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River winding through a wooded landscape near Machias, Maine
Washington County place guide

Machias

A river town shaped by tidal water, lumber and shipbuilding, Revolutionary action, county government, higher education, and an unusually rich architectural record.

Town overview

[mah-CHI-uhs] Machias is a Washington County town on the Machias River. Incorporated on June 23, 1784, the original community was divided in 1826 into West Machias, East Machias, and Machias Port, now Machiasport.

West Machias adopted the name Machias on March 12, 1830. The name has been interpreted as an Indigenous term meaning “a little run of bad water” or “bad little falls,” a reference associated with the river falls in the town center.

Machias serves as the seat of Washington County. Its river powered early lumbering and shipbuilding, while the town developed as a commercial, legal, educational, and administrative center for eastern Maine.

The town is also associated with notable historical figures. It was the birthplace of nineteenth-century U.S. Representatives Jeremiah O’Brien and Stephen Clark Foster. Clara Hapgood Nash, among the earliest women admitted to practice law in the United States, was admitted to the bar in Machias in 1872.

Revolutionary history

Burnham Tavern became a meeting place for residents responding to news from Lexington and Concord. Plans made there led to the erection of a liberty pole and the capture of the British schooner Margaretta in 1775. The encounter in Machias Bay is remembered as an early naval action of the American Revolution.

Built in 1770, the tavern also served as a hospital for wounded sailors after the engagement and later as a community meeting place.

Morning light over a calm river bordered by dense trees
The Machias River links the town’s natural setting with its industrial and civic history.

The Machias River

The Machias River runs about 76 miles from Fifth Machias Lake through several unorganized townships, Columbia Falls, and Whitneyville before reaching tidewater in downtown Machias. Its largely undeveloped corridor supports recreation and conservation while preserving an important Atlantic salmon watershed.

Form of government: Town Meeting–Select Board–Manager.

Moose beside wetland grasses in a northern forest landscape
River and watershed

A waterway at the center of the story

The Machias River influenced settlement, transportation, lumber production, shipbuilding, recreation, and the town’s physical form. Its falls and tidewater remain defining geographic features.

The protected corridor also connects downtown Machias with an extensive inland watershed and wildlife habitat.

Historic architecture

National Register landmarks

Machias preserves civic, religious, industrial, transportation, and community buildings that document its changing role in eastern Maine.

Burnham Tavern

Dating from 1770, the tavern is directly connected with plans to capture the Margaretta. It later treated wounded sailors and served as a Masonic meeting place.

Centre Street Congregational Church

Dedicated in 1837, the church is an important early Gothic Revival landmark. Its features include a bell from Paul Revere’s foundry, a nineteenth-century organ, a public clock, and stained glass.

The Lion locomotive

Built in Boston in 1840, the Lion served the Whitneyville and Machiasport Railroad, which carried lumber from Middle Falls to Machiasport. It represents an early phase of steam railroading in Maine.

Post Office and Customhouse

Constructed in 1871–1872, this federal building was designed under Treasury architect Alfred B. Mullett. Granite and brick were sourced in part from nearby Marshfield and Blue Hill.

Machias Railroad Station

Built in 1898 for the Washington County Railroad, the station survives on its original trackside site. It retains the character of the standardized stations once placed along the eastern Maine route.

Machias Valley Grange

The Grange hall was completed in 1907 after an earlier meeting place burned. Its hall, stage, dining room, and kitchen made it an important social and cultural facility.

Clark Perry House

Built in 1868, this ambitious Italianate house reflected the prosperity created by Machias lumber and shipping enterprises during the nineteenth century.

Porter Memorial Library

Dedicated in 1893, the granite Romanesque Revival library records sustained local efforts to establish a permanent public collection and civic institution.

Washington County Courthouse

Designed in 1853, the brick courthouse combines Greek Revival and Italianate influences. It has long supported county administration and legal proceedings.

Washington County Jail

Built in 1858 from plans by Gridley J. F. Bryant, the building incorporated period innovations in circulation, security, communication, and ventilation.

Research trail

Selected sources

Books, theses, records, and special collections provide deeper context for Machias history.

  • Frank A. Beard and Bette A. Smith, Maine’s Historic Places: Properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Down East Books, 1982.
  • Agnes Arline Gray, A Social History of Machias, Maine, from 1800 to 1900. University of Maine master’s thesis, 1954.
  • Machias Cargo Book, 1855–1864. University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections.
  • Machias town records, “Materials for a History of Machias, Maine from the Town Records,” Historical Magazine, 1870.
  • Eugene Alberto Mawhinney, A Social History of Machias, Maine, Previous to 1800. University of Maine master’s thesis, 1949.
  • Memorial of the Centennial Anniversary of the Settlement of Machias. C. O. Furbush, 1863.
  • Andrew M. Sherman, Life of Captain Jeremiah O’Brien, Machias, Maine. G. W. Sherman, 1902.
  • Katharine C. Switzer, Chief Incidents in the Early History of Machias. Union-Republican Press, 1929.
  • The Story of Hannah Weston and Her Part in the First Naval Engagement of the Revolution. Hannah Weston Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, circa 1925.

Related entries

East MachiasMachiasportMargarettaWashington CountyWhitneyvilleLocal governmentHistoric preservation
FAQ

Understanding Machias

Quick answers about the town’s name, history, geography, and preserved landmarks.

How is Machias pronounced?

The name is commonly rendered “mah-CHI-uhs.”

When was Machias incorporated?

The original town was incorporated on June 23, 1784. It was divided in 1826, and West Machias changed its name back to Machias in 1830.

Why is Machias important to Revolutionary history?

Residents planned the capture of the British schooner Margaretta at Burnham Tavern. The resulting 1775 engagement is remembered as an early naval action of the Revolution.

What role did the river play?

The Machias River supplied power and transportation for lumbering and shipbuilding while shaping settlement, commerce, recreation, and wildlife habitat.

Why are there so many historic civic buildings?

As the Washington County seat and a regional commercial center, Machias developed courthouses, federal facilities, transport buildings, churches, a library, and community halls.

What did the early railway carry?

The Whitneyville and Machiasport Railroad was constructed primarily to move lumber from Middle Falls, now Whitneyville, to tidewater at Machiasport.

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