The Common

Most early New England towns had a common, an area in the center of town used by residents to graze animals or gather for community activities. In the 18th century, a town's most prominent homes and meeting house were usually built around the common. Wiscasset's common remains a triangle of land at the top of the hill facing the river, ending in a point near Summer Street. By the early 19th century, footpaths crossed the common where couples strolled, children played, brass bands entertained, and militia mustered. Over time, the northern path became a road used by horses and wagons. In the early 20th century, it became a state road as part of the Atlantic Highway. In 1949, U.S. Route 1 permanently cut the common in two. Though noisier and harder to see than it once was, the common still serves as the site of church fairs, commemorations of fallen heroes, Halloween scarecrows, and a lighted holiday tree each December.

Wiscasset, Maine · United States