West Paris, Maine

This article is about the Maine town West Paris. For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation).

West Paris, Maine
Town
Snow Falls on the Little Androscoggin River
Snow Falls on the Little Androscoggin River
Etymology: Prefixed with a cardinal direction derived from the neighboring Paris, Maine, a name of which is believed to be borrowed from Paris, France[1]
Map
West Paris, Maine is located in Maine
West Paris, Maine
West Paris, Maine
Location within the State of Maine
Coordinates: 44°19′58″N 70°32′40″W / 44.33278°N 70.54444°W / 44.33278; -70.54444
CountryUnited States
StateMaine
CountyOxford
Incorporated1957
Founded byN/A (Seceded from town of Paris, Maine)
Government
 • TypeBoard of selectmen
 • ChairmanDale Piirainen[2]
Area
 • Total24.40 sq mi (63.2 km2)
 • Land24.24 sq mi (62.8 km2)
 • Water0.16 sq mi (0.4 km2)  0.66%
Elevation
571 ft (174 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,766
 • Density72/sq mi (28/km2)
DemonymWest Parisian
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern Standard Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight Time)
ZIP code
04289
Area code207
ISO 3166 code3166-2:US
FIPS code23-83890
GNIS feature ID0582809
School districtMaine School Administrative District 17
School(s)Agnes Gray Elementary School[3]
Websitewww.westparisme.com
Last Updated on December 31, 2022

West Paris is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Originally settled in 1771 for land that what was deemed "superior for pasturage, hay crops, and orchards", West Paris became a center of Finnish (Finnish: suomalaiset, IPA: [ˈsuo̯mɑlɑi̯set]) immigrant settlement in the 19th century, with many if the town's current residents being descendants of the original Finnish settlers.[1][4][5] Once part of the neighboring town of Paris, Maine, West Paris seceded from Paris and was incorporated in September 1957.[1][6] The population was 1,766 at the 2020 census.[5][7]

  1. ^ a b c Lapham, William Berry; Maxim, Silas Packard (1884). History of Paris, Maine from its Settlement to 1880 with a History of the Grants of 1736 & 1771, Together with Personal Sketches, a Copious Genealogical Register and an Appendix. pp. 246–247. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via Archive.org.
  2. ^ "Board of Selectmen - Town of West Paris". WestParisME.com. West Paris, Maine. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  3. ^ "Agnes Gray Elementary School | Home". MSAD17.org. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  4. ^ "Finish American Heritage Society of Maine - Dedicated to Preserving Finnish Heritage". MaineFinns.org. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Coolidge, Austin Jacobs; Mansfield, John Brainard (1859). A History and Description of New England, General and Local. Boston, A. J. Coolidge. 1859. Retrieved December 31, 2022 – via Archive.org.
  6. ^ "Local: Maine.gov | West Paris". Maine.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  7. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: West Paris town, Oxford County, Maine". Data.Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2022.