National Register of Historic Places

Hodgdon Site

Embden, Somerset County, Maine
Listed
April 22, 1980
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80000253

About this property

The Hodgdon Site, designated the Maine Archeological Survey Site 69.4, is a prehistoric rock art site near Embden, Maine. The site is located on a ledge overlooking the Kennebec River, in territory that was under the control of the Norridgewock tribe around the time of European contact, and is several miles downriver from the historic Norridgewock village. The markings are estimated to date to the Late Ceramic Period (c. 900-1200 CE) and include anthropomorphic representations of human figures, as well as an unusual representation of a post-and-beam structure topped by parallel semicircular arcs. This latter figure is thought to represent the house of Father Sébastien Rale, a French Jesuit priest who built a house at Norridgewock in 1722. The site was first documented in 1775 by members of the military expedition to Quebec led by Benedict Arnold. In 1894 it was photographed by local resident E. W. Moore. The ledge on which the rock art is located was later partially destroyed when it was dynamited to facilitate logging drives on the river; this photographic evidence suggests that this act did not destroy any of the artwork. The site was again documented in the 1960s by a University of Maine archaeologist, who recognized the shamanistic significance of its figures, and their relationship to more distant rock art. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Location

Embden, Somerset County, Maine

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINALNATIVE AMERICANARTRELIGION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Hodgdon Site

This page lists Hodgdon Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Hodgdon Site report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Hodgdon Site listed on the National Register?

Hodgdon Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Hodgdon Site?

Hodgdon Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hodgdon Site?

The period of significance for Hodgdon Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Hodgdon Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Hodgdon Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Somerset County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Somerset County.

Explore SomersetCounty ›

More historic places in Maine

Browse all historic places in Maine.

View Mainehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maine history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Mainehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Hodgdon Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report