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AHistory
History · Orono

Orono dates to 1774, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 94% of U.S. towns · #29 of 143 in Maine. What drives it

11 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 54 buildings between them. Below: 13 old photos and papers, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1810.

1774founded
11on the National Register
19%homes built before 1940
13old photos & papers
9famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Orono’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Orono began

When was Orono founded?

1774

Orono dates its founding to 1774 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 351 in 18102020 census: 11,183252 years

How historic is Orono?

A

More historic than 94% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1819.
History grade

What drives Orono’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Orono is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #29 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Orono’s overall grade.
Founding era1774, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194019.1% of homes (±4.1) · typical ME town 19.1% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register11 listings, 62 historic buildings, 52.1 per 10,000 residents · typical ME town 15.9 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 94%
NewerOlder
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 80%

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 Orono’s 52.1 sits above most of its state (76% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 62 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1774.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 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 Orono’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1889 to 1918, drew every building in Orono.On the map since 19025 editions of the USGS map, 1902 to 1998. Watch Orono change.A historic districtThe Orono Main Street Historic District takes in 27 historic buildings.Landmarks on the Register11 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Every building

Orono, building by building, 1889–1918

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.

Orono fire insurance map, 1889, sheet 11889Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the map

Orono on the map, 1902 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Orono. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Orono on the 1902 USGS mapOrono on the 1944 USGS mapOrono on the 1955 USGS mapOrono on the 1988 USGS mapOrono on the 1998 USGS map1902Orono sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Orono.

On the National Register

11 listings protect 62 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
11
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
62
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Gov. Israel Washburn House
Gov. Israel Washburn HouseWilliam Colburn House, built 1780Nathaniel Treat HouseUniversity of Maine at Orono Historic District, built 1865Old Fire Engine HouseUS Post Office-Orono Main, built 1932Maine Experiment Station BarnUniversity of Maine Historic District Boundary Increase, built 1865Phi Gamma Delta HouseOrono Main Street Historic DistrictAlpha Tau Omega House
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival3
Colonial Revival3
Italianate3
Federal2
Classical Revival2
Queen Anne2
Gov. Israel Washburn HouseGreek Revival
William Colburn HouseCape Cod Colonial · Built 1780
Nathaniel Treat HouseFederal
University of Maine at Orono Historic DistrictRomanesque Revival · Built 1865
Old Fire Engine HouseBuilding
US Post Office-Orono MainClassical Revival · Built 1932
Maine Experiment Station BarnBuilding
University of Maine Historic District Boundary IncreaseLate 19th and 20th Century Revival · Built 1865
All 11 listings
Phi Gamma Delta HouseBuilding · listed 2013Orono Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977Alpha Tau Omega HouseBuilding · listed 2023

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story so far

Orono, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Orono yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Orono ( ORR-ə-noh) is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. Located on the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers, it was first settled by American colonists in 1774. They named it in honor of Chief Joseph Orono, a sachem of the indigenous Penobscot nation who long occupied this territory. In the 19th century, the town became a center of the lumber industry. Sawmills on the rivers were powered by the water, and logs were floated downriver on the Penobscot for shipping and export from coastal ports. Orono was home to a large pulp and paper mill. A defunct railroad spur extending from downtown to the Stillwater Community of Old Town is now the Stillwater River Trail. There has been a bri…

Orono was established in 1774. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 10,362 to 11,183 (+8%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Orono in 1874

Passages that mention Orono, cut from the printed page as they were published.

acres of land with a double saw-mill, on the point of the island on the Stillwater branch of the Penobscot river; there were then but a very few houses in Orono, and, indeed, not more than ten on both sides of the Kenduskeag stream, where the dense part of the city of Bangor is now built, and the r…
Centennial celebration, and dedication of town hall, Orono, Maine, March 3, 18741874Read the page →
Read the text

acres of land with a double saw-mill, on the point of the island on the Stillwater branch of the Penobscot river; there were then but a very few houses in Orono, and, indeed, not more than ten on both sides of the Kenduskeag stream, where the dense part of the city of Bangor is now built, and the roads were such that it was difficult to go from Bangor to Oldtown (in Orono), even on horse-back. In about

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The act of division and incorporation was passed March 16, 1840. At the census taken in the following June, the population of Orono was 1521, of Oldtown, 2345 — or 38GG in both towns. In the division more than two-thirds of the territory was set off to Oldtown, leaving Orono one of the smallest tow…
Centennial celebration, and dedication of town hall, Orono, Maine, March 3, 18741874Read the page →
Read the text

The act of division and incorporation was passed March 16, 1840. At the census taken in the following June, the population of Orono was 1521, of Oldtown, 2345 — or 38GG in both towns. In the division more than two-thirds of the territory was set off to Oldtown, leaving Orono one of the smallest towns in area in the State. The progress of Oldtown has been, as the enterprise and intelligence of its people

