Perkins, Maine
Encyclopedia
Perkins Township is an unorganized territory
in Sagadahoc County
, Maine
, United States
. Originally incorporated as the town
of Perkins, it has been uninhabited since being abandoned by the 1940s. The township comprises Swan Island, Little Swan Island and some tidal flats - all within the Kennebec River
between the towns of Richmond
and Dresden
, Maine
.
The "Swan Island Historic District" (Perkins Township Historic District) comprises much of the township with 8 buildings, 5 structures and 1500 acres (6.1 km²). Some of the buildings date to the 1750s. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The town of Perkins was incorporated in the mid-19th century and then disincorporated in 1918, becoming Perkins Township, its legal name. Its population was 0 at the 2010 census
.
The township is managed by the Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife as the Steve Powell Wildlife Management Area. This web page provides information on public access - which is restricted. Swan Island is known for its abundant wildlife.
. The town was named for him when it was incorporated in the mid-19th century, after he paid for incorporation.
Besides town government the town also had a schoolhouse and cemetery. However the town was disincorporated in 1918, so it became a township managed by the state. By the mid 1940s the Great Depression
and ongoing pollution of the Kennebec River
led to the decline of the island's industries and the island was abandoned.
Little was done until the 1990s when efforts were made to protect some of the buildings, a process that is ongoing.
, the location has a total area of 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²). 5.8 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is land and 3.9 km² (1.5 mi²) of it (40.37%) is water.
Unorganized territory
An unorganized territory is a region of land without a "normally" constituted system of government. This does not mean that the territory has no government at all or that it is unclaimed territory...
in Sagadahoc County
Sagadahoc County, Maine
Sagadahoc County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 35,293. Its county seat is Bath. In total area, it is the smallest county in Maine....
, 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...
. Originally incorporated as the town
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...
of Perkins, it has been uninhabited since being abandoned by the 1940s. The township comprises Swan Island, Little Swan Island and some tidal flats - all within the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
between the towns of Richmond
Richmond, Maine
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
and Dresden
Dresden, Maine
Dresden is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States that was incorporated in 1794. The population was 1,625 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, 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...
.
The "Swan Island Historic District" (Perkins Township Historic District) comprises much of the township with 8 buildings, 5 structures and 1500 acres (6.1 km²). Some of the buildings date to the 1750s. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The town of Perkins was incorporated in the mid-19th century and then disincorporated in 1918, becoming Perkins Township, its legal name. Its population was 0 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
The township is managed by the Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife as the Steve Powell Wildlife Management Area. This web page provides information on public access - which is restricted. Swan Island is known for its abundant wildlife.
History
During the 19th century, the town of Perkins was a community of almost 100 residents who under-took shipbuilding, farming and ice harvesting. The island also attracted summer residents who built summer homes, and its most famous summer resident was Thomas Handasyd PerkinsThomas Handasyd Perkins
Colonel Thomas Handasyd Perkins, or T. H. Perkins was a wealthy Boston merchant and an archetypical Boston Brahmin. Starting with bequests from his grandfather and father-in-law, he amassed a huge fortune...
. The town was named for him when it was incorporated in the mid-19th century, after he paid for incorporation.
Besides town government the town also had a schoolhouse and cemetery. However the town was disincorporated in 1918, so it became a township managed by the state. By the mid 1940s the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and ongoing pollution of the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
led to the decline of the island's industries and the island was abandoned.
Little was done until the 1990s when efforts were made to protect some of the buildings, a process that is ongoing.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 location has a total area of 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²). 5.8 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is land and 3.9 km² (1.5 mi²) of it (40.37%) is water.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, there were no people living in the location.External links
- Friends of Swan Island A non-profit volunteer group dedicated to helping preserve Swan Island's historic homesteads.
- National Register of Historic Places for Sagadahoc County
- Maine Genealogy: Perkins Township, Sagadahoc County, Maine