Wiscasset in Lincoln County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
Lincoln and Kennebec Bank, 1805
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Wiscasset Public Library, 1929
Wiscasset, Maine
| | The Museum in the Streets | |
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 14, 2024
1. Lincoln and Kennebec Bank / Wiscasset Public Library Marker
The first bank in Wiscasset was chartered in June 1802, the Lincoln and Kennebec Bank. This brick two-story building was completed in 1806 to house the new venture. Inside, money was stored in a jug vault (so-called because of its shape) in the basement. The vault was built on a granite ledge with its top at floor level of the banking room above.
Competition from other banks in town soon followed, and in 1852, the building became a residence. The jug vault was removed and the vault became a coal bin. New owners added a stylish mansard roof and painted the house Victorian colors.
Wiscasset's first lending library was organized in 1799. Its collection was housed at various locations over the years before a committee of generous donors, led by Gertrude and Frances Sortwell, purchased this building as its permanent home in 1929. The roof and other Victorian alterations were removed, and the building was restored to its original white. Today, the Wiscasset Public Library has a circulation of over 30,000 and is considered to be one of the best small libraries in the state.
Erected by The Museum in the Streets. (Marker
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 44° 0.2′ N, 69° 40.086′ W. Marker is in Wiscasset, Maine, in Lincoln County. It is at the intersection of High Street and Main Street, on the right when traveling north on High Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21 High St, Wiscasset ME 04578, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Midcoast Maine. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lee-Payson-Smith House - 1792 (within shouting distance of this marker); Sons of Wicasset (within shouting distance of this marker); Moses Carlton House - 1804 (within shouting distance of this marker); Meeting House 1767 / First Congregational Church 1907 (within shouting
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 14, 2024
2. Lincoln and Kennebec Bank / Wiscasset Public Library Marker
Also see . . . Wiscasset Public Library. (Submitted on October 23, 2024, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 122 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 20, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
