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Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Kittery Point is the seaside district of Kittery.
History
Settled about 1623, Kittery was incorporated in 1647, and today bills itself as "the oldest incorporated town in Maine." It was named after the birthplace of a founder, Alexander Shapleigh, from the manor of "Kittery Court" at Kingswear in Devon, England. Shapleigh arrived in 1635 aboard the ship "Benediction," which he co-owned with another prominent settler, Captain Francis Champernowne. Together with the Pepperrell family, they established fisheries offshore at the Isles of Shoals, where fish were caught, salted and exported back to Europe. Other pioneers were hunters, trappers and workers of the region's abundant timber. Kittery's original land area extended from the Atlantic Ocean inland up the Salmon Falls River, including the present-day towns of Eliot, Berwick, South Berwick and North Berwick.
Located at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, Kittery developed into a center for trade and shipbuilding. After the death of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Lord Proprietor of Maine, the province in 1652 became part of Massachusetts. In 1663, John Josselyn would write: "Towns there are, are not many in this province. Kittery, situated not far from Passacataway, is the most populous." During the Revolution, the first vessels of the U.S. Navy were constructed on Badger's Island, including the 1777 Ranger commanded by John Paul Jones. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the nation's first, was established on Seavey's Island in 1800 by President Thomas Jefferson. Still in operation, it is connected to the mainland by two bridges. The facility rebuilt the Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides," and built the noted Civil War sloop-of-war Kearsarge. The first nuclear submarine was built here, although after 1971 the yard would repair rather than construct submarines.
Kittery has some fine early architecture, including the Sir William Pepperrell House, built in 1733, and the Lady Pepperrell House, built in 1760. The community is home to Seapoint Beach and Fort Foster Park, which was originally a harbor defense. Along U.S. Route 1, the town has developed factory outlet shopping, very popular with tourists. In 1996, the movie Thinner, based on the 1984 Stephen King novel Thinner, was filmed in Kittery.
Notable Inhabitants:
- Samuel Badger, shipbuilder
- William Badger, shipbuilder
- John P. Benson, architect & artist
- William Dean Howells, writer & magazine editor
- Sir William Pepperrell, merchant & soldier
- William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence
Historic Sites & Museums:
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 54.4 km² (21.0 mi²). 46.2 km² (17.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.2 km² (3.2 mi²) of it (15.14%) is water. Kittery is drained by Spruce Creek and the Piscataqua River.
Demographics
This article describes the town of Kittery as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the densely-populated central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Kittery (CDP), Maine.
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 9,543 people, 4,078 households, and 2,528 families residing in the town. The population density was 206.8/km² (535.5/mi²). There were 4,375 housing units at an average density of 94.8/km² (245.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.98% White, 1.78% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population.
There were 4,078 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,822, and the median income for a family was $53,343. Males had a median income of $37,096 versus $29,850 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,153. About 5.7% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
External links
"Kittery, Maine"