First settled in the early-1780's, it was named for Revolutionary War Brigadier-General Hugh Mercer.
With forty-one residents in 1800, Mercer exploded to a population of 1,432 by 1840. Soon thereafter, Maine's first starch factory was established soon to be followed by another, which joined the saw, grist, shingle, and joiner's mills and a tannery.
The Congregational Meetinghouse, which still stands, was dedicated on June 11, 1829. However, the Methodist Vestry, built in 1860, was destroyed by fire in 1901. Reconstructed almost immediately, the new structure was restored to look exactly like the original.
The town lies on U.S. Route 2 just west of Norridgewock with frontage on North Pond at its southeast corner.
From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com) |
