61-525: The Noble Block is a historic commercial building at 186 Water Street in downtown Augusta, Maine . Built in 1867, it is one of a series of four Italianate commercial buildings built in the wake of a devastating 1865 fire. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Noble Block stands on the west side of Water Street, Augusta's principal commercial downtown thoroughfare, just south of its junction with Bridge Street. It
122-486: A household in the city was $ 29,921, and the median income for a family was $ 42,230. Males had a median income of $ 31,209 versus $ 22,548 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,145. About 11.4% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over. Augusta is governed by a mayor and council-manager system. The City Council oversees all City government activities and establishes
183-506: A male householder with no wife present, and 49.0% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the city was 43.2 years. 18.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
244-516: A military presence in Augusta. Fort Western has not had troops garrisoned there since the 1790s, but in 1828, the U.S. Government built an arsenal to protect their interests from Britain. During the Civil War , Augusta was a rendezvous point for Union soldiers traveling to the front. Many of the soldiers camped on the green in front of the capitol building. In 1862, Camp E.D. Keyes was established in
305-502: A posted speed limit of 70 mph (110 km/h) in the early 1970s, but, as Maine then had no law against traveling less than 10 mph (16 km/h) over the posted limit, the de facto speed limit was 79 mph (127 km/h). In 1974, as part of a federal mandate, the speed limit was reduced to 55 mph (89 km/h), with a new law including a "less than 10 over" violation. In 1987, Congress allowed states to post 65 mph (105 km/h) on rural Interstate Highways. Following
366-653: A quasigovernmental agency and to continue to collect tolls in order to fund the maintenance of the section of highway controlled by the MTA. There are eleven total rest areas on I-95 in Maine, five of which are full service plazas operated by the MTA. Five of the rest areas are accessible from northbound only, four are accessible from southbound only, and two are accessible from both directions. The rest stops are open 24 hours and all provide restrooms and visitor information. Food and fuel services as well as ATMs are available only at
427-654: A retail center and neighborhoods. Augusta State Airport serves the city, offering both commercial service and general aviation. Although the airport is owned by the State of Maine, it is managed and operated by the city. Interstate 95 passes by the western outskirts of Augusta, and both U.S. 202 and U.S. 201 run through the city. The area was first explored by the English of the short-lived Popham Colony in September 1607. Twenty-one years later, English settlers from
488-459: A series of small Aroostook County farming towns before reaching Houlton , where it connects to US 2 and New Brunswick Route 95 at the international border. North of Bangor, traffic levels drop noticeably, with an annual average daily traffic of only about 5,000 in northern Penobscot County and going down to as low as 2,000 to 4,000 in Houlton. The Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA)
549-609: A spur route, I-195 , connecting to Old Orchard Beach . I-295 splits eastward from I-95 at mile 44 in Scarborough toward Portland Downtown, and Maine's Midcoast region. At this point, I-95 turns inland to the north, bypassing Portland Downtown while providing access to Portland International Jetport . I-95 narrows from six lanes to four lanes at mile 49 near the Portland- Falmouth border. At mile 53 in Falmouth,
610-710: A staging area before continuing their journey up the Kennebec to the Battle of Quebec . Cushnoc was incorporated as part of Hallowell in 1771. Known as "the Fort", it was set off and incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court in February 1797 as Harrington. In August, however, the name was changed to Augusta after Pamela Augusta Dearborn, daughter of Henry Dearborn . In 1799, it was designated as
671-626: Is January, with an average low of 10 °F (−12.2 °C). Most snowfall occurs from December through March. There is usually little or no snow in April and November, and snow is rare in May and October. See or edit raw graph data . As of the census of 2010, there were 19,136 people, 8,802 households, and 4,490 families residing in the city. The population density was 347.1/sq mi (134.0/km ). There were 9,756 housing units at an average density of 177.0/sq mi (68.3/km ). The racial makeup of
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#1732800737696732-478: Is a toll road for all of its length except south of York and between Auburn and Sabattus . Flat-fee tolls are paid upon entering the turnpike and at toll barriers in York, New Gloucester , and West Gardiner . As of November 1, 2021 , it costs passenger vehicles $ 8.00 with cash and out-of-state E-ZPasses and $ 6.70 with a Maine issued E-ZPass to travel the entire length of the turnpike. The turnpike joined
