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Gardiner, Maine

Gardiner, Maine
City
Water Street in 1914
Water Street in 1914
Official seal of Gardiner, Maine
Seal
Motto: Where history and progress meet
Location in Kennebec County and the state of Maine.
Location in Kennebec County and the state of Maine.
Gardiner, Maine is located in the US
Gardiner, Maine
Gardiner, Maine
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 44°13′45″N 69°46′25″W / 44.22917°N 69.77361°W / 44.22917; -69.77361Coordinates: 44°13′45″N 69°46′25″W / 44.22917°N 69.77361°W / 44.22917; -69.77361
Country United States
State Maine
County Kennebec
Incorporated February 17, 1803
Government
 • Type Mayor and council-manager
 • Mayor Thomas Harnett
 • City Manager Scott Morelli
Area
 • Total 16.57 sq mi (42.92 km2)
 • Land 15.65 sq mi (40.53 km2)
 • Water 0.92 sq mi (2.38 km2)
Elevation 23 ft (7 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 5,800
 • Estimate (2012) 5,747
 • Density 370.6/sq mi (143.1/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 04345
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-27085
GNIS feature ID 0566690
Website www.gardinermaine.com

Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,800 at the 2010 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture. Gardiner is included in the Augusta, Maine micropolitan New England City and Town Area.

Located at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River, Gardiner was founded as Gardinerstown Plantation in 1754 by Dr. Silvester Gardiner, a prominent Boston physician. Dr. Gardiner had made a fortune as a drug merchant, with one apothecary shop in Massachusetts and two in Connecticut, and became a principal proprietor of the Kennebec Purchase within the old Plymouth Patent. He proved a tireless promoter for his development, which once comprised over 100,000 acres (400 km2).

Dr. Gardiner induced a gristmill builder, saw millwright, house carpenter and wheelwright to settle here. Houses, mills, a church and a blockhouse were built. Situated at the confluence of the Kennebec River and Cobbesseecontee Stream, which has falls that drop 130 feet over a mile, the location was recognized by him as ideal for water-powered mills. Gardinerstown, set off from Pittston in 1760, became center of the regional economy.


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