Winterport

History

First settled in 1766 as part of Frankfort, it was set off and incorporated on March 12, 1860. It was named Winterport because of its fine harbor on the Penobscot River estuary, which generally remained ice free, and so became a busy local terminus for trade and shipping during winter months. When the upper Penobscot River froze, commodities like flour were hauled in large quantities from here to Bangor. In 1841, Theophilus Cushing opened a large steam mill which manufactured 11,000,000 feet of lumber annually. It also made sugar box shooks, lath, clapboard, and soap and candle boxes. The town had two cooperage factories. Other industries produced harnesses, cheese and butter, and men's vests. Until the Panic of 1857, Winterport was a shipbuilding center. But the principal business for most of the town was agriculture.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. Drained by the Marsh River, Winterport is bounded by the Penobscot River. The town is crossed by U.S. Route 1A, as well as Maine State Route 69 and Maine State Route 139. It borders the towns of Frankfort to the south, Monroe to the west, and Hampden and Newburgh to the north. Bucksport lies across the Penobscot River to the east which prior to the opening of the Waldo-Hancock Bridge in 1931 was reached from Winterport by way of the Winterport Ferry Co.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  8,805
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  8,356
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,554
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,375
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  5,374
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,198
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,032
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  4,765

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-08-26
  4 km SW of Vinalhaven, Maine
• M 2.8 — 2024-07-28
  6 km W of Gardiner, Maine
• M 3.3 — 2023-01-14
  7 km ESE of Dedham, Maine
• M 2.6 — 2022-09-01
  4 km SE of Centerville, Maine
• M 3 — 2022-08-17
  3 km SE of Centerville, Maine
• M 2.6 — 2022-08-16
  4.7 km WNW of Jonesboro, Maine