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

Orono, 1774 to 1932

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1774
    FoundingOrono is established
  3. 1780BuiltWilliam Colburn House is built
  4. 19th century
  5. 1819Post officeThe Orono post office opens
  6. 1836Born hereFrances Laughton Mace is born here
  7. 1865BuiltUniversity of Maine at Orono Historic District is built
  8. 1865BuiltUniversity of Maine Historic District Boundary Increase is built
  9. 1866Born hereEva McDonald Valesh is born here
  10. 1871Born hereWallace Rider Farrington is born here
  11. 1873Born hereMerritt Lyndon Fernald is born here
  12. 20th century
  13. 1902On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  14. 1909In the archiveMain St
  15. 1910In the archiveOld Library Building, University of Maine
  16. 1930In the archiveGreetings from University of Maine (60299)
  17. 1932BuiltUS Post Office-Orono Main is built
By decade

Orono, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s5 items
Main St1909Main StMain St1909Main StMain St1909Main StSt. Mary's Church1909St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church1909St. Mary's Church
1910s5 items
Old Library Building, University of Maine1910Old Library Building, University of MainePostcardMaine - Orno1917Maine - OrnoMaine - Orno1917Maine - OrnoMaine - Orno1917Maine - OrnoMaine - Orno1917Maine - Orno
1930s2 items
Greetings from University of Maine (60299)c. 1930Greetings from University of Maine (60299)PostcardGreetings from the University of Maine (60299)c. 1930Greetings from the University of Maine (60299)Postcard
1940s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Date unknown1 to date
OronoTownOfficeDate?OronoTownOffice
Today24 recent
Orono Bog Boardwalk2026Orono Bog BoardwalkFall at the Penobscot Valley Country Club's golf course near Orono, Maine2017Fall at the Penobscot Valley Country Club's golf cour…Fall at the Penobscot Valley Country Club's golf course near Orono, Maine2017Fall at the Penobscot Valley Country Club's golf cour…Fall scene along the Stillwater River2017Fall scene along the Stillwater RiverFall scene along the Stillwater River2017Fall scene along the Stillwater RiverWilliam Colburn House2017William Colburn HouseOrono Post Office2017Orono Post OfficeNathaniel Treat House2017Nathaniel Treat HouseIsrael Washburn House2017Israel Washburn HouseBbrrrrrrrrrr2016BbrrrrrrrrrrOrono, The Store Ampersand2015Orono, The Store AmpersandOrono, The Store Ampersand2015Orono, The Store AmpersandOrono, The Store Ampersand2015Orono, The Store AmpersandOrono, The Store Ampersand2015Orono, The Store AmpersandOrono, The Store Ampersand2015Orono, The Store AmpersandOld Fire Engine House2013Old Fire Engine HouseOld Fire Engine House, National Register of Historic Places Plaque2013Old Fire Engine House, National Register of Historic …Wetland - panoramio (1)2010Wetland - panoramio (1)Railroad Marsh Island2010Railroad Marsh IslandPenobscot River2010Penobscot RiverPenobscot River - panoramio (1)2010Penobscot River - panoramio (1)Marsh Island Wetland2010Marsh Island WetlandOronoMillStreet2007OronoMillStreetMap of Maine highlighting2005Map of Maine highlightingMap
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Main St
Retake this viewMain St, 1909

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Orono’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Orono, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,000185019001950200011,183

Grew from 351 people in 1810 to 11,183 in 2020, more than tenfold.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Orono’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

9 famous people were born in Orono

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Merritt Lyndon FernaldAmerican botanist · b. 1873
Wallace Rider FarringtonSixth Territorial Governor of Hawaii · b. 1871
Eva McDonald ValeshUS journalist · b. 1866
Frances Laughton MaceAmerican poet · b. 1836
Ann O'LearyAmerican political advisor and leader in early … · b. 1971
Jonathan NorcrossAmerican mayor · b. 1808
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Orono’s post office has been open since 1819.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Basin MillsDouble A LandingElliot LandingGould LandingVilla VaughnWebster
1cemetery inside Orono
Riverside

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Orono’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewMain St: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Old Town4 historic placesAGlenburnIts storyCBradleyIts storyBEddington1 historic placeC+Bangor38 historic placesA+

Questions about Orono’s history

What year was Orono founded?

In 1774, according to Wikidata. Orono’s post office opened in 1819, and the census of 1810 counted 351 people here.

How does Orono rank for history?

Orono is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #29 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 Orono?

11 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Gov. Israel Washburn House (listed 1973, the first), and 3 historic districts, the University of Maine at Orono Historic District, the University of Maine Historic District Boundary Increase and the Orono Main Street Historic District, with 54 contributing buildings. 62 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Orono?

19% of Orono’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1977.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (28), the Library of Congress (9), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (11), 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.