4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 2 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1904 on, and the census since 1790.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gouldsboro is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Gouldsboro’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 Gouldsboro’s 31.0 sits above most of its state (67% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.7 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Gouldsboro’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Indigenous people known as Paleoindians, began living in the area where the town stands nowadays after the ice age, around 10,000-11,000 years ago.
Between the 2nd and 1st millennium BC the Susquehanna started to migrate and settle the area. They came from the Susquehanna River Valley and as far south as the Savannah River Valley.
Gouldsboro is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns. 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 Gouldsboro?
4 listings: 3 buildings and 1 historic district, the Prospect Harbor Light Station, with 2 contributing buildings. 5 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Gouldsboro?
13% of Gouldsboro’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1986.
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 (11), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
Date?
2013
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2010
2005
