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AHistory
History · Waterville

Waterville’s post office opened in 1803, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #38 of 143 in Maine. What drives it

16 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 33 buildings between them. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1810.

1803first post office
16on the National Register
31%homes built before 1940
12old photos & papers
47famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Waterville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Waterville began

When was Waterville founded?

1803

The Waterville post office opened in 1803, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,314 in 18102020 census: 15,828223 years

How historic is Waterville?

A

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Waterville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Waterville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waterville is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #38 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 Waterville’s overall grade.
Founding era1803, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194030.6% of homes (±5.0) · typical ME town 19.1% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register16 listings, 44 historic buildings, 25.8 per 10,000 residents · typical ME town 15.9 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 91%
NewerOlder
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)Ahead of 74%

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 Waterville’s 25.8 sits near the middle of its state (64% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 44 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.

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 (±5.0 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 Waterville’s past

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

On the map since 18925 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1982. Watch Waterville change.Landmarks on the Register16 places on the National Register.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1884 to 1921, drew every building in Waterville.A historic districtThe Waterville Main Street Historic District takes in 22 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · On the map

Waterville on the map, 1892 to 1982

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

Waterville on the 1892 USGS mapWaterville on the 1943 USGS mapWaterville on the 1957 USGS mapWaterville on the 1975 USGS mapWaterville on the 1982 USGS map1892Waterville 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 Waterville.

On the National Register

16 historic places in Waterville

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

places listed
16
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
44
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Two Cent Bridge
Two Cent BridgeWaterville Opera House and City Hall, built 1897First Baptist ChurchWaterville Post OfficeUniversalist-Unitarian ChurchRedington HouseAlvin O. Lombard House, built 1908Professional Building, built 1923Heald House, built 1916Lockwood Mill Historic DistrictWaterville High School, built 1911Waterville Main Street Historic DistrictFoster-Redington House, built 1883Seton, Elizabeth Ann, HospitalWaterville Main Street Historic DistrictMt. Merici Historic District
BuildingsDistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival2
Greek Revival2
Federal2
Art Deco2
Italianate2
Neo-Classical Revival1
Two Cent BridgeStructure
Waterville Opera House and City HallColonial Revival · Built 1897
First Baptist ChurchNeo-Classical Revival
Waterville Post OfficeGreek Revival
Universalist-Unitarian ChurchFederal
Redington HouseFederal
Alvin O. Lombard HouseShingle Style · Built 1908
Professional BuildingArt Deco · Built 1923
All 16 listings
Heald HouseBuilding · listed 2005Lockwood Mill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2007Waterville High SchoolBuilding · listed 2010Waterville Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012Foster-Redington HouseBuilding · listed 2014Seton, Elizabeth Ann, HospitalBuilding · listed 2016Waterville Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2016Mt. Merici Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2019

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

Every building

Waterville, building by building, 1884–1921

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.

Waterville fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 1 of 4
Edition
BrickWoodStone

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

The story

How Waterville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Waterville.

Read it all →

The area now known as Waterville was once inhabited by the Canibas tribe of the Abenaki people. Called "Taconnet" after Chief Taconnet, the main village was located on the east bank of the Kennebec River at its confluence with the Sebasticook River at what is now Winslow. Known as "Ticonic" by English settlers, it was burned in 1692 during King William's War, after which the Canibas tribe abandoned the area. Fort Halifax was built by General John Winslow in 1754, and the last skirmish with indigenous peoples occurred on May 18, 1757.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Waterville, 1892–1908

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

The present city of Waterville agriculturally considered is one of the most charming, picturesque, interesting not to say profitable of all the most favored and far famed "garden spots" in New England. The present area of the city as has doubtless been told already in this volume, was formerly a pa…
The centennial history of Waterville, Kennebee County, Maine, including the oration, the historical address and the poem presented at the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the incorporation of the town, June 23d, 1902 ..1902 · page 331Read the page →
Read the text

The present city of Waterville agriculturally considered is one of the most charming, picturesque, interesting not to say profitable of all the most favored and far famed "garden spots" in New England. The present area of the city as has doubtless been told already in this volume, was formerly a part of the town of Winslow, and the present thrifty town of Oakland was set off from Waterville proper and given the name of West Waterville February 26, 1873, hence if in this chapter on the agriculture of

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The act incorporating the town of Waterville, June 23, 1802, provided that " all that part of the town of Winslow which lies on the west side of the Kennebec river, as known by its present bounds, be and is hereby incorporated into a separate town by the name of Waterville." It also provided " that…
Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine1892Read the page →
Read the text

The act incorporating the town of Waterville, June 23, 1802, provided that " all that part of the town of Winslow which lies on the west side of the Kennebec river, as known by its present bounds, be and is hereby incorporated into a separate town by the name of Waterville." It also provided " that the monies assessed for building a meeting house in the West Pond settlement shall be paid and exclusively appropriated to that purpose and subject to no demand of the town of Winslow," and that " all future state taxes which may be

