Damariscotta is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,297 at the 2020 census. Damariscotta is the oyster capital of New England. A popular tourist destination, the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle are linked by the Main Street bridge over the Damariscotta River, forming the "Twin Villages". The name Damariscotta is an Indian name meaning "river of little fish".
Whaleback Shell Midden is a shell midden, or dump, consisting primarily of oyster shells located on the east side of the Damariscotta River in Maine, United States. It is preserved as a Maine state historic site and was included as part of the Damariscotta Oyster Shell Heaps listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Other shell middens are located on the estuary in both Damariscotta and Newcastle. The middens in this area were formed over about 1,000 years between 200 BC to AD 1000.
Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site is a publicly owned historic property operated by the state of Maine near Pemaquid Beach in Bristol, Maine. The site includes the reconstructed Fort William Henry, archaeological remains of 17th- and 18th-century village buildings and fortifications, and a museum with artifacts found on the site including musket balls, coins, pottery, and early hardware.
The Pythian Opera House, also known historically as the Knights of Pythias Hall, Boothbay Harbor Opera House and The Opera House, and formally as The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, is a historic meeting hall and multifunction building at 86 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Built in 1894, it has housed government offices of the town, and the meeting spaces of fraternal organizations, prior to its present use as a performance venue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 2008.
Ram Island Light is a lighthouse located just offshore of Ram Island, marking the eastern entrance to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and the west side of the mouth of the Damariscotta River. It was built in 1883 and automated in 1965. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Ram Island Light Station on January 21, 1988.
The Burnham Tavern is a historic tavern at 14 Colonial Way in Machias, Maine, United States. Built in 1770, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Machias area, and is known for its locally significant role in the American Revolutionary War. The tavern is operated as the Burnham Tavern Museum by the Hannah Weston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Featuring late 18th period furnishings, the house includes artifacts from the 1775 Battle of Machias, the first naval battle of the Revolution. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Damariscotta Baptist Church is a historic church at 4 Bristol Road in Damariscotta, Maine. Built in 1843-47 and restyled in 1891, it is a well-preserved example of Greek Revival and Colonial Revival architecture. The building also played a role in the formation of the town, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Second Congregational Church is a historic church on River Street in Newcastle, Maine. Built in 1848, it is one of Mid Coast Maine's finest examples of brick Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The congregation, established in 1843, is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.
St. Patrick's Catholic Church is a historic church at 380 Academy Hill Road in Newcastle, Maine. Built in 1807, it is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church building in New England, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It remains in use as a community within the Parish of All Saints in the Diocese of Portland.
The Wiscasset Jail and Museum is a historic jail on at 133 Federal Street in Wiscasset, Maine. Built in 1811, it is one Maine's oldest surviving jail buildings, serving as the state's first penitentiary between 1820 and 1824. It is now a museum operate by the Lincoln County Historical Society as the 1811 Lincoln County Museum and Old Jail. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
The Sheepscot Historic District encompasses a historic village in Alna and Newcastle, Maine. Located just below the mouth of Dyer Brook where it enters the Sheepscot River, the 1,200-acre (490 ha) includes an area that has seen little alteration in more than 100 years, and includes one of the oldest roadways in the state. The area is archaeologically sensitive for prehistoric and historic settlement sites. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1978.
The Gov. Edward Kavanagh House is a historic house on Maine State Route 215 in the Damariscotta Mills area of Newcastle, Maine. Built in 1803, it is a fine example of Federal period residential architecture, and is historically notable for its association with one of Maine's early Irish Catholic immigrants, James Kavanagh. The house was later home to his son, Maine Governor Edward Kavanagh. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1974.
The Main Street Historic District encompasses the historic commercial center of Damariscotta, Maine. Although the community was settled in the 18th century, most of its downtown area dates to the second half of the 19th century due to an 1845 fire. Lining Main Street east of the Damariscotta River, the downtown has a well-preserved collection of commercial, residential, and civic structures from the period. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and enlarged in 2001.
The Matthew Cottrill House is a historic house at 60 Main Street in Damariscotta, Maine. Built in 1801, it is a well-preserved example of Federal period architecture. It is historically significant for its association with Matthew Cottrill, an Irish immigrant who was, along with business partner James Kavanagh, a major economic force in Damariscotta, and also a key force in establishing the Roman Catholic church in Maine. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1974.
The McWain-Hall House is a historic house on McWain Hill Road in Waterford, Maine. It is a typical vernacular Federal-style farmhouse, which is not only one of the oldest houses in the area, but is also locally significant as the home of David McWain (1752-1825), one of the town's first settlers. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987
The Damariscotta Shell Midden Historic District encompasses a significant collection of shell middens along the Damariscotta River in Lincoln County, Maine. It includes eleven middens in all, including the well-known Whaleback Shell Midden and the Glidden Midden, which is the largest shell midden in the northeastern United States. The area has the largest concentration of such midden sites under conservation protection in the eastern United States. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The Stephen Coffin House is a historic house at 170 Main Street in downtown Damariscotta, Maine. Built in the first decade of the 19th century, it is a fine local example of Federal style architecture, and is further distinctive for its ell, which is an early surviving example of an attached shop. The house served for many years as home to the Skidompha Public Library, and is now in commercial use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
The Huston House is a historic house at 220 Bristol Road in Damariscotta, Maine. Built in 1853, it is a rare statewide example of a large Greek Revival house with a longitudinal temple front. It now serves as home to the Down Easter Inn, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Dr. F.W. Jackson House is a historic house on Maine State Route 32 in the village center of Jefferson, Maine. Built 1903–05, it is one of the rural community's largest and most elegant examples of Colonial Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Wiscasset Historic District is a 101-acre (41 ha) historic district that encompasses substantially all of the central village of Wiscasset, Maine. The district includes at least 22 contributing buildings and two other contributing sites, one being a cemetery whose oldest stone is from 1739. Located on the west bank of the Sheepscot River and settled in the 18th century, Wiscasset was a prominent harbor in Mid Coast Maine, and a major shipbuilding and merchant port, until the War of 1812 ended its prosperity. The village center includes fine examples of Federal period architecture, most built between about 1780 and 1820, including one National Historic Landmark, the Nickels-Sortwell House. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
