A Visit to Washington, Maine

I operate from the mindset that there is something unique to be found in the history of every Maine town. During a visit to Washington, the local historical society introduced me to one such nugget in this Knox County community.

Originally incorporated in 1811 as “Putnam,” the town changed its name to Washington a dozen years later. 

Hanging on the wall of the historical society is the following picture depicting two local men in the middle of the nineteenth century.

As you can likely guess, they were Civil War soldiers. The men were brothers Thomas and Warren Levenseller. Both enlisted in the Maine Coast Guard Infantry, Company B, in the spring of 1864. 

These two young men from Washington, Maine were sent to Fort Foote to defend Washington, D.C. Many Mainers served in the Civil War, but not many did so in a place that bore the same name as the town they left behind. Both men survived the war. Thomas returned to Washington (Maine) where he spent the rest of his life.

In the village is a monument in honor of the many local individuals who served in the defense of their country. Some gave the ultimate sacrifice and never returned to their beautiful hometown.

Nearby are the remains of one of the many mills which could be found throughout Washington back in the old days.

Washington has numerous old buildings which are being carefully preserved and utilized for new purposes. You’ll have to stop by for yourself to explore them all. Below you will find a sneak peek at a few of these structures. So much local history was created in these places.

In case you’re wondering, “Razorville” is a section of the town. And, yes, that is one of the most unique names for a community that I’ve ever seen.

At the risk of creating confusion, let me mention that when you stand in front of the Old Town House, you are directly across the road from the original town hall which was constructed in 1837. The hall was later used as a garage and storage building. Today, it holds historic treasures which you can view when the historical society holds their open house days in the summer. Check their Facebook for updates.

The 2024 open house days will be June 15 and July 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also be sure to catch Heritage Day on August 24.

My thanks to the Washington Historical Society for their kind help during my visit.

I’m off to see some more Maine people and places. Keep following the story by signing up for the free weekly newsletter HERE or in the box below. All the good Maine things coming your way!