Buxton was settled by men who were survivors of King Philip's War having been granted allotments of land in what was then Narragansett, Number One. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1750, following others who did not stay.
The town, named for Buxton in Norfolk, England, was incorporated on July 14, 1772. It is located in York County and includes the locations of Bar Mills, Buxton Center. In 1824 it ceded some of its land to Standish.
The Buxton Powder House, one of only three War of 1812 powder houses to survive in Maine, was erected as a result of the vote of local citizens on March12, 1812. Thomas Elwell, the lowest bidder, took the contract at the munificent price of $59 and completed the job in the fall of 1813. Powder, lead balls, flints and camp kettles were stored in this official arsenal the following spring under the custody of Captain Samuel Dunnell.
The First Congregational Church is also known as the Tory Hill Meetinghouse. Located at Buxton Lower Corner, the intersection of U.S. Route 202 and Maine Routes 4 and 112, the Church is across the street from the Royal Brewster House.
Author Kate Douglas Wiggin (1859-1923) summered in nearby Hollis and wrote a play, The Old Peabody Pew, based on events in the town's Tory Hill Meeting House.
Continuing its rapid growth, the town has more than doubled its population from 1970 through 2000, and increased by 15 percent in the 1990-2000 decade.
From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com)
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