The Peru post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name. Three smaller post offices, West Peru (1850), East Peru (1865) and Dickvale (1880), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 343 in 18202020 census: 1,488193 years
How historic is Peru?
B
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Peru post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Peru’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Peru is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Peru’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 Peru’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.6 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Peru’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
It was granted by the Massachusetts General Court to several residents from Falmouth, Maine. The first grantee to settle would be Merrill Knight in 1793. Organized in 1812 as Plantation Number 1 (also Thompsontown), it was incorporated on February 5, 1821, as the 240th town in Maine. Peru was named in the spirit of liberty and solidarity for Peru, the South American country which declared independence from Spain on July 28, 1821.
With dark soil free from stones, farming was an early industry. The chief crop was hay, and raising sheep became a common occupation. In addition, there were five sawmills which manufactured long and short lumber, as well as specialty products like wooden bowls. In 1870, the population was 931.
Passages that mention Peru, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Peru, in the county of Oxford and state of Maine, from 1789 to 1911. Residents and genealogies of their families, also a part of Franklin plan1912 · page 20Read the page →
Read the text
To Wm. Brackett, one of the freehold inhabitants of the town of Peru, in said county: In the name of the State of Maine you are hereby required to notify and warn the freeholders and other inhabitants of said town of Peru, qualified by law to vote in town affairs, to assemble at the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Peru, in the county of Oxford and state of Maine, from 1789 to 19111912 · page 33Read the page →
Read the text
Peru Baptist Church Plantation dumber One, from which, in 1821, was incorporated the town of Peru, was settled about the year 1800. Some Baptist families were among the early settlers. At the request of these resident Baptists a council was called September 9, 1818, at the house of Benjamin Wormell, for the purpose of church organization. This council consisted of delegates from the Baptist church at Dixfield, and the First and Second Baptist churches of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Peru, in the county of Oxford and state of Maine, from 1789 to 1911. Residents and genealogies of their families, also a part of Franklin plan1912 · page 33Read the page →
Read the text
Peru Baptist Church Plantation Number One, from which, in 1821, was incorporated the town of Peru, was settled about the year 1800. Some Baptist families were among tlie early settlers. At the request of these resident Baptists a council was called September 9, 1818, at the house of Benjamin Wormell, for the purpose of cluircli organization. This council consisted of delegates from the Baptist church at Dixfield, and the First and Second Baptist churclies of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Peru in the County of Oxford and State of Maine, from 1789 to 1911. Residents and genealogies of their families, also a part of Franklin plan1911 · page 34Read the page →
Read the text
Services were held in schoolhouses and private residences for at least thirty years when the Baptists began to occupy the Methodist meeting-house at Peru Center. In 1894, the meeting-house was purchased by the Baptists. Eepairs to the amount of about one hundred dollars were made at that time. ]\Iarch 14 and 15, 1843, a Quarterly Meeting was held at Bethel and a council composed of delegates to that Quarterly Meeting ordained Brother S.
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
Peru, 1833 to 1990
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.
The Peru post office opened in 1833, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Peru rank for history?
Peru is more historic than 55% 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.
How old are the homes in Peru?
18% of Peru’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1974.
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 (5), Wikipedia, 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 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.
![Services were held in schoolhouses and private residences for at least thirty years when the Baptists began to occupy the Methodist meeting-house at Peru Center. In 1894, the meeting-house was purchased by the Baptists. Eepairs to the amount of about one hundred dollars were made at that time. ]\Ia…](https://images.townratings.com/story/23690/bk-db8cdd7bb06caa4a-l.jpg)
Date?
2009
2009
2006
