgood (1899–1949) was an American trade union organizer and Socialist Party leader known for his involvement with the United Mine Workers in the 1920s. Biography Early years Powers Hapgood was born on December 28, 1899, the son of Wi ...
, were imprisoned for months after a
Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. Between 1820 and 1839, justices served lifetime ...
judge issued an injunction seeking to end the strike.


Textile investment

After World War I, profits from the textile industry in New England mill towns such as Lewiston;
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 Biddefo ...
;
Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...
;
Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. The city is southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury i ...
; and Fall River, Haverhill,
Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...
and
Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...
began to decline. Businesses began moving to the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
due to lower costs of power from more modern technologies (Lewiston's
water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous b ...
technology gave way to
hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
, cheaper transportation—as most cotton and materials came from the South—and cheaper labor). Starting in the late 1950s, many of Lewiston's textile mills began closing. This gradually led to a run-down and abandoned downtown area. Chain stores located downtown—
Woolworth's Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses Australia and New Zealand * Woolworths Group (Australia), the largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand; named after the American F.W. Woolworth company, but unrelated * W ...
, W. T. Grant, S. S. Kresge,
JC Penney Penney OpCo LLC , doing business as JCPenney (colloquially Penney's and abbreviated JCP) is an American department store chain with 649 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. It is managed as part of the Catalyst Brands portfolio alon ...
and
Sears Roebuck Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwa ...
—shut their doors or moved to malls on the outskirts of Lewiston or Auburn. The city's flagship department store, the four-story B. Peck & Co., closed in 1982 after more than a century in business. As businesses and jobs began to leave the city, people followed. The population stopped increasing at its previous rate and began to slowly decline after 1970, then at a greater rate in the 1990s.


Economic diversification and renaissance

After a difficult economic period in the 1980s that saw high unemployment and downtown stagnation, several key events have led to economic and cultural growth, including the transformation of the historic Bates Mill Complex. Because the city took over the complex in 1992 after back taxes went unpaid, years of taxpayer frustration in the city's need to maintain the behemoth led to two referendums (one non-binding vote, the other binding). Voters soundly supported the need to pursue redevelopment by maintaining the property and selling it to private developers. In 2001, the city sold three mill buildings to local developers. In 2003, Platz Associates sold the Bates Mill Complex, with the exception of Mill 5 and a small support building. For the next four years, a number of business enterprises expanded after Platz redeveloped the mill building. The Bates Mill complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2010. In May 2004, the city officials announced a plan for
urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...
near the downtown area. The plan was to demolish several blocks of 19th-century millworker housing, lay new streets with updated infrastructure, construct more owner-occupied, lower-density housing, and build a boulevard through one neighborhood using federal
Community Development Block Grant The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities with the stated goal of providing affordable housing, anti- ...
funds provided over a period of ten years. Some residents of the affected neighborhoods felt that the plan was initially announced with little input from them. They formed a neighborhood group called "The Visible Community", which has since been actively involved in the planning process, and resulted in cooperation between neighbors and city officials to redesign Kennedy Park, including input on the location of new basketball courts, and feedback regarding creation of the largest all-concrete skate park in Maine. Downtown is home to a new headquarters for Oxford Networks, along with a $20-million upgrade in local fiber-optics, a new auto parts store, a campus of the for-profit
Kaplan University Kaplan University (KU) was a private online for-profit university owned by Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. It was predominantly a distance learning institution, maintaining 14 ground locations across the United States. ...
, the headquarters for Northeast Bank, a parking garage, and the newly renovated Maine Supply Co. building, 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 ...
. That facility is now called the Business Service Center at
Key Bank KeyBank is an American regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and the 27th largest bank in the United States. Organized under the publicly traded KeyCorp, KeyBank was formed from the 1994 merger of the Cleveland-based Society Corpora ...
Plaza, and is home to the local
Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
, the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, and an arrangement with a number of business service providers. The area's renaissance has gained local, regional, and national recognition. In 2002 and again in 2006, the L-A area led the state in economic development activity, according to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's list of business investments and expansions. In a 2006
KPMG International KPMG is a multinational professional services network, based in London, United Kingdom. As one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PwC. KPMG is a network of firms in 145 countries with 275,288 employe ...
study measuring the cost of locating and maintaining a business, Lewiston ranked first among the New England communities analyzed, and finished 24th out of 49 U.S. communities analyzed. Lewiston earned a 2007
All-America City Award The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stron ...
designation by the
National Civic League The National Civic League is an American nonpartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1894 as the "National Municipal League”; it adopted its new name in 1986. Its mission is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communit ...
. The national competition "recognizes communities whose residents work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve measurable, uncommon results." 10 cities are selected as All-America Cities each year.


