Bristol, known from 1632 to 1765 as Pemaquid (; today a village within the town), is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,834 at the 2020 census. A fishing and resort area, Bristol includes the villages of New Harbor, Pemaquid, Round Pond, Bristol Mills and Chamberlain. It includes the Pemaquid Archeological Site, a U.S. National Historic Landmark. During the 17th and early 18th century, New France defined the Kennebec River as the southern boundary of Acadia, which put Bristol within Acadia. The village was called Pemquit by the French.

History

Once territory of the Wawenock (or Walinakiak, meaning "People of the Bay") Abenaki Indians, early Bristol was one of the most important and embattled frontier settlements in the province. Beginning with seasonal fishing, as early as 1625 the English established at Pemaquid Point a year-round trading post for fur trading. In 1631, the area was granted as the Pemaquid Patent by the Plymouth Council to Robert Aldsworth and Gyles Elbridge, merchants from Bristol, England.

Raid on Pemaquid (1632)

A village and palisade fort were constructed.

In 1632, Pemaquid was raided and plundered by the pirate Dixie Bull.

The Great Colonial Hurricane on August 15, 1635 sank the galleon Angel Gabriel while it was anchored off the settlement, drowning some crew and passengers.

In 1664, the Duke of York (the future King James II) claimed Pemaquid was within his patent, which also included Sagadahoc and recently acquired New Amsterdam. To help anglicize the latter into New York City, Governor Sir Edmund Andros had some of its Dutch inhabitants transported to Pemaquid, now called Jamestown for its royal owner. By 1665, the village had approximately 30 houses.

Siege of Pemaquid (1696)

thumb|right|Replica of [[Fort William Henry (Pemaquid Beach, Maine)|Fort William Henry in 1909]]

By 1692, the English regained control of the region, and Sir William Phipps ordered construction of Fort William Henry, named after King William III of England. This time built of stone.

On August 14–15, 1696, the famous Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville captured and destroyed the fort along with a combined force of French and Indians from present-day Castine. Commander of the fort, Captain Pascoe Chubb surrendered the fort. Iberville killed three of the soldiers and sent the other ninety-two back to Boston. In response to this raid Benjamin Church was sent from Boston to attack Acadia.

Father Rale's War

During Father Rale's War, the location was a rendezvous for Natives and French to return inhabitants of Pemaquid and vicinity that they had taken prisoner during the war.

Colonel David Dunbar, Surveyor-General of the King's Woods, rebuilt the fort in 1729–1730, renaming it Fort Frederick. He renamed the town Harrington after the Earl of Harrington, who had helped arrange the 1729 Treaty of Seville. Bristol is situated on the Pemaquid Peninsula, which extends into the Gulf of Maine and the Atlantic Ocean.

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the town was $38,400, and the median income for a family was $45,184. Males had a median income of $31,627 versus $19,800 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,821. About 3.3% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,755 people, 1,309 households, and 828 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,585 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.4% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 1,309 households, of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.55.

The median age in the town was 54.1 years. 15.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.3% were from 25 to 44; 34.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Education

The school district is the Bristol School District. Bristol Consolidated School is a part of the Central Lincoln County School System (Alternative Organizational Structure 93).

For high school, AOS 93 does not have a public high school. It sends high school students to Lincoln Academy, a private school, and pays tuition. Students in the AOS 93 area are free to select other high schools instead, with tuition paid there.

Sites of interest

  • Fishermen's Museum
  • Fort William Henry
  • Granite Hall Store
  • Harrington Meeting House
  • Loudville Church on Louds Island
  • Pemaquid Archeological Site
  • Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Notable people

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  • Thomas Drummond, judge
  • David Hanna, artist
  • Marcus Hanna, lighthouse keeper
  • Robert Livingston Ireland, Jr., businessman (summer resident)
  • William North, U.S. Senator from New York
  • Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author
  • Samoset, Abenaki sagamore
  • Joshua Soule, Methodist bishop
  • Elizabeth Upham Yates, suffragist and missionary

References

Further reading

  • Town of Bristol, Maine
  • Bristol Area Library