793-542: Is part of the Portland, Maine television market , and receives most of that market's channels. WCBB channel 10, licensed to Augusta, is the local television outlet for the Maine Public Broadcasting Network . Interstate 95 passes by the western outskirts of Augusta. U.S. 202 runs east–west through the city. U.S. 201 runs north–south through the city. Augusta State Airport (AUG), in
854-611: Is planning to reestablish the exit at this location by 2022 in order to relieve traffic congestion at the intersection of I-195 and Industrial Park Road, which can often back up to I-95. North of Augusta, there are two additional pairs of rest areas before I-95's northern terminus in Houlton. Separate facilities are located on each direction of I-95 in Hampden, just south of Bangor; and in Medway, about halfway between Bangor and Houlton. There are 24-hour restrooms at all four locations, while
915-488: Is still used for administrative and logistical purposes by the National Guard. In the 19th century, Augusta got a regular steamboat service and the railroad. The city installed gas lights in 1859. A telephone service was available in 1880 and a local hospital in 1898. In the early 20th century, Augusta built two movie houses and a film production studio. For much of Augusta's history, the central business district
976-483: Is the only primary Interstate Highway in Maine. In 2004, the highway's route between Portland and Gardiner was changed so that it encompasses the entire Maine Turnpike (including the former I-495 between Falmouth and Gardiner), a toll road running from Kittery to Augusta . As an Interstate Highway, all of I-95 in Maine is included in the National Highway System , a network of roads important to
1037-443: Is the third of a series of four three-story brick Italianate commercial buildings, running south from that corner, which share a common roof line. Its ground floor has a single storefront, with multipane windows flanking a recessed entrance. At the outer ends are iron columns, rising to a modern awning that spans the adjacent building to the south. The upper floors are three bays wide, with rounded-arch openings housing sash windows on
1098-529: Is water. Augusta is drained by Bond's Brook, Woromontogus Stream and the Kennebec River . The city is crossed by Interstate 95 , U.S. Route 201 , State Route 11 , U.S. Route 202 , State Route 9 , State Route 3 , State Route 100 , State Route 27 , State Route 8 , State Route 104 , and State Route 105 . Augusta borders the towns of Manchester to its west, Sidney and Vassalboro to its north, Windsor to its east, Chelsea to its south, and
1159-537: The Plymouth Colony settled in the area in 1628 as part of a trading post on the Kennebec River . The settlement was known by its Native American name Cushnoc (or Coussinoc or Koussinoc), meaning "head of the tide". Fur trading was at first profitable, but because of Native uprisings and declining revenues, Plymouth Colony sold the Kennebec Patent in 1661. Cushnoc would remain unoccupied for
1220-422: The "Great Flood", affected the city. Bond Brook runs from northwest to southeast through the city center, and has been called the "Home of wild Atlantic Salmon". The city has five different residential areas, including the "west side", a historic neighborhood north of the state capitol complex, and the "east side", which is situated on the opposite side of the Kennebec. The city's northwest quadrant includes both
1281-614: The E-ZPass electronic toll collection network in 2005, replacing the former Maine-only system designated Transpass that was implemented in 1997. The tolls on the Maine Turnpike were not supposed to be permanent. Toll collections were to stop once the MTA paid off the debt from the road's construction. In the 1980s, the bonds were going to be paid off, but the Maine Legislature authorized the MTA in 1982 to continue as
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#17328007376961342-653: The English gained tentative control of the Kennebec. During the height of the French and Indian War , in 1754, the English colonists built a blockhouse named Fort Western at Cushnoc on the eastern bank of the Kennebec River. It was intended as a supply depot for Fort Halifax upriver, as well as a regional defense from French attack. Later, during the American Revolutionary War , Benedict Arnold and his 1,100 troops would use Fort Western as
1403-482: The Hampden facilities each feature a state-operated Maine information center available during daytime hours. A final rest area, which also contained a state-operated Maine information center, was located in Houlton, and was accessible from both directions of I-95 by taking exit 302. The rest area has since been decommissioned and demolished as of mid-2022. In 2019, MaineDOT began signing emergency routes along roads near I-95. The routes generally lead from one exit to
1464-551: The MTA increased on August 11, 2014. The sections from milemarker 2.1 in Kittery to milemarker 44.1 in Scarborough and the section from milemarker 52.3 in Falmouth to milemarker 109 in Augusta increased from 65 to 70 mph (105 to 113 km/h). The section from milemarker 44.1 in Scarborough to milemarker 52.3 in Falmouth increased from 55 to 60 mph (89 to 97 km/h). The Maine Turnpike
