National Register of Historic Places

Searsport Historic District

Searsport, Waldo County, Maine
Listed
July 26, 1979
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79000168

About this property

The Searsport Historic District encompasses a collection of well-preserved mid-to-late 19th-century commercial buildings in the center of Searsport, Maine. They represent the community's peak period of prosperity, when it was a leading shipping and shipbuilding center. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The area that is now Searsport was settled in the 1750s, and was incorporated as a separate town out of adjacent towns in 1845. From the 1790s its main village was a regional shipping and shipbuilding center. At its peak in the mid-19th century it had six full-time shipyards and numerous seasonal ones, and had achieved a reputation for providing captains for many seafaring vessels. The success of these businesses and men led to the development of a significant portion of the town center's commercial buildings. The historic district extends along a short portion of Searsport's Main Street, designated United States Route 1. On the south side it extends from Mosman Street to Elm, and on the north from Mt. Ephraim Road to Knox Bros. Avenue. This area has thirteen historically significant buildings, most of them of brick construction, and built between 1840 and 1891. The only non-commercial building is the 1840 Greek Revival Methodist Church. The most common architectural styles are the Greek Revival and the Italianate style. Probably the most elaborate building is the 1891 Merrill Trust Company building, a mansard-roofed Italianate structure with a tower at the center of its front. National Register of Historic Places listings in Waldo County, Maine

Location

Searsport, Waldo County, Maine
44.45865, -68.92510

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
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 Searsport Historic District

This page lists Searsport Historic District. 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 Searsport Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Penobscot Marine Museum (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.1 mi
Union Hall
Civil War
0.1 mi
Penobscot Marine Museum
Listed
0.1 mi
Carver Memorial Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Union School
Civil War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Searsport Historic District listed on the National Register?

Searsport Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 26, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Searsport Historic District?

Searsport Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Searsport Historic District?

The period of significance for Searsport Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Searsport Historic District?

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 Searsport Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Waldo County

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

Explore WaldoCounty ›

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 Searsport Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report