St. George dates to 1789, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #47 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 9 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1878.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives St. George’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. George is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #47 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of St. George’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 St. George’s 42.2 sits above most of its state (73% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 11 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1789.
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 (±7.7 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 St. George’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The peninsula and its islands were noted for immense flocks of duck, geese and other waterfowl. Although the region was part of the Waldo Patent, General Samuel Waldo complied with requests from Abenaki Indians not to settle immigrants at what was their prized hunting ground. Consequently, the peninsula remained unpopulated until after the close of the French and Indian Wars in 1763. The Revolutionary War further slowed development, but during the 1780s, there was rapid settlement of the peninsula. It was incorporated in 1789 as part of Cushing. On February 7, 1803, the peninsula and its islands were set off and incorporated as St. George, taking its name from the river.
Passages that mention St. George, cut from the printed page as they were published.
St. George chronicles, containing an historical sketch from 1605 to 1892, together with names and ages of the inhabitants1892Read the page →
Read the text
An act to divide the town of Gushing, in the County of Lincohi, and to incorporate the easterly part into a separate town by the name of St. George. Sec. I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in general court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that all that part of the town of Cushing, which lies to the eastward of a line drawn from the southwest corner of Thomaston, and passing southwesterly through the middle of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
St. George chronicles, containing an historical sketch from 1605 to 1892, together with names and ages of the inhabitants1892Read the page →
Read the text
[Now Principal of High School, Meridian, Texas.] George N. Meservey, Overseer of the Poor Followingare given the names and ages of that portion of St. George receiving mail at St. George postoffice. Maiden name of wife is given in parenthesis. This list was taken Nov 1892.
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
St. George, 1740 to 1918
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1789, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. St. George’s post office opened in 1878, and the first U.S. census counted 578 people here in 1790.
How does St. George rank for history?
St. George is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #47 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 St. George?
6 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Sail Loft (listed 1977, the first), and 4 historic districts with 9 contributing buildings. 11 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in St. George?
27% of St. George’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.7 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (9), Wikidata (2), 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 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.
![[Now Principal of High School, Meridian, Texas.] George N. Meservey, Overseer of the Poor Followingare given the names and ages of that portion of St. George receiving mail at St. George postoffice. Maiden name of wife is given in parenthesis. This list was taken Nov 1892.](https://images.townratings.com/story/23730/bk-e451432e143c2e58-l.jpg)
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