Comprised of York Corner, York Village, and York Harbor, the York Historic District represents the town's evolution as a colonial trading center to a nineteenth-century tourist destination. The first European settlers arrived in York c.1630 and the village was centered on the northern bank of the York River. The town was incorporated in 1652, making it the second oldest town in Maine after Kittery. Like other towns, York experienced Native American attacks throughout the seventeenth century and was destroyed in the Raid on York in 1692. After the conflicts ended in the early eighteenth century, the area grew and new roads, houses, mills, and lumber yards were constructed. Wharves and warehouses were constructed along the river for trade with the West Indies, with lumber and agricultural products exchanged for sugar and molasses. The Embargo Act of 1807, enacted to protect American sailors from foreign navies, instead crippled trade and York entered a period of decline. Its fortunes would change after the Civil War, when it became a fashionable summer resort town. Buildings constructed before 1820 are typically clapboard sided, with gable sided roofs. Windows are made up of multiple small panes and have simple surrounds. The Georgian-style buildings are typically asymmetrical with no ornamentation and a large, central chimney. The Federal-style homes usually feature symmetrical facades and doors are often framed by sidelight windows and topped by simple molding. Chimneys are interior and placed on either end. The Matthew Lindsay Tavern (pictured) is an example of a Georgian-style house and tavern in York Village.
Year Listed: 1973
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=1f5755b4-1db1-49dd-8536-61671024a5d1