Robert Reed House

West from Rt. 128 Toward Merrymeeting Bay

Nequasset Congregational Church

WOOLWICH

Settled in 1638, the area saw its share of tragedy and conflict with Indians.  In the 1650's a Mr. and Mrs. Preble and their small child were killed; two other children were taken captive in was became known as the "Preble Massacre."

In the early 1600's a dam was built in Nequasset, now a portion of Woolwich.  It was the early primary power source for the town, the site of grist, saw, and fulling mills.  The original wooden fishway provided a rich harvest of alewives, which was apportioned among the residents according to their needs, with widows and older people given preference.

Site of the Alewife Fishway in Nequasset, Woolwich at low and high tides

Sir William Phips, the first Royal Governor of Massachusetts, was born in 1651 in what is now Woolwich.

After their 1754 petition to separate from Georgetown was denied - "No house of Worship and no resident pastor" - the local  population incorporated the Nequasset Congregational Church  in 1759.  By 1761 town meetings were held in the church building. In 1773 the property was conveyed to the Town; then returned to the parishioners in 1877; and finally acquired by the Town again in 1987.

The Days Ferry area was the eastern terminal of the Hockamock, which ferried passengers across the Kennebec River to Bath until the construction of the Carleton Bridge.  That bridge, bringing U.S. Route 1 to points "Downeast,"  was superceded by a wider higher structure in 2000.

Woolwich is home to two nature preserves. The Montsweag Preserve is 45 acres of woods and ledge shoreline bordering tidal creek that empties into Montsweag Bay and is frequented by migrating waterfowl.  A loop trail passes through woods, past tidal marsh and overlooking high shore. Approachable by land or by canoe along the estuary, it is managed by the Nature Conservancy. 

The Robert P. Tristram Coffin Wildflower Sanctuary is a 180-acre preserve owned by the New England Wildflower Society, containing more than 200 species of flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs. The sanctuary, located on Route 128, just north of Chop Point Road, includes trails along Merrymeeting Bay.

National Register of Historic Places - Listings

Reed, Robert, House 2/11/82, Maine Route 128 and Chop Point Road  Woolwich
Hathorn, Lt. Richard, House 2/26/80, Maine Route 127