As the 19th century -- Maine’s magnificent era under sail -- came to an end, Hallowell’s heyday in maritime commerce also drew to a close. Railroads and motor vehicles replaced Kennebec River steamboat traffic just as the granite industry gave way to concrete and steel.
Last Coal Barge, Hallowell, ca. 1939
Hubbard Free Library
In 1939, the last coal delivery was made to the Wingate Wharf, and in 1962 the last tanker off-loaded its cargo of heating oil. The Kennebec River, too, lost its luster as industrial development polluted its waters, but the 20th century would bring great advances in historic preservation and river revitalization efforts.
In 1950, the community had suffered yet another blow when construction of the interstate highway system divided its most valuable farmland and directed traffic away from its businesses. But the post-war years brought some hope for the future in the form of a renewed interest in historic preservation. In 1965 the Hallowell Improvement Association was one of the first historic preservation organizations established in the state, and five years later Hallowell citizens were leaders in the legislative initiative that produced the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.
In 2008, Hallowell joined with other municipalities and environmental groups to promote the continued revitalization of the Kennebec through the Kennebec River Initiative.