Somali and Bantu migration

In 1999, the United States government began preparations to resettle an estimated 12,000 refugees from
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
to select cities throughout the United States. Most of the early arrivals in the United States settled in Clarkston,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, a city adjacent to
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. However, they were mostly assigned to low-rent, poverty-stricken inner-city areas, so many began to look to resettle elsewhere in the U.S.Word soon spread that Lewiston had free housing."The New Yankees"
, '' Mother Jones'', March/April 2004
In 1999, ethnic
Somalis The Somali people (, Wadaad's writing, Wadaad: , Arabic: ) are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group and nation native to the Somali Peninsula. who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic languages, East ...
subsequently began a secondary migration from other states to the former mill town, and after 2005, many
Somali Bantus The Somali Bantus (also known as Jareerweyne or Gosha) are a Bantu ethnic minority group in Somalia who primarily reside in the southern part of the country, primarily near the Jubba and Shabelle rivers. The Somali Bantus are descendants of ...
, a separate ethnicity, followed suit. In October 2002, then-
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
Laurier T. Raymond wrote an
open letter An open letter is a Letter (message), letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. Open letters usually take the form of a letter (mess ...
addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that they discourage further relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered many and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the immigrants' presence and those who opposed it. In January 2003, about 32 members of a
white nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a Race (human categorization), raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara ...
group from Illinois demonstrated in Lewiston to denounce Somali immigrants. This prompted a simultaneous counter-demonstration on the campus of
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
to demonstrate support of the Somali community. The rally repudiating the white nationalists attracted 4,000 attendees, including governor
John Baldacci John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he also served in the United States House of Representatives from 199 ...
, Senators
Olympia Snowe Olympia Jean Snowe (; born February 21, 1947) is an American businesswoman and politician who was a United States Senate, United States Senator, representing Maine for three terms from 1995 to 2013. A lifelong member of the Republican Party (Unit ...
and
Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of ...
and other officials. Mayor Raymond was reportedly out of town on vacation on the day of the protests. In August 2010, the ''
Lewiston Sun Journal The ''Sun Journal'' is a newspaper published in Lewiston, Maine, United States, which covers central and western Maine. In addition to its main office in Lewiston, the newspaper also maintains satellite news and sales bureaus in the Maine towns ...
'' reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown Lewiston by opening shops in previously closed storefronts. Amicable relations were also reported by the local Franco-American merchants and the Somali storekeepers. Somali farmers have had a positive impact on Lewiston agriculture life. Farming was known to be "low caste" to Somalis, before they were forced to labor during slavery. Since migrating to Maine farming has become a part of life to some Somalis. Somali-American players contributed to the Lewiston High School boys soccer team's state championship wins in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2023 under coach Mike McGraw.


Spree shooting

On October 25, 2023, a
spree shooting A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders in a short time, often in multiple locations. There are different opinions about what durations of time a killing spree may take place in. The United States ...
occurred at two locations in Lewiston. 18 people were killed, and 13 others were injured. The first
mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...
occurred at a bowling alley during a youth league event, while the second occurred minutes later at a pool hall. After a two-day manhunt, the shooter, 40-year-old Robert R. Card, was found dead on October 27 from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a recycling facility in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
after his vehicle was located nearby the night of the shooting. It was the deadliest
mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...
in the history of Maine.


National Register of Historic Places listings

* Androscoggin Mill Block * Atkinson Building * Bergin Block * Bradford House * Captain Holland House * College Block-Lisbon Block * Continental Mill Housing *
Cowan Mill Cowan Mill (also known as the Aurora Mill or Cowan Woolen Company Mill) was a historic mill at Island Mill Street in Lewiston, Maine. The 4-story Greek Revival mill was built in 1850 on the site of Lewiston's first textile mill (built by John A. ...
*
Dominican Block The Dominican Block is an historic multifunction building at 141-145 Lincoln Street in Lewiston, Maine. The Queen Anne style block was built in 1882 to a design by the noted local architect George M. Coombs, and was for many years one of the p ...
* Dr. Louis J. Martel House * Dr. Milton Wedgewood House * First Callahan Building *
First McGillicuddy Block The First McGillicuddy Block is an historic commercial building at 133 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. The block was built in 1895 by Daniel J. McGillicuddy, and is one of two surviving local examples of the work of local architect Jefferson C ...
* First National Bank * Grand Trunk Railroad Station *
Hathorn Hall Hathorn Hall is a historic academic building on the campus of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1857 to a design by Gridley J.F. Bryant, it was the college's first academic building following the move of the Maine State Seminary (as i ...
,
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
* Healey Asylum * Holland-Drew House * James C. Lord House * John D. Clifford House * Jordan School *
Kora Temple The Kora Temple is a historic Masonic building at 11 Sabattus Street in Lewiston, Maine. The temple was built in 1908 by the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Shriners are a fraternal organization affiliated with Freemasonry ...
* Lewiston City Hall *
Lewiston Public Library The Lewiston Public Library is a historic public Carnegie library at Park and Pine Street in Lewiston, Maine. They provide resources about topics regarding culture, education, and information needed for all children, teens, adults, seniors, fam ...
* Lewiston Trust and Safe Deposit Company * Lord Block * Lower Lisbon Street Historic District *
Lyceum Hall Lyceum Hall is a historic commercial building in downtown Lewiston, Maine, United States. Built in 1872, the Second Empire hall is one of the city's few surviving designs of Charles F. Douglas, a leading Maine architect of the period, and for ...
* Maine Supply Company Building *
Manufacturer's National Bank The Manufacturer's National Bank is an historic commercial building at 145 Lisbon Street Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1914, it was the tallest commercial building in Lewiston until 1950, and was one of the last major commercial buildings erected i ...
*
Marcotte Nursing Home Marcotte Nursing Home is an historic elder care facility at 102 Campus Avenue in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1927 and opened the following year, it was the largest facility of its type in New England, representing a major step forward in the regio ...
* Oak Street School * Odd Fellows Block *
Osgood Building The Osgood Building is an historic commercial building at 129 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1893, it is one of few known surviving commercial works by local architect Jefferson L. Coburn, and the only known use of imported English ...
* Pilsbury Block * Philip M. and Deborah N. Isaacson House *
Saint Mary's General Hospital St. Mary’s Health System, a member of Covenant Health Systems, Covenant Health, was founded in 1888 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint-Hyacinthe. Today, it is an integrated medical system comprising a 233-bed acute care community hospital, an ...
* Savings Bank Block * Second Callahan Block * Sen. William P. Frye House * St. Joseph's Catholic Church * Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul * Trinity Episcopal Church * US Post Office-Lewiston Maine * Union Block


