Castle Hill
Rural community in central Aroostook County
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Located in central Aroostook County, Castle Hill encompasses 35.7 square miles of agricultural land, forest tracts, and rural homes along the Aroostook River. The town shares municipal administration and community services with neighboring Mapleton and Chapman under a joint interlocal agreement.
Castle Hill, Maine is a rural town located in central Aroostook County. Encompassing a land area of 35.7 square miles, the community consists predominantly of agricultural land, forest tracts, and rural residences.
Community Overview
At the 2020 Decennial Census, the population of Castle Hill was 373, down 12.2% from 425 residents in 2010. The 2010 census recorded 181 households, 127 families, and a median age of 48.4 years. The historical peak population occurred in 1940 with 697 residents. More recently, American Community Survey data reported a median age of 57.8 years as of 2024, and state municipal planning data reported a median household income of $57,344 in 2022. The town is served by the ZIP code 04757.
Local Government and Municipal Services
Castle Hill is governed by an elected Select Board—consisting of Herman Condon, Shari Cheney, Maylen Kenney, Ryan Spooner, and Scott Cheney—and an Annual Town Meeting. The Select Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM.
Under a joint interlocal agreement established in 1992, Castle Hill shares administrative services, a town manager, a highway department, recreation programs, and volunteer fire protection with the neighboring towns of Mapleton and Chapman. Sandra L. Fournier serves as Town Manager for all three towns, and a joint Road Commissioner oversees road maintenance. In March 2013, the three communities adopted Maine's first three-town joint comprehensive plan to coordinate land use, economic planning, and natural resource conservation.
The shared municipal office is located at 103 Pulcifur Road, PO Box 500, Mapleton, ME 04757. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the phone and fax number is (207) 764-3754. Fire coverage comes from the joint Mapleton-Castle Hill-Chapman Volunteer Fire Department based on Pulcifur Road in Mapleton. Castle Hill does not operate a local police department, hospital, or public library, relying instead on the Maine State Police and the Aroostook County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement, and nearby communities like Presque Isle for hospital and library needs. In March 2026, town voters approved amendments to land use rules allowing the planning board to consider proposed institutions like libraries, schools, and hospitals.
Education
Public education is provided by Maine School Administrative District 1 (MSAD #1), which serves Castle Hill alongside Mapleton, Chapman, Presque Isle, and Westfield. District facilities include Mapleton Elementary School (which serves elementary students in the tri-town area), Pine Street Elementary School, Skyway Elementary School, Presque Isle Middle School, and Presque Isle High School.
MSAD #1 also operates the Presque Isle Tech Center for career and technical education, the MSAD #1 Educational Farm on State Street in Presque Isle for agricultural learning, and the MSAD #1 Adult Education department for workforce training. Reflecting local agricultural traditions, the district schedules an annual multi-week fall harvest break tied to Aroostook County potato farming.
Outdoor Recreation and Cultural Sites
Haystack Mountain is a primary recreational destination in Castle Hill. The 215-acre area is owned and managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and maintained by the town, providing a trailhead parking area with a picnic canopy. The 0.40-mile round-trip Haystack Mountain Trail ascends to the 1,142-foot summit, offering 360-degree panoramic views of Aroostook County. For water recreation, the Aroostook River flows through the northwestern section of town, including the spot known as Trask Landing. Castle Hill also shares a joint Recreation Department with Mapleton and Chapman to run youth sports leagues and community programs.
Area heritage is preserved in several community buildings. The Castle Hill Grange Hall, built in 1905, has two stages and is stewarded by the Castle Hill Grange Hall Preservation Society. The Castle Hill Advent Christian Church was completed in 1910 on land donated by Elias King as the town's sole church building. Artifacts and photographs from the tri-town area are kept by the Haystack Historical Society at its Old Mill School Museum, a historic one-room schoolhouse.
Transportation
Two main east-west roadways cross Castle Hill between Ashland to the west and Presque Isle to the east: Maine State Route 163 (which passes south of Haystack Mountain) and Maine State Route 227 (partially known locally as State Road) across the northern part of town. Haystack Mountain off Route 163 is situated about 4 miles west of Mapleton and roughly 10 miles west of Presque Isle. Regional public transit vans and buses are operated across central Aroostook County by the Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS), and commercial air travel is available at Presque Isle International Airport (PQI).
History of Castle Hill
During the border conflict known as the Aroostook War, early surveyors built a large lookout structure atop a hill to watch for Canadian encroachment; because it resembled a castle, the hill and the town took the name Castle Hill. Originally designated as Township 12, Range 4, the area saw settlers arriving as early as 1843. That same year, General Jabez Trask became the first permanent settler along what is now State Road, establishing a site called Trask Landing or The Ledges. Land was cleared on Waddell Road by John Waddell, whose son became the town's first minister, while Henry Tilley built an early meeting place that doubled as the post office, where he served as clerk and postmaster.
The settlement was organized as Castle Hill Plantation in April 1860. Decades later, on February 25, 1903, it was officially incorporated as a town.
See the history facts and their sources in Quick facts below.
