Rockport, Maine

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Coordinates: 44°10′51″N 69°5′53″W / 44.18083, -69.09806
Rockport, Maine
Rockport Harbor
Rockport, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Knox
Incorporated	1891
Area
- Total	34.1 sq mi (88.4 km²)
- Land	21.7 sq mi (56.2 km²)
- Water	12.4 sq mi (32.2 km²)
Elevation	223 ft (68 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	3,209
- Density	147.8/sq mi (57.1/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04856
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-63660
GNIS feature ID	0582699

Rockport is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,209 at the 2000 census. Rockport is a popular tourist destination and art colony.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Sites of interest
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

McCobb Spite House in 1960

Once called Goose River, the village was originally part of Megunticook Plantation, incorporated in 1791 as Camden. Shipbuilding, ice and the manufacture of lime were important early industries.^[1] In 1817, 300 casks of lime were sent to Washington, DC for use building the United States Capitol, which had been damaged by the British during the War of 1812. Because of a dispute over the cost of constructing a bridge, on February 25, 1891 Rockport was set off, named for its rocky terrain.

In 1889, The Bay Point Hotel opened near the Rockland breakwater. It was a grand Gilded Age hotel, renamed The Samoset in 1902. Closed in 1969, it burned in 1972, and was then replaced by a new Samoset Resort in 1974. Rockport has a longstanding reputation as an artists' community, with notable artists and art institutions playing a significant role in the town's economic and social life. Bay Chamber Concerts was established in 1961 as a continuation of the summer music instruction of the Curtis Institute. Mary Louise Curtis Bok, central to founding both Bay Chamber Concerts and the Curtis Institute, was one of the largest landowners in Rockport. At one time she owned most of the eastern shore of the harbor. Mary Lea Park, adjacent to the Rockport Opera House, is named in honor of both her and Rockport resident and violinist Lea Luboshutz.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.1 square miles (88.4 km²), of which, 21.7 square miles (56.2 km²) is land and 12.4 square miles (32.2 km²) (36.41%) is water. Drained by Varnah Brook and Goose River, Rockport is located beside Penobscot Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean.

The town is crossed by U. S. Route 1 and state routes 17 and 90. It borders the towns of Rockland to the south, Warren to the southwest, Union to the west, Hope to the southwest, and Camden to the north.

[edit] Demographics

In the 2000 census, there were 3,209 people, 1,373 households and 918 families in the town. The population density was 147.8 per square mile (57.1/km²). There were 1,677 housing units at an average density of 77.2/sq mi (29.8/km²). The racial makeup was 98.69% White, 0.16% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 1,373 households, of which 29.6% had children under 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 43. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,155, and the median for a family $56,068. Males had a median of $35,865 versus $25,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,498. About 5.4% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under 18 and 7.3% of those 65 or over.

[edit] Sites of interest

[edit] References

^ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). in Doris A. Isaacson: Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc., 264-265.