A beautifully colored historic print titled “Bird’s Eye View of Gardiner and Pittston, Kennebec Co., Maine, 1878” showing the Kennebec River with Pittston in the foreground and Gardiner across the river. Founded as Gardinerstown Plantation in 1754 by Dr. Silvester Gardiner, a physician from Boston, Gardiner is today considered a bedroom community to Augusta.
Dr. Gardiner recognized the potential for water powered mills and worked for twenty years developing the community. Dr. Gardiner left the town when the British evacuated in 1776, having been clear in his support for the British crown. His vast landholdings were confiscated by the Proscription and Banishment act of 1778 but the town kept the name of Gardiner, incorporating in 1803.
The town of Pittston was named for early settler John Pitt and was set off from the Gardiner Plantation in 1760. It is the site of the Major Reuben Colburn House State Historic Site, once home to shipbuilder and patriot Reuben Colburn. During the American Revolutionary War, Major Colburn provided his home and assistance to George Washington and Benedict Arnold as they planned Arnold’s expedition to invade Canada and seize it from the British.
Gardiner became an internationally known exporter of ice during the 1800’s. A glimpse into the flourishing ice trade that existed in 1878 is found in this brief article that appeared in the Daily Kennebec Journal (Augusta, ME), on February 1, 1878:
“Mr. J. C. Cochran, of the firm of Cochran & Co. of Baltimore, arrived in our city on Tuesday last, to look over the ice prospects in this section. He left for home again Thursday without making any contract or arrangement for supplies.
Mr. A. G. Babcock, an ice merchant in Richmond, Va., arrived in our city Tuesday, to take a look at the prospects in this section. He also started for home Thursday, without making any business arrangements.
C. A. Robbins & Sons are working night and day, making an ice chain for the Orient Ice Co. and a set of machinery for Norton’s ice houses at Richmond.
Tuesday, the thermometer was down to 2° above, and Rich and the Knickerbockers at Farmingdale, had a good run. They are all that have yet got a foot of ice. Haley had only nine inches Monday, but will commence running it in as soon as it reaches a foot.
We hear the $1.25 has been offered, and that contracts have been made at $1.50.
Haynes & DeWitt are shipping from Wiscasset as fast as they can find vessels. They find a market at their houses in Norfolk and Richmond.
Barker commenced running Tuesday and the Great Falls Co. on Wednesday morning.
Haley will put up a shed for ice, to fill the vacant space between his houses and the railroad.”
Features numbered & lettered references to the following locations:
• High School.
• Ward School.
• Armory Hall.
• Fire Engine House.
• R. R. Depot.
• Boston Steamboat Wharf.
• Oak Grove Cemetery.
• Soldiers Monument.
• High St. Burial Ground.
• Knickerbocker School.
• High St. Grammar School.
• Alms House.
CHURCHES
• Congregational.
• Baptist.
• Free Baptist.
• Free Will Baptist.
• Church of Christ.
• Episcopal.
• Methodist.
• Roman Catholic.
• Universalist.
• Methodist in Pittston.
• School House in Pittston.