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Whitefield gets its name from the celebrated British evangelist
George Whitefield, who inspired the colonists before the town
was settled in 1770. They remembered him when incorporation came in
1809.
The earliest organized religious settlement was centered within the
bucolic parish of
Saint
Denis, located on a hill in the Irish Section of town. The area
was so reminiscent of the countryside of Ireland that it became home
to many from the old country, whose headstones tell of origins in
the Emerald Isle.
Our fertile and wooded river valley has provided sustenance and
energy to woodsmen, farmers, millers, sawyers and their families for
decades.
All who plied their trade and practiced their craft were thankful
for the power and beauty of the
Sheepscot River. The variety of "privileges" has supported over
twelve mills through times past. The water wheels that helped
produce shingles, beams, boards, barrels, flour, meal, cider and
woolens are now gone. What remains are the cool rocked walls that
still guide the river currents into pools where Atlantic Salmon and
Brook Trout rise to feed in the shadows.
The three villages of this quiet pastoral community: King's Mills,
Whitefield and Coopers Mills are linked by the graceful Sheepscot
River that meanders down the towns very middle. There have been no
fewer than eight bridges spanning the river - carrying sheep, hay
wagons, narrow gauge trains, logging trucks and parades.
Today, Whitefield's population is a cooperative mix of farmers,
artists, woodsmen and professionals, all with the independent spirit
that gave our town its start. Even now the Grand Army Civil War
Veterans Hall, grange halls, churches, volunteer fire departments,
health center, townhouse and school are alive with public suppers,
dances, plays, ball games, civic events and celebrations.
As it has been for 200 years, Whitefield is active, vital yet
private and respectful of the individual's character that makes
Maine unique. D.C.
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