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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Lewiston is drained by the
Androscoggin River The Androscoggin River (Abenaki: ''Ammoscongon'') is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data''The National Map'', a ...
, which forms its western border. The city is bordered by Auburn beyond the river, as well as the towns of
Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Greene, Iowa, a city * Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene * Greene (town), New York **Greene (village), New York, in the to ...
, Sabattus, and
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
. It is between
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
, the state's largest city and cultural center, and the state capital of Augusta.


Neighborhoods


Downtown

Downtown Lewiston runs from Oxford Street up to Jefferson Street, and from Adams Avenue to Main Street. This is the city's most densely settled area, home to about half the population. It contains mostly housing, although on Lisbon Street and Main Street, it is entirely businesses. This neighborhood was once the commercial hub of the whole county, but with the city's economic decline, many downtown stores closed and the former mill housing became run-down, resulting in fallen land values. But like many post-industrial centers, there has followed a period of renovation and revitalization that continues today. This neighborhood includes: * Lisbon Street Business District * Country Kitchen Bread Factory * Tree Street Youth Center * Lewiston City Hall * Lewiston Public Library * Bates Mill Complex * The Root Cellar * Kennedy Park * The Public Theatre * S.S. Peter and Paul Basilica *
Agora Grand Event Center The Agora Grand Event Center is a large event venue in Lewiston, Maine. It is also the second-tallest building in the state. The Agora Grand was created by renovating the former St. Patrick's Church, a Roman Catholic The Catholic Chur ...
, formerly St. Patrick's Church * St. Joseph's Church * Central Maine Medical Center * Railroad Park * Androscoggin Bank Colisée * Webb's Market * Farmers Market


Webster Street neighborhood

Consisting mostly of suburban mid-income housing, this neighborhood runs between Lisbon and Webster Streets, East Avenue, and Alfred Plourde Parkway. Schools that serve this neighborhood are Farwell Elementary, Martel Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston High School.


Pond Road neighborhood

This neighborhood is bounded by the triangle formed by Pond Road, Randall Road, and Sabattus Street (Route 126). This neighborhood is mostly mid-income suburban residential. McMahon Elementary, Lewiston Middle School, and Lewiston High School serve the area.


Climate

Lewiston 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 ...
, with very significant temperature variation throughout the year. Summers are usually short, warm, and humid, while winters tend to be very cold, long, and snowy. Lewiston averages of snow annually, although this number varies greatly from winter to winter. Snow tends to be the dominant form of precipitation between late November and late March, although
freezing rain Freezing rain is rain maintained at temperatures below melting point, freezing by the ambient air mass that causes freezing on contact with surfaces. Unlike rain and snow mixed, a mixture of rain and snow or ice pellets, freezing rain is made en ...
, sleet, and
rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
can also occur in the winter when large low pressure systems track directly over or west of the city. Summer in Lewiston typically consists of pleasant temperatures, although high humidity can make the temperature feel more uncomfortable at times. Severe summertime storms, such as
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
es and
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
s are rare, but not unheard of.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020
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 ...
, there were 37,121 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city including Hispanics in the racial categories was 77.9% White, 13.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.4% Native American, and 1.0% some other race. 5.5% were of two or more races.


2010 census

As of the 2010
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 ...
, there were 36,592 people, 15,267 households, and 8,622 families residing in the city. 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 16,731 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.6%
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 ...
, 8.7% Black, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 2.0%
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), 0.6% from some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. In 2010, there were 15,267 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% 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, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. Of all households, 34.4% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 37.4 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.


2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 35,690 people, 15,290 households, and 8,658 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,470 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.7% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 0.4% from some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. People of French-American descent were by far the most represented ethnic group in Lewiston, with 29.4% being of French-Canadian descent and 18.3% French (the two were listed as separate categories in the census although the vast majority were of French-Canadian descent). Following French were Irish at 10.2% and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
at 9.9%. There were 15,290 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. Of all households, 35.9% were made up of individuals, and 13.7% 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 2.81. The median income for a household in the city was $36,743, and the median income for a family was $46,289. Males had a median income of $38,881 versus $30,465 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 city was $20,014. About 16% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.


