Norridgewock was an important Abenaki village and wider community along Maine’s Kennebec River, centered on a fortified settlement near the Sandy River. Its people farmed nearby fields and maintained seasonal travel to the seashore. During the colonial period, the village became a focal point of rivalry between Britain and France, especially after Jesuit missionary Sébastien Rale established a mission there in 1694. Repeatedly caught up in warfare, Norridgewock was burned or raided several times before its final destruction in 1724, when Rale was killed and survivors scattered. Archaeological sites in the area preserve evidence of long Abenaki settlement, shifting village locations, and the community’s broader historical significance.