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Wiscasset, Maine

Population: 3,603
Located in Lincoln County

Wiscasset is known as "The Prettiest Village in Maine." The architecture and history of this once thriving seaport, has been meticulously preserved. The county seat for Lincoln County, Wiscasset is on the Route 1 corridor for "Downeast Maine." Settled in 1663, the town was incorporated in 1760. The surrounding farmland and wooded areas recall a much simpler time in our countries heritage. The community of Wiscasset is proud of their excellent schools and municipal infrastructure. The town works well with a mix of small retail shops, antique shops, museums, restaurants and a seasonal train that runs between Wiscasset and Bath for a scenic tour. The municipal airport is a convenient amenity that services small commuter planes and private aircraft. Consider a stress free life here in Historic Wiscasset, Maine.

Wiscasset, eleven miles up the Sheepscot River and once the largest seaport north of Boston, today has the appearance of a quiet and harmonious village. And so it is, except "quiet" can be misleading. In 1997, Wiscasset citizens created news and history when a whistleblower within the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant leaked information that grew into a successful grassroots effort to decommission the plant.

In 1932, the four-masted schooners Hester and Luther Little, the last of Maine's commercial sailing vessels, were retired and towed up the Sheepscot River where they weathered time for over 60 years. In 1998, barely recognizable after a strong October gale toppled their masts, the remains of the once-beautiful schooners were destroyed. Their likenesses are still seen in the logos of many local Services.

Wiscasset is an unusual mix of residents - clamdiggers, artists, antique dealers, and men and women who work the day and night shifts at neighboring Bath Iron Works. They form an eclectic group whose common denominator is a a strong tie to the river and the land: in 1995, a group of local citizens purchased the 60-acre Morris Farm. Since then, volunteers from the town and AmeriCorp have created a working farm that is a community focal point for education, recreation, workshops and annual events.

In 1973, the National Register of Historic Places added large portions of Wiscasset's neighborhoods, including some of the stately Main Street buildings, to their National Register. The town's beautiful historic homes attracted dealers and shopkeepers specializing in an array of antiques and collectibles. Wiscasset's lanes and footpaths wind among more than two dozen stores selling antiquities ranging from Americana to museum-quality European furnishings, most within walking distance of one another.

The picturesque village of Head Tide, about 8 miles north of Wiscasset, is the quintessential rural Maine village. Locals come to the popular swimming hole formed by the remains of a dam that served the mills. On the bend in the stream stands the old country store, now privately owned, but a glance through the windows at the turn-of-the-century fixtures recreates the images of a bygone era. Occasionally fly fishermen and canoeists set forth on the stream for a pleasant day in this tranquil out-of-the-way spot.

Courtesy http://www.mid-coastmaine.com/wiscasset.html

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