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Where in Maine?

Where in Maine Nov 2017
Photographed by Mark Fleming

Can you name this historic little city?

[cs_drop_cap letter=”T” color=”#ff9900″ size=”5em” ]his coastal town could have been called Londonderry, the story goes, if a coin toss between two founders had gone the other way. Any name they picked would have tongue-tied fewer future visitors than the name of the river on which the town was built, which comes from a Maliseet word describing a place for spearing sturgeon at night. You hear a lot about this town’s renaissance lately, and the hype is justified. In two-and-a-half centuries, it’s gone from a shipping mecca to a fairly gritty industrial hub to a white-collar service center. These days, the phases of the town’s economic history have settled into an enviable balance: the local shipyard draws a lot of water, but so does a health-care tech giant and a thriving retail sector that makes Main Street a pleasure to stroll in any season. The landmark bank building here dates to the town’s shipping heyday and has lately housed a series of high-concept restaurants, anchoring a downtown that doesn’t want for good dining. Can’t settle on a restaurant? Try flipping a coin.

❯❯ If you can name this historic little city, submit your answer below. We’ll feature our favorite letter in an upcoming issue — and send the winner a Down East wall calendar.