A Visit to Pittston, Maine

Like so many Maine towns, Pittston is not one that most Mainers drive through to get from here to there. It is located to the east of Interstate 295 and sits on the east side of the Kennebec River.

As part of this feature, I headed to the local Pittston Fair which proudly claims the title of “Maine’s Friendliest Fair.” True to its word, every person I met during my visit was friendly and helpful.

My normal routine when entering a Maine agricultural fair is to first find the sheep pen and have a good chuckle for a while. Seriously, there are few things funnier than bleating sheep.

But on this day I headed straight for the historical museum on the fairgrounds. It is astonishing to see how much work the local history-loving community invests in setting up this space every summer. They do an outstanding job. I’ll let a few of the photos I took fill in some thousands of words.

With its location along the mighty Kennebec River, it is not surprising the town of Pittston has an old history within industries that were centered on the waterway. But there are also families who have worked for generations in other areas, such as dairy farming.

If you live in the area and have an interest in your town’s history, I’m sure the historical society would be happy to put your willing hands to work, especially around fair time. At the very least, be sure to visit this building when you attend the Pittston Fair.

Long ago in Pittston…

Some Mainers are unaware that Pittston was very involved in the events surrounding the American Revolution, but they likely would recognize two of Pittston’s most famous visitors. Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr stayed here before launching out with 1,100 soldiers on what is considered to be one of the greatest military marches of all time. It is important to note that this took place before Arnold and Burr became infamous for things like treason, spying, and a deadly duel.

To be honest, their expedition to Quebec was unsuccessful. However, the stories of this incredible journey through some of the roughest Maine conditions imaginable are not well enough known. Check out the Arnold Expedition Historical Society to discover more. In 2025 this local nonprofit will mark the 250th anniversary of the Arnold Expedition.

Back to Pittston. Arnold and Burr stayed at the home of Major Reuben Colburn before the march to Quebec in 1775. Major Colburn built his house in 1765. That’s eleven years before the United States became a country and fourteen years before Pittston was incorporated. He clearly knew what he was doing because the house still stands. The major was a shipbuilder and met with George Washington in order to offer practical help, including the building of boats to transport soldiers on this mission.

It was surreal to stand and look at this historic place. The house stayed within the Colburn family for 176 years. The site is now owned by the Maine State Bureau of Parks and Lands and, at the time of this writing, is closed to the public due to renovation work. 

Just up the road from the house is one of the most unusual scenes I’ve come across in this journey to every town in Maine. It is a one-room schoolhouse. It has a brick construction rather than the more typical wooden ones you can still find in various corners of the state. But its most unique feature, in my opinion, is that it is located next to a cemetery. As in right alongside it!

The Colburn School was used until 1964. Some of the former students can still recall their teacher respectfully pulling the shades when a funeral coincided with classes. I am curious to know what recess was like on a normal day. Do send me a message if you were there!

I am never ready to leave a town as there is always so much more that could be explored. In the case of Pittston, this was my second trip for Maine Features. In the early days of this project, I chose only one location to feature in each town. Some years earlier I had visited Ledgeway Farm here. I was so pleased to find owner Sarah at the Pittston Fair and enjoyed catching up with her. If you haven’t yet read about my time learning about soap-making and playing with the goats of Ledgeway (they are far more interactive than sheep), it is here.

My thanks to the Pittston Historical Society for inviting me to the fair and taking time to share some of this town’s history.

Let’s pull away from Pittston for the time being and head to another Maine town. Are you ready? You don’t have to check this Maine Features website every day to see which towns have recently been visited. Sign up for the newsletter, and you’ll get a weekly update on this journey, along with many other good Maine things.