Native language

Survey Year 2000 Source:


Voter registration


Politics


Economy


Large businesses

* Central Maine Medical Center: Founded by Edward H. Hill in the mid-1860s CMMC (Central Maine Medical Center) is downtown at High Street. The campus includes several large parking facilities, a LifeFlight of Maine helipad. In recent years the hospital has created the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute, and the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing. The hospital has approximately 250 beds, and approximately 300 physicians. It is a Level III trauma center. Central Maine Medical Center is the flagship hospital of Central Maine Medical Family. The organization runs two other hospitals, one in Bridgton and another in Rumford. It also operates CMMC College of Nursing and Health Professions; and many affiliated long-term care facilities, clinics and practices throughout central and western Maine. The current president of the hospital chain is Dr. Steven G. Littleson. The Central Maine Medical Family is a block away from the hospital on Bates Street in the Lowell Square Building, a refurbished textile factory. CMMC recently underwent major renovations to their emergency department. * Country Kitchen Bakery: Country Kitchen is downtown between Lisbon and Park streets. Owned by Georgia-based
Flowers Foods Flowers Foods, headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, is a producer and marketer of packed bakery food. The company operates 47 bakeries, producing bread, buns, rolls, snack cakes, pastries, and tortillas. Flowers Foods' products are sold regi ...
, Country Kitchen currently services all of the United States. It operates a second factory a few hundred feet away between Canal and Lincoln streets. *
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
Distribution Center: Walmart currently operates a warehousing facility in Lewiston. It is the state's largest facility, and is one mile (1.6 km) from exit 80 on I-95 on Alfred A. Plourde Parkway. The facility is responsible for food distribution to all New England Walmarts. * '' Sun Journal'': The Sun Journal is a daily newspaper that is headquartered on Park Street. It operates several different offices throughout Central and Western Maine. In Androscoggin County it prints the City Edition, news about the Lewiston-Auburn area. They also print the Oxford County, Franklin County, and State Editions. It is the third largest newspaper in the state. * Modula - System Logistics: An engineering and manufacturing company which designs and builds automated storage equipment used in distribution centers around the country. *
Sazerac Company Sazerac Company, Inc. is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by William ...
, the owner of Boston Brands of Maine, purchased the White Rock bottling plant in Lewiston on Saratoga Street where they run a 24/7 production of the popular
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey Fireball may refer to: Science * Fireball (meteor), a brighter-than-usual meteor * Ball lightning, an atmospheric electrical phenomenon * ''Bassia scoparia'', a plant species Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Fireball'', a 1950 film starring ...
.


Lisbon Street

* Downtown Lisbon Street: Lisbon Street is the commercial and government center of Lewiston. In its downtown section, it features many law offices, the city library, the district court, Senator
Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of ...
' office, several stores created by and for the Somali community, and a variety of restaurants and shops. Downtown Lisbon Street is also home to the Emerge Film Festival as well as Art Walks on the last Friday of each month during summer. * Upper Lisbon Street: Past downtown features several malls, including the Lewiston Promenade Mall and the Lewiston Mall. There are also many chain restaurants, some car dealerships, and many other private businesses.


Main Street

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...
and Maine State Routes 11 and
100 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standard SI prefix for a hundred is " hecto-". 100 is the b ...
are co-signed along Main Street. * Downtown Main Street: Main Street starts near the downtown area at the Governor James B. Longley Memorial Bridge, which crosses from Auburn. Crossing into Lewiston, one passes Veterans Memorial Park, a large park on the waterfront that commemorates all veterans. Next is a small hydro-plant that was used to power the textile mills on Canal Street. After the canal bridge there is the downtown section of Main Street. It features the
L.L. Bean L.L.Bean is an American privately held retail company that was founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean. The company, headquartered in Freeport, Maine (where it was founded), specializes in clothing and outdoor recreation equipment. History L.L. ...
Call Center in the Peck Building, a
TD Bank Toronto-Dominion Bank (), doing business as TD Bank Group (), is a Canadian Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The bank was created on February 1, 1955, through ...
branch, the former St. Joseph's Church, Central Maine Medical Center, in addition to many other businesses. * Upper Main Street: Past downtown there are several businesses and several chain stores and restaurants, but it is mostly residential. The street is lined with large 19th-century
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
mansions, some of which remain houses and some which have been converted into doctors' offices.


Top employers

According to Lewiston's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:


Arts and culture


Library

* The
Lewiston Public Library The Lewiston Public Library is a historic public Carnegie library at Park and Pine Street in Lewiston, Maine. They provide resources about topics regarding culture, education, and information needed for all children, teens, adults, seniors, fam ...
has played a major role in the emerging culture of Lewiston. It was renovated and expanded in 1996. The library is downtown on the corner of Lisbon Street and Pine Street and has over 150,000 items in its collection. Recently, it opened the
Marsden Hartley Marsden Hartley (January 4, 1877 – September 2, 1943) was an American Modernist painter, poet, and essayist. Hartley developed his painting abilities by observing Cubist artists in Paris and Berlin. Early life and education Hartley was bor ...
Cultural Center, holding various community events such as concerts, lectures, and film festivals.


