17th century As early as 1630, a
trading post was established on the eastern bank of the
St. George River, then considered the boundary between
New England and
New France. In 1704, Thomas LeFebvre from
Quebec bought a large tract of land along the
Weskeag River on which he built a
gristmill, with a house on the shoreline at what is now
South Thomaston. Originally called
Koessanouskek (or
Kouesanouskek) by the
French, the area became known as Thomas' Town.
18th century Between 1719 and 1720, the old trading post was remodeled into
Fort St. George, a
stockaded fort protected by two
blockhouses. But
Abenaki Indian tribes protested the encroachment of an English fort on their territory. Instigated by the French, they attacked the
garrison twice during
Dummer's War in 1722, then again in 1723 with a
siege lasting 30 days. In response to this and other provocations, soldiers destroyed the Abenaki stronghold of
Norridgewock in 1724. During the
French and Indian War, to avenge the fall of Louisbourg, on August 13, 1758, French officer
Boishebert left
Miramichi, New Brunswick with 400 soldiers for Fort St George in Thomaston. His detachment reached there on September 9 but was caught in an ambush and had to withdraw. This was Boishébert's last Acadian expedition. They then went on to raid
Friendship, Maine, where people were killed and others taken prisoner. Hostilities of the
French and Indian Wars ceased with the 1759
Fall of Quebec. Mason Wheaton was the first permanent settler in 1763. Located at the heart of the
Waldo Patent, Thomaston was incorporated from St. Georges Plantation on March 20, 1777. Many settlers arrived following the
Revolutionary War in 1783. General
Henry Knox built his
Montpelier mansion at Thomaston in 1793–1794.
19th century The town prospered in the early 19th century as a port and
ship building center. Around 1840, two of seven recorded millionaires in the United States were Thomaston
sea captains. Other industries included two gristmills, two
sawmills and
planing mills, three
sail lofts,
brickyards,
cask manufacturing and a
marble works.
Lime had been manufactured here since 1734 in
kilns. Thomaston is still home to Jeff's Marine, Inc. and Lyman Morse Boatbuilding, builders of custom
power and
sailing yachts. Located on
St. George River, Lyman Morse Boatbuilding sits on the original site of the General Henry Knox Mansion, where wooden
schooners have been built for over 200 years.
Rockland and
South Thomaston were set off and incorporated in 1848. The
Knox and Lincoln Railroad passed through the town, carrying
freight and tourists. Thomaston was home to the Maine State Prison until 2002, when it moved to
Warren and the former facility was demolished. The prison was locally famous for its shop featuring handmade wares of prisoners and inspired the prison in the film,
The Shawshank Redemption. The gift shop still exists today. Former governor
William King sold the prison site to the state in 1824. Today, Thomaston is a resort area with a large
historic district containing
Federal,
Greek Revival and
Italianate architecture. The town was a filming location for the 1996 film,
Thinner.
20th century In 1974,
Thomaston Historic District was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. File:View of Main Street, Thomaston, ME.jpg|Main Street in 1906 File:Warden's Residence & Eastern Wall of Prison, Thomaston, ME.jpg|Warden's residence and prison in 1905 File:Old High School, Thomaston, ME.jpg|Old High School File:Harbor View, Thomaston, ME.jpg|Harbor view in 1908 ==Geography==