Belgrade dates to 1796, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 72% of U.S. towns · #96 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Chandler Store, the Birches and the Foster Farm Barn. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Belgrade’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Belgrade is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #96 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Belgrade’s overall grade.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Belgrade’s 9.0 sits near the middle of its state (38% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.0 points). Two sources give 1796.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Belgrade’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land was originally owned by the Plymouth Company, from which inhabitants obtained their titles. Called Washington Plantation, it was first settled in 1774 by Philip Snow from New Hampshire. On February 3, 1796, it was incorporated as Belgrade, named after Belgrade, Serbia. The surface of the town is uneven, much of it covered by water in the form of a connected chain of lakes. The largest lake is Great Pond, which dominates the town. Agriculture became the chief occupation of the inhabitants, with potatoes the principal crop.
Passages that mention Belgrade, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine1892 · page 1011Read the page →
Read the text
Villages and Post Offices.— Belgrade has no large villages. Being strictly an agricultural town, its population is scattered over its whole area. There are four post offices within its limits: Belgrade, North Belgrade, Belgrade Mills and Lakeside; while at the Mills and Depot (Belgrade P. O.) are small villages. From the time Belgrade was incorporated until 1840 it was the leading thoroughfare of all travel from the cities along the river to New Portland, Anson, Norridgewock and other towns in that vicinity. The great amount of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine1892Read the page →
Read the text
Belgrade Titcomb Academy, founded in 1829, was named in honor of Samuel Titcomb, through whose efforts, together with those of John Pitts, its establishment was made possible. The academy building was a large, two story brick structure, and fromi its situation on the summit of Belgrade hill commanded one of the grandest views in Kennebec county. The institution was incorporated, and its management was in the hands of a board of trustees elected annually.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Belgrade, 1796 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1796, according to Wikidata. Belgrade’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1800 counted 295 people here.
How does Belgrade rank for history?
Belgrade is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #96 of 143 in Maine. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Belgrade?
Three places: the Chandler Store (listed 1985), the Birches (1996) and the Foster Farm Barn (2015).
How old are the homes in Belgrade?
16% of Belgrade’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1985.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
c. 1930
c. 1930
c. 1930