Museums

* Museum L-A: Museum L-A is a museum in a former textile factory building. It honors the people who worked and lived in this community. At
Museum L-A Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor (Maine MILL) is located in the Bates Mill Historic District, in Lewiston, Maine, Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County, Maine.Bates College Museum of Art The Bates College Museum of Art is an art museum located on the campus of, and maintained by, Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. The museum's collection consists of works of art that showcase Maine as well as art from around the world, with a foc ...
features a wide variety of art. The art students at this school create much of this city's art life. * The Atrium Gallery: at the
University of Southern Maine The University of Southern Maine (USM) is a public university with campuses in Gorham and Portland, Maine, United States. It is the southernmost university in the University of Maine System. It was founded as two separate state universities, Go ...
campus in Lewiston. This Museum features a wide variety of art.


The Franco Center

The Franco Center opened in 2000 in what was formerly St. Mary's Parish. The performing arts center programs events for both Franco-American related performances as well as other cultural displays, such as the center's Piano and Celtic Series. The diverse programming of the venue hosts both local and international performers. The center also hosts events and serves as a museum of the city's Franco-American past with historical artifacts and documentation on display as well as a small library.


The Public Theatre

Lewiston also features The Public Theatre, which puts on different plays throughout the year with about six to eight productions per season. It is downtown on Maple St. It was on Park street. It features all types of plays, with actors from all over the world. Its offices are in Auburn at the Great Falls Plaza.


Events


Emerge Film Festival

The Emerge Film Festival was first held in June 2014 in downtown Lewiston and Auburn. In 2019 the festival was held at Rinck Advertising and the Franco Center.


The Great Falls Balloon Festival

The Great Falls Balloon Festival is an event that is held one weekend in August every year. The Festival includes launching of balloons, games, and carnival rides. The launch sites take place at several open parks on the Lewiston-Auburn Androscoggin Riverfront. People come from all around the country and Canada to see the festivities.


Festival Franco

Formerly known as Festival de Joie, Festival FrancoFun is held annually at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée and is a celebration of the city's Franco-American heritage. The festival features performances from
French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...
musicians as well as native French-Canadian food.


Liberty Festival

Held on July 4 of each year, the festival is the name given to the fireworks event over the Great Falls of the
Androscoggin River The Androscoggin River (Abenaki: ''Ammoscongon'') is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data''The National Map'', a ...
in between the twin cities. The fireworks are launched in West Pitch Park in Auburn. Major viewpoints of the fireworks are Veterans Park, railroad Park and Great Falls Plaza in Auburn.


Patrick Dempsey Challenge

Lewiston hosts the annual Dempsey Challenge, which began in 2009. The event, hosted by Lewiston-native
Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...
, in a run/walk and cycling fundraiser for cancer research. In its opening year the event raised over one million dollars. The event has attracted famous athletes from all around including participants in the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
. All the proceeds go to the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope at the Central Maine Medical Center.


Sports and recreation


The Androscoggin Bank Colisée

The center of sports in Lewiston is the Androscoggin Bank Colisée (formerly known as the Central Maine Civic Center). The
Lewiston Maineiacs The Lewiston Maineiacs were a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based in Lewiston, Maine, United States. The team played its home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. They were the second QMJHL team in the Unite ...
, the only American team to have played in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
, played their first season in 2003–2004 and dissolved the team after the 2010–2011 season. The Colisée is also the home to the state Class A and Class B high school hockey championships each year. The city as a whole is known for its strong passion for the game of hockey, likely related to its
French American French Americans or Franco-Americans () are Citizenship of the United States, citizens or United States nationality law, nationals of the United States who identify themselves with having full or partial French people, French or French Canad ...
heritage. Two Lewiston schools, Lewiston High School and St. Dominic Regional High School (now in Auburn), combine for over half of the state class A high school hockey championships in the state's history. During the 2013–2014 American Hockey League season, the
Portland Pirates The Portland Pirates were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home arena was the Cross Insurance Arena in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the Baltimore Skipjacks ...
played their first 12 home games at the Colisée while the
Cumberland County Civic Center Cross Insurance Arena (formerly Cumberland County Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena located in Portland, Maine. Built in 1977, at a cost of US$8 million, it is the home arena for the Maine Mariners (ECHL), Maine Mariners of the ECHL. There a ...
is being renovated. The junior
Maine Nordiques The Maine Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team that operated within the North American Hockey League from 1973 to 1977. They were based at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston, Maine. The Nordiques served as a farm club for the Q ...
of the
North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...
have played their home games at the Colisée since 2019.


