Hallowell dates to 1771, and 57% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #1 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 451 buildings between them. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hallowell’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hallowell is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs put Hallowell near the top nationally; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hallowell’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 Hallowell’s 1,771 sits above most of its state (100% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 459 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1771.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.1 points).
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 Hallowell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The city is named for Benjamin Hallowell, a Boston merchant and one of the Kennebec Proprietors, holders of land originally granted to the Plymouth Company by the British monarchy in the 1620s.
The first settler of European descent was Deacon Pease Clark, who emigrated with his wife and son Peter from Attleborough, Massachusetts, in the spring of 1762. Legend has it that after disembarking on the west side of the Kennebec, near present-day Water Street, the Clarks took shelter in their overturned cart. On a riverfront lot measuring 50 rods (275 yards, about 250 meters), the Clark family raised corn, rye and other crops. The first land they cleared was occupied by the fire department in 1859.
Passages that mention Hallowell, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine1892Read the page →
Read the text
The present town of Hallowell. is bounded east by Kennebec river, north by Augusta, west by Manchester, and south by Farmingdale. To distinguish it from the Fort settlement, in early times it was
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine1892Read the page →
Read the text
Post Office.— The first post office here was probably established in 1794, as Hallowell Hook, with Nathaniel Dummer as postmaster. James Burton was appointed early in 1795, postmaster at Hallowell.
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
Hallowell, 1771 to 1898
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1771, according to Wikidata. Hallowell’s post office opened in 1794, and the first U.S. census counted 1,194 people here in 1790.
How does Hallowell rank for history?
Hallowell is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 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 Hallowell?
6 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Row House (listed 1970, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Hallowell Historic District and the Maine Industrial School for Girls Historic District, with 451 contributing buildings. 459 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Hallowell?
57% of Hallowell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (10), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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.
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