1525-593: The MTA to change speed limits with the approval of the Maine State Police . Per that law, MaineDOT increased the 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) limit to 70 mph (110 km/h) on several sections of I-95 on May 27, 2014. These areas included the section from milemarker 114 just outside Augusta to mile 126 just before Waterville . In addition, the section from Fairfield (just north of Waterville) to Bangor also saw an increase to 70 mph (110 km/h). Speed limits on sections controlled by
1586-613: The MTA. Today, this highway, which ends at Houlton instead of Fort Kent, is signed as I-95 throughout and the Maine Turnpike between the New Hampshire line at Kittery and the junction with US 202 near Augusta. In 2015, the MTA purchased the segment from the Piscataqua River Bridge to milemarker 2.2 of I-95 from the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). The Maine Turnpike had
1647-492: The South for processing and export to Europe. In the late 19th century, a paper and pulp plant was constructed. Other Augusta firms produced lumber, sash , doors, window shutters, broom handles, stone cutters' tools, shoes, headstones, ice and furniture. The city developed as a publishing and shipping center. Today, government and post-secondary education are important businesses. Since the mid-eighteenth century, there has been
1708-843: The US following the October 1940 opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike . For these reasons, the Maine Turnpike was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1999. In 1956, one year after the Portland–Augusta extension opened, Congress created the Interstate Highway System . The remaining sections to be built—from Augusta to Fort Kent—would be publicly funded freeways instead of toll roads under
1769-449: The city of Hallowell to its southwest. Augusta's climate is classified as a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb ). Summers are typically warm, rainy, and humid, while winters are cold, windy, and snowy. Spring and fall are usually mild, but conditions are widely varied, depending on wind direction and jet stream positioning. The hottest month is July, with an average high temperature of 80 °F (26.7 °C). The coldest month
1830-540: The city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 18,560 people, 8,565 households, and 4,607 families residing in the city. The population density was 335.1 inhabitants per square mile (129.4/km ). There were 9,480 housing units at an average density of 171.2 per square mile (66.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White , 0.50% Black or African American , 0.48% Native American , 1.35% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.16% from other races , and 1.3% from two or more races. 0.86% of
1891-445: The city was 94.1% White , 1.1% African American , 0.7% Native American , 1.5% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.4% from other races , and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 8,802 households, of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had
Noble Block - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-554: The country's economy, defense, and mobility. I-95 enters Maine as a six-lane highway from New Hampshire on the Piscataqua River Bridge , which connects Portsmouth, New Hampshire , with Kittery. At mile 0.38, the highway becomes the Maine Turnpike. The highway runs in a general northeasterly direction, parallel with US Route 1 (US 1), at this point. I-95 bypasses the Biddeford / Saco area, with
2013-545: The county seat for the newly created Kennebec County. Maine became a state in 1820 as a result of the Missouri Compromise . Augusta was designated as its capital in 1827, over Portland , and rival communities Brunswick and Hallowell. The Maine State Legislature continued meeting in Portland , however, until the completion of the Maine State House in 1832, designed by Charles Bulfinch . Augusta
2074-579: The downtown area. Augusta is located at 44°18′38″N 69°46′46″W / 44.31056°N 69.77944°W / 44.31056; -69.77944 , making it the easternmost state capital in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 58.03 sq mi (150.30 km ), of which 55.13 sq mi (142.79 km ) is land and 2.90 sq mi (7.51 km )
2135-563: The east shore of the Kennebec for a trading post, which was likely built in 1628 and became known as " Cushnoc ". The Kennebec Proprietors, successors to the Plymouth Company , built Fort Western near the site of the abandoned trading post in 1754 and began settlement efforts. The new village was incorporated as Hallowell in 1771, and the upriver part of town separated in 1797 to form the town of Harrington. On June 9, 1797, Harrington changed its name to Augusta and, in 1827, it
2196-599: The five major plazas. The plazas are at the following locations: There is a rest area and tourist welcome center located on the turnpike northbound at milepost 3 in Kittery. There are weigh stations located on the turnpike northbound and southbound in York at milepost 4 (southbound) and milepost 6 (northbound). There are ramps to and from the northbound turnpike to the Saco Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in Saco at milepost 35. The ramps are from
