Lewiston, Maine | |
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 Top: Civil War Memorial Statue, Bates College's Hathorn Hall; Bottom: the Wallace School, Kennedy Park and Lewiston City Hall | |
 Seal | |
Nicknames:
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| Motto(s): | |
 Interactive map of Lewiston | |
  Lewiston Location in Maine  Lewiston Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 44°06′02″N 70°12′55″W / 44.10056°N 70.21528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Androscoggin |
| Incorporated | 1795 (as Lewistown) 1863 (as Lewiston) |
| Village | South Lewiston |
| Government | |
| • Type | City council |
| • Mayor | Carl Sheline |
| Area | |
• Total | 35.54 sq mi (92.03 km2) |
| • Land | 34.15 sq mi (88.44 km2) |
| • Water | 1.39 sq mi (3.60 km2) 4% |
| Elevation | 217 ft (66 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 37,121 |
| • Density | 1,087.13/sq mi (419.74/km2) |
| • Demonym | Lewistonion |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 04240, 04241, 04243 |
| Area code | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-38740 |
| Website | www |
Lewiston (/ˈluːɪstən/;[5] French: [luistɔ̃]) is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States Census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's capital, and Portland, the state's most populous city. A part of Androscoggin County, it is one-half of the Lewiston–Auburn metropolitan statistical area, commonly referred to as "L/A." or "L-A."[6] Lewiston exerts a significant impact upon the diversity, religious variety, commerce, education, and economic power of Maine. It is known for having an overall low cost of living, substantial access to medical care, and a low violent-crime rate.[7][8] In recent years, the city of Lewiston has also seen a spike in economic and social growth. While the dominant language spoken in the city is English, it is home to a significant Somali population as well as the largest French-speaking population in the United States (by population) while it is second to St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, in percentage of speakers.[9][10][11]
The Lewiston area traces its roots to 1669 with the early presence of the Androscoggin tribe (the namesake of the county in which the city resides). In the late 18th century, in 1795, Lewiston was incorporated as Lewistown.[12] The presence of the Androscoggin River and Lewistown Falls made the town an attractive area for manufacturing and hydro-power businesses. The rise of Boston rail and textile tycoon Benjamin Bates saw rapid economic growth rivaling that of Cambridge, Worcester, and Concord. Irish immigrants were recruited to build the railroad links and dig the canals for the textile mills.[13] The Irish stayed, and worked the mills and established flourishing businesses, as evidenced by the McGillicuddy, Callahan, and other Blocks and the St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's churches. In the 1850 U.S. Census, Lewiston was 23% Irish born.[14] The increase in economic stimulus prompted thousands of Quebecers to migrate, causing a population boom; the populace rose from 1,801 in 1840 to 21,701 in 1890. In 1855, local preacher Oren Burbank Cheney founded the Maine State Seminary, the first coeducational university in New England and one of the first universities to admit black students before the Emancipation Proclamation. Lewistown quickly became associated with the liberal arts and was incorporated as "Lewiston" in 1864, a year before the college was chartered as Bates College.
The city is home to the only basilica in Maine, Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul; 5 colleges and universities; 44 listings on the National Register of Historic Places; the Androscoggin Bank Colisée; the Stephens Observatory; the Olin Arts Center; the Bates College Museum of Art (BCMoA); and two significant general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.
- ^ Larson, Wayde. Faith By Their Works: The Progressive Tradition at Bates, 1855–1877. Lewiston, ME: Bates College.
- ^ a b Barrows, Gridley (July 1, 1974). "Historic Lewiston". The Lewiston Historical Commission. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
- ^ Skinner, Ralph (December 22, 1963). "History of the City Seal". WLAM. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020 – via City of Lewiston, Maine.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
- ^ Brault, Gerard J. (1986). The French-Canadian Heritage in New England. UPNE. ISBN 9780874513592. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
- ^ "Lewiston and Auburn, Maine | About Bates | Bates College". www.bates.edu. June 30, 2009. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "Lewiston is one of the best places to retire in the US, according to Forbes". April 24, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "25 Best Places to Retire in 2017". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "In Maine, a little French goes a long way". Public Radio International. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "In Maine, A Common Language Connects French Canadians, African Immigrants". NPR.org. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ "Little Lewiston, ME has 34 languages in the school system!". Refugee Resettlement Watch. May 8, 2016. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Coolidgewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mundy, James H. (1990). Hard Times, Hard Men: Maine and the Irish 1830-1860. Auburn Public Library: Harp Publications. p. 59. ISBN 0-9626389-0-0.
- ^ Mundy, James H. (1990). Hard Times, Hard Men: Maine and the Irish 1830-1860. Auburn Public Library: Harp Publications. p. 21. ISBN 0-9626389-0-0.