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
March 4. "To see if the town will vote to accept the act of the Legislature approved February twenty-eighth, A. D. eighteen hundred and eight-three entitled, 'An act to incorporate the city of Waterville' and acts amendatory thereto." The vote: Yes, 265; No, 344. ELECTRIC LICHTS March 15. ''Voted t…
A chronology of municipal history and election statistics, Waterville, Maine, 1771-19081908 · page 131Read the page →
Read the text

March 4. "To see if the town will vote to accept the act of the Legislature approved February twenty-eighth, A. D. eighteen hundred and eight-three entitled, 'An act to incorporate the city of Waterville' and acts amendatory thereto." The vote: Yes, 265; No, 344. ELECTRIC LICHTS March 15. ''Voted that the Waterville Light and Power Company be permitted, so far as the town has the right, to set poles

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
It shows the total expenditures to have been $12,646, $6000 of which was received from the town of Waterville, $3320 from individual subscriptions, and $457 from the sale of houses that were on the land. The balance, amounting to $2869, was advanced by Mr. Ware, but was refunded to him by the Maine…
A chronology of municipal history and election statistics, Waterville, Maine, 1771-19081908 · page 133Read the page →
Read the text

It shows the total expenditures to have been $12,646, $6000 of which was received from the town of Waterville, $3320 from individual subscriptions, and $457 from the sale of houses that were on the land. The balance, amounting to $2869, was advanced by Mr. Ware, but was refunded to him by the Maine Central Railroad Company *'in consideration of the Company's agreement to allow a fair and reasonable amount towards the purchase of houselots and houses located within the required premises."

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

Waterville, 1803 to 1956

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1803Post officeThe Waterville post office opens
  3. 1868In the archiveA portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an extended family.Alternate Title: Views …
  4. 1892Born hereMarston Morse is born here
  5. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1897BuiltWaterville Opera House and City Hall is built
  7. 20th century
  8. 1908BuiltAlvin O. Lombard House is built
  9. 1916BuiltHeald House is built
  10. 1916Born hereAlice Bridges is born here
  11. 1923BuiltProfessional Building is built
  12. 1933Born hereGeorge J. Mitchell is born here
  13. 1956Born hereDavid E. Kelley is born here
By decade

Waterville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s12 items
A portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an extended family.Alternate Title: Views of Waterville, Mec. 1868A portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an ext…A portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an extended family.Alternate Title: Views of Waterville, Mec. 1868A portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an ext…Christmas 1868. [View of dwellings.]c. 1868Christmas 1868. [View of dwellings.]Christmas 1868. [View of dwellings.]c. 1868Christmas 1868. [View of dwellings.]Church and houses, Waterville, Mainec. 1868Church and houses, Waterville, MaineChurch and houses, Waterville, Mainec. 1868Church and houses, Waterville, MaineCoburn Classical Institute, Waterville.Alternate Title: Kennebec Valley Viewsc. 1868Coburn Classical Institute, Waterville.Alternate Titl…Coburn Classical Institute, Waterville.Alternate Title: Kennebec Valley Viewsc. 1868Coburn Classical Institute, Waterville.Alternate Titl…Cotton Mill, Waterville, Me.Alternate Title: Factoryc. 1868Cotton Mill, Waterville, Me.Alternate Title: FactoryDwellings, Waterville, Maine.Alternate Title: Views of Waterville, Mainec. 1868Dwellings, Waterville, Maine.Alternate Title: Views o…Dwellings, Waterville, Maine.Alternate Title: Views of Waterville, Mainec. 1868Dwellings, Waterville, Maine.Alternate Title: Views o…View of houses in Watervillec. 1868View of houses in Waterville
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.

A portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an extended family.Alternate Title: Views of Waterville, Me
Retake this viewA portrait of a large group of people, perhaps an extended family.Alternate Title: Views of Waterville, Me, c. 1868

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Waterville, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,0001850190019502000Peak: 18,695

Between 1,314 and 18,695 people in every census since 1810.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

Famous people

47 famous people were born in Waterville

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

See all →
George J. MitchellAmerican politician, diplomat, and judge · b. 1933
Marston MorseAmerican mathematician · b. 1892
D
David E. KelleyAmerican television producer, writer and attorn… · b. 1956
A
Alice BridgesAmerican swimmer, Olympic bronze medalist · b. 1916
Bruce PoliquinPolitician · b. 1953
V
Vaughn MeaderAmerican comedian, musician, and impressionist · b. 1936
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Waterville’s post office has been open since 1803.

Gone or out of use
Union Gas Damdam
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Waterville
Pine GroveSaint Francis Catholic

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

Help out

Finish Waterville’s story

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewA portrait of a large group of people, …: 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.

Winslow2 historic placesA−Oakland4 historic placesB−

Questions about Waterville’s history

What year was Waterville founded?

The Waterville post office opened in 1803, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Waterville rank for history?

Waterville is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #38 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 Waterville?

16 listings: 11 buildings, 4 historic districts with 33 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 44 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Waterville?

31% of Waterville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.0 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1959.

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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (16), 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.