2257-457: The four public elementary schools that are located in the city. Cony serves students in grades 7–12 from Augusta and the surrounding towns; Cony comprises Cony Middle School and Cony High School . St. Michaels is a private Catholic school ; it charges tuition to its students. The University of Maine at Augusta is third-largest university in the University of Maine System . Augusta
2318-467: The highway meets unsigned I-495 , also called the Falmouth Spur. Until January 2004, I-95 followed the Falmouth Spur and I-295 between Falmouth and Gardiner. I-95 continues north along its concurrency with the Maine Turnpike (which was I-495 prior to 2004) through Gray to Auburn and Lewiston , bypassing the latter two cities to the south. The highway then runs in an easterly direction to meet
2379-619: The industry. In 1837, a dam was built across the Kennebec where the falls drop 15 feet at the head of a tide. By 1838, 10 sawmills were contracted. With the arrival of the Kennebec & Portland Railroad in 1851, Augusta became an even more productive mill town . In 1883, the property of A. & W. Sprague Company was purchased by the Edwards Manufacturing Company, which erected extensive brick mills for manufacturing cotton textiles. They imported cotton from
2440-449: The legislative policies of the city, adopts and amends ordinances and local laws, appropriates municipal resources, and sets the tax rate. The City Manager serves as the chief executive officer and purchasing agent of the city. The mayor presides at all meetings of the council, and is recognized ceremonially as the official head of the city. The city maintains a police department ; it is remarkable for not having had an officer killed in
2501-489: The line of duty for over a century. Augusta has historically been Democratic . In the 2012 presidential election , Barack Obama received 5,192 of the votes to Mitt Romney 's 3,339. In the 2020 presidential election , Joe Biden won 5,248 votes to Donald Trump 's 4,155. The city has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H. W. Bush in the Republican landslide of 1988 . Democrats are
Noble Block - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-498: The majority political affiliation in all four voting wards. There are more voters who are not enrolled than there are registered Republicans in the city. There are five public schools, one private school, and one college (the University of Maine at Augusta ). There are two public libraries in Augusta, the city-operated Lithgow Public Library and the Maine State Library . Farrington, Gilbert, Hussey, and Lincoln are
2623-513: The next 75 years. The area around Cushnoc was inhabited by the Kennebec , a band of the larger Abenaki nation. During the 17th century, they were on friendly terms with the English settlers in the region. A hotbed of Abenaki hostility toward British settlements was located further up the Kennebec at Norridgewock . In 1722, the tribe and its allies attacked Fort Richmond (now Richmond ) and destroyed Brunswick . In response, English forces sacked Norridgewock in 1724 during Dummer's War , when
2684-440: The next exit and are meant to be used when sections of the highway must be closed due to an accident or other disruption. In such an event, electronic signs will be activated and flaggers deployed to direct drivers to use the appropriate emergency route to lead them around the closure and maintain traffic flow. Northbound routes are designated with a single letter, while southbound routes are designated with double letters. This system
2745-558: The northern edge of Bangor's center, then turns northeast, following the Penobscot River past Orono and Old Town . (Prior to the early 1980s, I-95 was a super two highway north of Old Town). The highway continues north, still running near the river, toward Howland . Near Lincoln , I-95 runs north through uninhabited forest land, crossing the Penobscot River at Medway . The highway goes northeast and east, passing
2806-476: The northern terminus of I-295 at Gardiner . From there, I-95 parallels the Kennebec River past Augusta and Waterville . The highway then crosses the river at Fairfield and then turns northeast along the Sebasticook River past Pittsfield to Newport . I-95 then continues east alongside US 2 from Newport to Bangor , where I-395 connects to the city of Brewer . The highway runs along
2867-549: The northwestern portion of the city. During World War I , Camp Keyes was used as a mobilization and training camp for soldiers. The camp eventually became a headquarters for the Maine National Guard . In 1929, the state legislature approved the placement of the Augusta State Airport next to the camp. As the airport grew, the use of the camp as a training facility was no longer possible. Today, it
