Old York, Maine

There are lots of small towns that I have come across in Maine.  This one was Old York.  It was an area of York, Maine, that has been preserved by the Historical Society.  I really enjoyed reading about the historical significance, and looking at all the old buildings, especially the jail and the schoolhouse.  The Historical Society is very helpful and can give you all kinds of information and pamphlets.

Jefferds Tavern (1754)

 

Having served as a prison from 1719 ~ 1860, the Old Gaol is one of the oldest British public buildings in the United States and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

 

 

 

The Old Schoolhouse (1745). 

 

 

The inside of the schoolhouse.

 

The museum also maintains Snowshoe Rock on Chase's Pond Road, a site associated with the 1692 Candlemas Raid.  The Raid on York (also known as the Candlemas Massacre) took place on January 24, 1692.  This plaque is on a large stone where, according to the plaque, Abenaki Indians left their snowshoes before creeping into York and attacking the settlers.

 

 

My favorite part of Old York was the cemetery.  Many of the graves, even though dating back to the 1800's, were in such great condition. 

 

This marker is in the cemetery is the explanation of the photo above about the Indians taking off their snowshoes and killing the townspeople.

 

 

This was a really cool grave.  It had a portrait of the woman on the marker.

 

Pretty color.

 

After the cemetery was full, they created another cemetery across the street (photo below).

 

 

The Old York Historical Society was founded more than one hundred years ago to preserve the history and artifacts of York, Maine. York is one of New England's earliest colonial settlements. It also has the distinction of being the nation's first chartered city (1641) and first incorporated city (1642). Offering thirty-seven period room settings and several galleries housed throughout nine historic museum buildings, the Museums of Old York showcases a wealth of early New England art, architecture, and decorative arts. The exhibits focus on the stories of southern Maine's men, women, and children and the world they created and lived in from the earliest settlement in the 1600s to the present day.

http://www.oldyork.org/index.html