Ali vs. Liston rematch

In May 1965, Lewiston became the venue for a heavyweight title rematch between
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
and
Sonny Liston Charles L. "Sonny" Liston ( – December 30, 1970), nicknamed "the Big Bear", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1962 after k ...
; Ali had defeated Liston in a controversial fight in
Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, in February 1964, and the
World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...
was demanding an immediate rematch, which was against
World Boxing Association The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is an international professional boxing organization based in Panama. The WBA awards its world championship title at the professional level. Founded ...
rules (the WBA eventually stripped Ali of his title). The rematch was originally planned to be held in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, but was halted by
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 ...
boxing authorities due to licensing issues. Promoters were eventually able to frame a lucrative deal moving the fight to the Colisée in Lewiston. As the venue held less than 3,700 spectators, only 2,434 fans were present, setting an all-time record for the lowest attendance for a heavyweight championship match. The fight was the scene of the famous photograph of Ali standing over Liston taunting him with his glove. Ali won by first-round knockout.


Lewiston Twins (1891–1930)

Lewiston was home to
minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
. Beginning in 1891, Lewiston was home to the
Lewiston Twins The Lewiston Twins were the final minor league baseball team based in Lewiston, Maine. Between 1891 and 1930, Lewiston teams played under various nicknames as long time members of the New England League (1891–1896, 1901, 1914–1915, 1919, 1926 ...
and other teams, who played in various seasons through 1930. Lewiston teams played as members of the
New England League The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played intermittently in five of the six New England states (Vermont excepted) between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League B ...
(1891–1896, 1901), Maine State League (1907),
Atlantic Association The Atlantic Association was a minor league baseball organization that operated between 1889 and 1890 and again in 1908 in the Northeastern United States. History First Demise In each of the two seasons 4 or more teams failed to finish the season ...
(1908) and New England League (1914–1915, 1919, 1926–1930).
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
member
Jesse Burkett Jesse Cail Burkett (December 4, 1868 – May 27, 1953), nicknamed "Crab", was an American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1890 to 1905 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Per ...
managed the Lewiston Twins in 1928 and 1929. Between 1901 and 1919, Lewiston teams played home games at A.A.A. Park. Beginning in 1926, the Lewiston Twins played home games at Lewiston Athletic Park.


Maine Nordiques (1973–1977)

The
Maine Nordiques The Maine Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team that operated within the North American Hockey League from 1973 to 1977. They were based at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston, Maine. The Nordiques served as a farm club for the Q ...
were a professional hockey team that operated in the former
North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...
from 1973 to 1977. They were based at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston. The Nordiques served as a farm club for the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...
of the
World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...
.


Lewiston Maineiacs

The
Lewiston Maineiacs The Lewiston Maineiacs were a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based in Lewiston, Maine, United States. The team played its home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. They were the second QMJHL team in the Unite ...
were a
major junior hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...
team that played in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
(QMJHL). The Maineiacs moved to Lewiston in 2003 from
Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...
, Quebec, and were the only team in the QMJHL in the United States. They played their home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. In 2006–2007, the Maineiacs won the Jean Rougeau Trophy for having the best record in the QMJHL, won the
President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world except Europe as that continent competes against the United States in a similar but ...
as QMJHL playoff champion, and represented the league at the
2007 Memorial Cup The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. It was the 89th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League ...
. Several Maineiacs alumni have played in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
, including
Jaroslav Halák Jaroslav Halák (; born 13 May 1985) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was selected in the ninth round, 271st overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Halák played for the Canadiens as well as t ...
,
Jonathan Bernier Jonathan Bernier (born August 7, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Los An ...
,
David Perron David Perron (born May 28, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Growing up in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Perron played his junior hockey for the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Queb ...
and Alexandre Picard. The Maineiacs were disbanded in 2011.


Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques

The Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques were a Tier III junior ice hockey team that played in the
North American 3 Hockey League The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league that consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, ...
. During the 2018–2019 season the team recorded a 50–5 record, winning the NA3HL regular season championship and the Coastal Division championship. The team also made it to the Fraser Cup finals this season, losing a close game to the
Texas Brahmas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
2–1. The team ceased operations after the 2019–2020 season.


Maine Nordiques (2019–present)

The Maine Nordiques are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the
North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...
's East Division. They started play during the 2019–2020 season at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. The team is coached by Nolan Howe, grandson of
Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
and son of
Mark Howe Mark Steven Howe (born May 28, 1955) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and left winger. From 1973 to 1995, he played six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NH ...
.


Education

Lewiston's public education system consists of five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school with a regional technical center that serves multiple school districts. The district is home to relatively new buildings constructed for Farwell Elementary School and Pettingill School, now replaced with the 600 student capacity Geiger Elementary School. In 2019, Martel and Longley combined into Robert V. Connors Elementary School and houses around 650 students pre-k to 6.


