Washington

Formed June 25, 1789 (5^th county)

Washington County (31,088), Machias* (1,457), Calais (3,078)

The red brick Italianate building with a small tower was constructed in 1855.  The facility is at Court and Cooper streets.  United States Highway 1 is one block to the south of the courthouse.  The building was enlarged in 1886 and renovated in 2014.  Benjamin S. Deane and Edwin S. Brown are the architects.  A District Courthouse is located in Calais.  Washington County was formed on June 25, 1789 from Lincoln County as the 5^th county.  Machias has always been the county seat.  The county is named for President George Washington.  The county seat’s name is Native American for “bad little falls.” 

Washington Couty government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges, One Superior Court Judge, One Probate Court Judge and a court clerk serve Washington County (judicial.) The county is in the southeast corner of the state.  Bangor, Maine is west of the county.  The county center is 22.8 miles Northwest of Machias nearer Wesley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Atlantic Ocean and Hancock, Penobscot, and Aroostook counties. 

The area of the county is 3255 square miles.  It is 5 out of 16 in the state.  It ranks 14 out of 16 in population in the state.  It has a density of 9.6 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 16 in the state.  Washington County has 14.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 1 enters the county from the north, Aroostook County, and exits to the west, Hancock County.  The county is shaped like an upside-down vase.  Machias is on the southern coast.  Calais is on the eastern border with Canada.  Machias is the county seat and Calais is the largest city.  Machias is 4.7% of the county population while Calais is 9.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MA-SEE-AS.  The largest city is pronounced KA-LAE.