2928-402: The original exit 5 which was replaced when I-195 was opened just to the north. The hotel was built on the site of the old toll plaza. Ramps connecting the hotel to and from the southbound turnpike were removed as part of the widening project in the early 2000s when hotel ownership opted not to pay nearly $ 1 million (equivalent to $ 1.55 million in 2023 ) to build a new bridge. The MTA
2989-439: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,565 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
3050-481: The relaxation, Maine increased its speed limit. In May 2011, a bill was introduced to raise the speed limit on I-95 from Old Town to Houlton from 65 to 75 mph (105 to 121 km/h). It passed, with Maine the first state east of the Mississippi River since the 1970s to establish a 75-mile-per-hour (121 km/h) speed limit. A further law passed in 2013 by the Maine Legislature allowed MaineDOT and
3111-436: The second floor, and rectangular openings on the third. The third-floor windows have bracketed sills joined by brickwork, and also have joined decorative lintels. It shares a simple modillioned projecting cornice with the building to the south. All four of these buildings were built beginning in 1865, after a fire devastated Augusta's downtown. This building was designed by John C. Tibbetts , Augusta's preeminent architect of
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#17328007376963172-478: The time, and was built for Thomas C. Noble. Its first floor was built in 1865, soon after the fire, and the upper floors were added in 1867. The building continues to see commercial use. Augusta, Maine Augusta ( / ə ˈ ɡ ʌ s t ə / ə- GUSS -tə ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of and most populous city in Kennebec County . The city's population
3233-559: The trolley line. With the completion of the Maine Turnpike and Interstate 95 in 1955, local commercial developments began to move away from Water Street and closer to the highway. Among the results was a storefront vacancy rate downtown of about 60 percent. Since the late 2000s, there has been a renewed and ongoing focus by city officials, the Augusta Downtown Alliance, and private developers to revitalize
3294-684: The western part of the city, has commercial flights. Nation: States: Territories: Interstate 95 in Maine Interstate ;95 ( I-95 ) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs north–south from Miami, Florida to Houlton, Maine . The highway enters Maine from the New Hampshire state line in Kittery and runs for 303 miles (488 km) to the Canada–United States border at Houlton. It
3355-572: Was 18,899 at the 2020 census , making it the 12th most populous city in Maine , and 3rd least populous state capital in the United States after Montpelier, Vermont , and Pierre, South Dakota . The area was explored in 1607 by English settlers from the Popham Colony at the mouth of the Kennebec River . Before European settlement, Algonquian-speaking Indians lived in the area. In 1625, representatives of Plymouth Colony chose
3416-402: Was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for
3477-592: Was created by the Maine Legislature in 1941 to build and operate a toll highway connecting Kittery and Fort Kent . In 1947, the first section of highway, designated the Maine Turnpike, opened between Kittery and Portland . In 1953, the MTA began construction on an extension to the state capital at Augusta using the former right-of-way of the Portland–Lewiston Interurban railway from Portland through West Falmouth. The original turnpike
3538-493: Was designated capital of Maine. Augusta is the easternmost state capital in the United States. Located on the Kennebec River at the head of tide , it is the principal city in the Augusta-Waterville micropolitan statistical area and home to the University of Maine at Augusta . Because of the city's position on the Kennebec, downtown Augusta is vulnerable to floods in spring. The Maine flood of 1987 , known as
3599-475: Was incorporated as a city in 1849. After being named the state capital and the introduction of new industry, the city flourished. In 1840 and 1850, the city ranked among the 100 largest urban populations in the country. During the next decade, however, the city was quickly bypassed by rapidly growing metropolises in the Midwest. Excellent soil provided for agriculture, and water power from streams provided for
3660-427: Was on and near Water Street on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The street, laid out in the late 1700s, was the location of the area's commercial and industrial life. Many fires damaged this concentrated area, including one in 1865 that destroyed nearly 100 buildings. In 1890, the first trolley line began operation down Water Street, connecting Augusta with Gardiner and Hallowell to the south. In 1932, buses replaced
3721-430: Was the largest construction project in the state's history until the construction of the extension, which opened to the public on December 13, 1955. The Maine Turnpike was the first highway in the nation that was funded using revenue bonds . It remains self-financed and does not receive funding from the state or federal government. When the first section opened in 1947, it was only the second long-distance superhighway in
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