Colleges and universities

* Maine College of Health Professions *
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
*
University of Southern Maine The University of Southern Maine (USM) is a public university with campuses in Gorham and Portland, Maine, United States. It is the southernmost university in the University of Maine System. It was founded as two separate state universities, Go ...
– Lewiston/Auburn Campus *
Central Maine Community College Central Maine Community College (abbreviated CMCC) is a public community college in Auburn, Maine. It is part of the Maine Community College System. Former names Founded in 1963 as Androscoggin State Vocational Institute, later changed to Centra ...
– Auburn


Public schools

Lewiston Public Schools operates public schools. * Lewiston High School (9–12) 1,446 students * Lewiston Regional Technical Center (9–12) *
Lewiston Middle School Lewiston may refer to: Places United States *Lewiston, Alabama *Lewiston, California *Lewiston, Georgia *Lewiston, Idaho **Lewiston, Idaho metropolitan area *Lewiston, Maine **Lewiston, Maine metropolitan area **2023 Lewiston shootings, a spree s ...
(7–8) * Farwell Elementary School (K–6) * Raymond A Geiger Elementary School (K–6) * Robert V. Connors Elementary School (K–6) * Montello School (K–6) * Thomas J McMahon Elementary School (K–6)


Private schools

* The Discovery School (PK-12) * Saint-Dominic Academy * Vineyard Christian School (PK-12)


Charter Schools

* Acadia Academy (PK-6)


Media


Newspapers

* The '' Sun Journal'' prints a daily newspaper in four different editions statewide. The Sun Journal was the recipient of the 2008 New England Daily Newspaper of the Year and the 2009 Maine Press Association Newspaper of the Year. * ''Lewiston Evening Journal'' ran from 1866 to 1989. * ''The Twin City Times'' is a free weekly newspaper printed in Auburn. It is publicly available in Lewiston as well. It features local news and short articles.


Radio

Five radio stations are licensed to serve the city of Lewiston. These stations are: *
WARX WARX (93.9 FM) is a non-commercial radio station in Lewiston, Maine that features worship music programming from Air1. It is under ownership of the Educational Media Foundation. The station (at that time WCYI), along with co-owned WCLZ, was tr ...
/93.9, airing a non-commercial religious format. It is the former sister station of WCOU, now WIGY. * WIGY/1240, airing an adult contemporary format simulcasting WEZR. *
WFNK WFNK (107.5 FM) – branded ''107.5 Frank FM'' – is a commercial classic hits radio station licensed to serve Lewiston, Maine. Owned by Binnie Media, the station services the Portland metropolitan area. WFNK has an effective radiated po ...
107.5, which is branded as ''107.5 Frank FM'' and airs a classic hits format that is targeted primarily at
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
area listeners. *
WLAM WLAM (1470 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an adult standards and oldies format. Licensed to Lewiston, Maine, United States, the station serves the Lewiston- Auburn area. Established in 1947, the station is owned by the estate of Robert Bi ...
1470, which airs a standards format branded as ''The Memories Station''. *
WRBC WRBC is the college radio station of Bates College, located in Lewiston, Maine and at 91.5 Hertz, MHz on the FM broadcasting, FM dial. The WRBC studio is located in the basement of 31 Frye Street across from the student coffee house, The Ronj. T ...
91.5, which is the
college radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
station of
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
.


Television

Lewiston is part of the Portland television market, and receives all major channels in that market.
WGME-TV WGME-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Portland, Maine, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provides certain services to Waterville-licensed Fox affiliate WPFO (channel 23) under a loca ...
and
WCSH WCSH (channel 6) is a television station in Portland, Maine, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Congress Square in Downtown Portland, and its transmitter is located on Winn Mountain i ...
both have local bureaus in the city, and are across the street from each other on Main Street.


Infrastructure


Transportation


Public transportation

The city of Lewiston uses the Citylink or Purple Bus system. Passengers use Citylink in collaboration with Auburn and Lisbon. The downtown shuttle runs through the downtown of both Lewiston and Auburn. It maintains only one line that goes into Lisbon. The Citylink services on average approximately 235,000 people a year.


Roadways and major routes

* Interstate 95 / Maine Turnpike: Formerly Interstate 495, runs through Lewiston. Exit 80 serves the city via Alfred Plourde Parkway in the Industrial Park. I-95 provides a connection to
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
being 40 minutes away, Bangor about 90 minutes away, and
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, about two hours away from the Lewiston Exit. *
U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...
/ Maine State Routes 11 and
100 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standard SI prefix for a hundred is " hecto-". 100 is the b ...
: These three routes run through Lewiston along Main Street. It runs straight through the center of downtown to the business parks outside town, and the northern Lewiston suburbs. Connects Lewiston to Auburn and
Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Greene, Iowa, a city * Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene * Greene (town), New York **Greene (village), New York, in the to ...
. Provides fast transportation to Augusta and Kennebec Valley. * Maine State Route 196: Starts in Lewiston at U.S. Route 202, Main Street. In Lewiston it is Canal Street, which turns into Lisbon Street. This route connects Lewiston to Lisbon, and provides easy access to the towns of Topsham and Brunswick. This route ends on
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...
in the City of Brunswick. It connects to Interstate 295 in Topsham. * Maine State Route 126: Starts in Lewiston at US Route 202, Main Street. In Lewiston it is Sabattus Street and connects Lewiston to the town of Sabattus.


