Naples, Maine
Encyclopedia
Naples is a town
in Cumberland County
, Maine
, United States
. It is part of the Portland
–South Portland
–Biddeford
, Maine metropolitan statistical area
. The population was 3,274 at the 2000 census, and it is home to part of Sebago Lake State Park
. Naples is a resort area.
boulder
s. The uplands, however, provided good grazing for livestock
, and hay
became the principal crop.
Named for Naples, Italy
, the town was incorporated on March 4, 1834 from parts of Otisfield
, Harrison
, Raymond
and Bridgton. Between 1845 and 1856, it annexed more land from Sebago
, Otisfield and Bridgton. The Songo Lock, built about 1830, linked Long Lake and Brandy Pond with Sebago Lake, allowing passage of boats from Harrison to Portland
through the Oxford-Cumberland
Canal
in Standish
. A canning
factory and cooperage were established at Naples village. The community also produced carriage
s, in addition to men's and boy's clothing, boots and shoes.
The beautiful scenery of the lakes, however, would make tourism the dominant industry. Visitors in the 19th century included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
and Nathaniel Hawthorne
. To accommodate his passengers, Charles L. Goodridge of the Sebago Lake, Songo River & Bay of Naples Steamship Company built a hostelry on a knoll at the southern end of Long Lake. On July 26, 1899, The Bay of Naples Inn opened with 80 bedrooms. It was designed by John Calvin Stevens
, who reduced by two-fifths a plan originally created for the ill-fated Metallak Hotel in Colebrook
, New Hampshire
. While under construction, The Metallak was destroyed in April 1893 during a violent windstorm, and its investors abandoned the project. The Bay of Naples Inn, which faced Mount Washington
and the east side of the White Mountains
, was a popular resort during the early 20th century. It remained open through the 1951 season, but in 1964 was deemed unprofitable and razed.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), of which, 31.8 square miles (82.4 km²) of it is land and 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) of it (14.40%) is water. Naples is drained by the Songo River
.
Water bodies that are adjacent to or within of Naples include:
As of the census
of 2000, there were 3,274 people, 1,297 households, and 931 families residing in the town. The population density
was 102.9 people per square mile (39.8/km²). There were 2,381 housing units at an average density of 74.9 per square mile (28.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.21% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.21% of the population.
There were 1,297 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,141, and the median income for a family was $40,825. Males had a median income of $31,458 versus $24,596 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,176. About 6.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
–South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
–Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, Maine metropolitan statistical area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
. The population was 3,274 at the 2000 census, and it is home to part of Sebago Lake State Park
Sebago Lake State Park
Sebago Lake State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Maine. It is a popular recreation, camping, and boating area on Sebago Lake in the tourist area of Maine known as the Lakes Region. Located in Naples and Casco, Maine, it was opened in 1938 and was one of the original five state parks....
. Naples is a resort area.
History
The area was settled in 1790. Farming was limited by the soil, which consisted of gravelly loam, its surface strewn with glacial erraticGlacial erratic
A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...
boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s. The uplands, however, provided good grazing for livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, and hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
became the principal crop.
Named for Naples, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the town was incorporated on March 4, 1834 from parts of Otisfield
Otisfield, Maine
Otisfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,560 at the 2000 census. Otisfield is a summer recreation area and home to Seeds of Peace Camp and Camp Arcadia.-History:...
, Harrison
Harrison, Maine
Harrison is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,315 at the 2000 census. A historic resort area, Harrison straddles Long Lake and Crystal Lake...
, Raymond
Raymond, Maine
Raymond is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,299 at the 2000 census. It is a summer recreation area and is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
and Bridgton. Between 1845 and 1856, it annexed more land from Sebago
Sebago, Maine
Sebago is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,433 at the 2000 census, although it swells during summer months to approximately 5,000...
, Otisfield and Bridgton. The Songo Lock, built about 1830, linked Long Lake and Brandy Pond with Sebago Lake, allowing passage of boats from Harrison to Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
through the Oxford-Cumberland
Cumberland and Oxford Canal
The Cumberland and Oxford Canal was opened in 1832 to connect the largest lakes of southern Maine with the seaport of Portland, Maine. The canal followed the Presumpscot River from Sebago Lake through the towns of Standish, Windham, Gorham, and Westbrook. The Canal diverged from the river at...
Canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in Standish
Standish, Maine
Standish is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of Standish Corner, Sebago Lake Village and Steep Falls, and the localities known as Richville, Standish Neck and Two Trails...
. A canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
factory and cooperage were established at Naples village. The community also produced carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s, in addition to men's and boy's clothing, boots and shoes.
The beautiful scenery of the lakes, however, would make tourism the dominant industry. Visitors in the 19th century included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
. To accommodate his passengers, Charles L. Goodridge of the Sebago Lake, Songo River & Bay of Naples Steamship Company built a hostelry on a knoll at the southern end of Long Lake. On July 26, 1899, The Bay of Naples Inn opened with 80 bedrooms. It was designed by John Calvin Stevens
John Calvin Stevens
John Calvin Stevens was an American architect who worked in two related styles — the Shingle Style, in which he was a major innovator, and the Colonial Revival style, which dominated national domestic architecture for the first half of the 20th century...
, who reduced by two-fifths a plan originally created for the ill-fated Metallak Hotel in Colebrook
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Colebrook is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2010 census. Situated in the Great North Woods Region, it is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River and home to Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. While under construction, The Metallak was destroyed in April 1893 during a violent windstorm, and its investors abandoned the project. The Bay of Naples Inn, which faced Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
and the east side of the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
, was a popular resort during the early 20th century. It remained open through the 1951 season, but in 1964 was deemed unprofitable and razed.
Geography
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96.3 km²), of which, 31.8 square miles (82.4 km²) of it is land and 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) of it (14.40%) is water. Naples is drained by the Songo River
Songo River
The Songo River is a river in Maine with the only remaining operational lock of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal. The river flows from Brandy Pond at the south end of Long Lake into Sebago Lake at Sebago Lake State Park. Songo Lock controls the elevation of Long Lake and allows navigation of...
.
Water bodies that are adjacent to or within of Naples include:
- Sebago LakeSebago LakeSebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of , covers about in surface area, has a length of and a shoreline length of . The surface is around above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present...
- Chute RiverChute RiverThe Chute River is in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and connects Long Lake to Brandy Pond in Naples. It is spanned by U.S. Route 302 at the Naples Swing Bridge....
- Long Lake
- Brandy Pond
- Trickey PondTrickey PondTrickey Pond is a pond in the U.S. State of Maine. At its deepest, it is deep. The lack of serious pollution in the area contributes to the remarkable clearness. At most points in the pond, the entire depth can be seen.-Location:...
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,274 people, 1,297 households, and 931 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 102.9 people per square mile (39.8/km²). There were 2,381 housing units at an average density of 74.9 per square mile (28.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.21% of the population.
There were 1,297 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,141, and the median income for a family was $40,825. Males had a median income of $31,458 versus $24,596 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $18,176. About 6.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.