Harpswell Cattle Pound 1793 - Harpswell, ME
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 43° 47.967 W 069° 59.254
19T E 420556 N 4850072
The Harpswell Cattle Pound, dating from 1793 is one of the earliest town pounds in New England. It is located next to the former Bailey's Store, now a historical museum.
Waymark Code: WM9AE5
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2010
Views: 10
From the Harpswell Historical Society:
"Pound" refers to an enclosure authorized by the voters of a particular town to keep stray animals until they were claimed by the owner. One of the first pounds in Maine was built in 1793 in Harpswell, a fishing and farming community on Casco Bay where stray cattle[ii] were causing serious damage in unfenced gardens and pastures.
Setting up a pound was so urgent that towns took immediate action as soon as incorporation made it legally possible. Pounds were built throughout Maine and colonial America. Then as towns grew larger, as fencing materials improved, and as the laws governing impounding grew more complicated, pounds fell into disuse.