Bridges

* Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge: Built in 1973 to commemorate the veterans of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. It connects Lewiston to Auburn. It provides fast transportation from Russell Street, and Main Street to Auburn's Mt. Auburn Ave, and shopping centers on Center Street and the Mall Area. * Governor James B. Longley Memorial Bridge: Connects Main Street in downtown Lewiston to Court Street in Downtown Auburn. Named after Lewiston resident and Governor of Maine
James B. Longley James Bernard Longley Sr. (April 22, 1924 – August 16, 1980) was an American politician. He served as the 69th governor of Maine from 1975 to 1979, and was the first Independent (politics), Independent to hold the office. In 1949, he married th ...
. * Bernard Lown Peace Bridge: Connects Little Canada and New Auburn. Starts in Lewiston as Cedar Street and starts in Auburn as Broad Street. Commemorates former Lewiston resident and
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
recipient
Bernard Lown Bernard Lown (June 7, 1921February 16, 2021) was a Lithuanian-American cardiologist and inventor. Lown was the original developer of the direct current defibrillator for cardiac resuscitation, and the cardioverter for correcting rapid disordered h ...
.


Airports and bus station

*
Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport Auburn-Lewiston Airport is a public airport in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. It opened in 1935. It is five miles southwest of the cities of Auburn and Lewiston, which jointly own and operate the airport. The airport is not ser ...
: The official airport of the two cities. It currently provides general aviation facilities. Although the city is serviced by an airport, most people use the
Portland International Jetport Portland International Jetport , locally known as the Jetport, is a public airport two miles (3 km) west of downtown Portland, Maine, Portland, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Portland. A portion of the Jetpo ...
for commercial flights in and out of the state. * Oak Street Bus Station:
Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...
operates a bus line out of Lewiston. The bus lines go as far as Bangor and Boston. From those two destinations more travel opportunities are available. *
Concord Coach Lines Concord Coach Lines, Inc., formerly known as Concord Trailways, and often referred to as Concord Coach, is an inter-city bus company based in Concord, New Hampshire. It serves parts of Maine, New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts, and has a rout ...
– Great Falls Plaza/
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...
: Provides bus direct transportation to Logan International Airport and South Station in Boston, with multiple trips daily.


Hydroelectric Energy Generation

* In outer Lewiston at the end of Switzerland Road there is the Gulf Island hydroelectric dam operated by Brookfield White Pine Hydro and Central Maine Power Company. It generates electricity via the waterflow of the Androscoggin River. Its nameplate capacity is 19.2MW * Further down the river is the Deer Rips hydroelectric dam, also operated by Brookfield White Pine Hydro and Central Maine Power Company. Its nameplate capacity is 10.1MW * Further down the river is the Charles E. Monty hydroelectric dam, also operated by Brookfield White Pine Hydro and Central Maine Power Company. Its nameplate capacity is 28.4MW


Notable people


In popular culture

* The ''
Farmers' Almanac ''Farmers' Almanac'' is an annual American periodical that has been in continuous publication since 1818. Published by Geiger of Lewiston, Maine, the ''Farmers' Almanac'' provides long-range weather predictions for both the U.S. and Canada. Th ...
'' is printed in Lewiston. * Lewiston is the setting for the fictitious ''
Kingdom Hospital ''Kingdom Hospital'' (sometimes known as ''Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital'') is a thirteen-episode television series based on Lars von Trier's '' The Kingdom'', developed by horror writer Stephen King in 2004 for American television. While initi ...
'', featured in the thirteen-episode miniseries developed by horror writer
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 ...
and based on a Danish mini-series, '' The Kingdom''. In 1999 when King was struck by a car while walking in Lovell, he was flown by helicopter and treated at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. In the mini-series, the hospital is built on the site of a textile mill which made military uniforms during 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 ...
, which the
Bates Mill The Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1860s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital fo ...
and other Lewiston textile factories actually did. King attended elementary school in the nearby town of
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...
and high school in the neighboring town of Lisbon Falls. * Twins
Francis Edgar Stanley Francis Edgar Stanley, also known as F. E. Stanley (June 1, 1849 – July 31, 1918), was an American businessman and was the co-founder, along with his twin brother Freelan Oscar Stanley, of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company which built the ...
and Freelan O. Stanley invented the photographic dry plate process, that they used in their studio on Lisbon Street in the late 19th century. They later sold the patent to a company that became
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
. They eventually went on to invent the
Stanley Steamer The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was an American manufacturer of steam cars that operated from 1902 to 1924, going defunct after it failed to adapt to competition from rapidly improving internal combustion engine vehicles. The cars made by t ...
.


References


Further reading

* * Elder, Janus G., ''A History of Lewiston, Maine with a Genealogical Register of Early Families.'' Heritage Books, Inc., 1989 * Hodgkin, Douglas I., ''Lewiston Memories: A Bicentennial Pictorial.'' Jostens Printing & Publishing, 1994 * Finnegan, William, ''Letter from Maine: New in Town, the Somalis of Lewiston.'' The New Yorker, December 11, 2006 * Hodgkin, Douglas I., ''Frontier to Industrial City:Lewiston Town Politics 1768–1863''. Just Write Books, Topsham, ME, 2008 * Richard, Mark Paul. ''Loyal but French: The Negotiation of Identity by French-Canadian Descendants in the United States'' (2008) on acculturation in Lewiston since 1860


External links

* * Downtown Lewiston Associatio
Downtown Lewiston Maine
* {{authority control Populated places established in 1770 Cities in Androscoggin County, Maine 1770 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay Cities in Maine