Quick facts
·
Population
- 2010 Census Households
- According to the 2010 Census, Castle Hill had 181 households and 127 families.[1]
- 2010 Census Median Age
- At the 2010 Census, the median age of residents in Castle Hill was 48.4 years.[2]
- 2010 to 2020 Population Change
- Castle Hill's population decreased from 425 in 2010 to 373 in 2020, representing a decline of 12.2%.[1]
- 2020 Decennial Census Population
- Castle Hill town had a total population of 373 at the 2020 Decennial Census.[1]
- 2020 Decennial Census Population
- At the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Castle Hill town was 373.[1]
- American Community Survey Median Age
- According to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data reported by Data Commons, the median age in Castle Hill was 57.8 years.[3]
- Historical Peak Population
- Castle Hill recorded its highest decennial census population in 1940, when it reached 697 residents.[1]
History (9)
- Aroostook War lookout
- Early surveyors constructed the lookout atop the hill to watch for Canadian encroachment during the border conflict known as the Aroostook War.[4]
- First minister and early homesteaders
- Land was cleared on Waddell Road by John Waddell, whose son became the first minister in Castle Hill.[5]
- First permanent settler
- General Jabez Trask settled along what is now known as State Road in 1843, establishing an area called 'Trask Landing' or 'The Ledges.'[5]
- First post office and meeting place
- Henry Tilley built an early meeting place in Castle Hill that served as the local post office, where he served as postmaster and clerk.[5]
- Incorporation Year
- Castle Hill was officially incorporated as a town from Castle Hill Plantation on February 25, 1903.[6]
- Original designation and early settlement
- Castle Hill was originally designated as Township 12, Range 4, with settlers arriving as early as 1843.[5]
- Plantation organization date
- Castle Hill was organized as a plantation in April 1860.[5]
- Town incorporation date
- Castle Hill was officially incorporated as a town on February 25, 1903.[5]
- Town naming origin
- The town and nearby hill were named Castle Hill after early surveyors constructed a large lookout structure on the hill that resembled a castle.[5]
Government (8)
- Form of government
- Castle Hill is governed by an elected Select Board and an Annual Town Meeting, sharing municipal administration with Mapleton and Chapman under an interlocal cooperation agreement.[7]
- Select Board meeting schedule
- The Castle Hill Select Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM.[7]
- Select Board members
- Members of the Castle Hill Select Board include Herman Condon, Shari Cheney, Maylen Kenney, Ryan Spooner, and Scott Cheney.[7]
- Town Manager
- Sandra L. Fournier serves as Town Manager for the towns of Mapleton, Castle Hill, and Chapman.[8]
- Town office address
- The municipal office serving Castle Hill is located at 103 Pulcifur Road, PO Box 500, Mapleton, ME 04757.[7]
- Town office hours
- The town office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.[7]
- Town office phone number
- The telephone and fax number for the town office is (207) 764-3754.[7]
- ZIP Code
- The town of Castle Hill is served by the ZIP code 04757.[9]
Schools (6)
- Adult Education and Training
- MSAD #1 provides adult education and workforce training courses through its MSAD #1 Adult Education department.[10]
- Agricultural Learning Facility
- MSAD #1 operates the MSAD #1 Educational Farm, located on State Street in Presque Isle, which supports agricultural education for students.[11]
- Career and Technical Education
- MSAD #1 operates the Presque Isle Tech Center, providing career and technical education programs to district high school students.[10]
- District Schools
- Public schools operating within MSAD #1 include Mapleton Elementary School, Pine Street Elementary School, Skyway Elementary School, Presque Isle Middle School, and Presque Isle High School.[12]
- Nearby Elementary School
- Mapleton Elementary School, located in neighboring Mapleton, serves elementary students in the shared tri-town area including Castle Hill.[13]
- School District
- Castle Hill is served by Maine School Administrative District 1 (MSAD #1), which covers Castle Hill, Mapleton, Chapman, Presque Isle, and Westfield.[12]
Economy (6)
- Interlocal Municipal Services Sharing
- Since 1992, Castle Hill shares administrative services, a town manager, town office, highway department, recreation, and volunteer fire protection with the neighboring towns of Mapleton and Chapman under a joint interlocal agreement.[14]
- Joint Comprehensive Plan
- Castle Hill, Mapleton, and Chapman adopted Maine's first three-town joint comprehensive plan in March 2013 to coordinate land use, economic planning, and natural resource conservation.[15]
- Land Area
- Castle Hill encompasses a total land area of 35.7 square miles in central Aroostook County.[16]
- Median Household Income
- According to municipal planning data from the State of Maine, the median household income for Castle Hill was $57,344 in 2022.[17]
- Primary Land Cover and Resource Base
- Official municipal land use planning records classify Castle Hill's territory predominantly as agricultural land and forest tracts, with rural residential development.[18]
- School Administrative District Membership
- Castle Hill participates in Maine School Administrative District No. 1 (MSAD 1) alongside Presque Isle, Mapleton, Chapman, and Westfield.[19]
Landmarks (4)
- Castle Hill Advent Christian Church
- Built following the organization of a congregation in 1909 and completed in the spring of 1910 on land donated by Elias King, the Castle Hill Advent Christian Church was established as the township's sole church building.[20]
- Early community buildings and post office
- Early non-residential structures in Castle Hill included the Smith Hotel, owned by Herbert Smith, and a local meeting place built by Henry Tilley that housed the community's post office.[21]
- Early settlement at Trask Landing
- General Jabez Trask settled in 1843 along the State Road at a site on the Aroostook River locally known as 'Trask Landing' or 'The Ledges.'[21]
- Historic lookout origin of town name
- The town and the hill were named Castle Hill after early surveyors constructed a large lookout structure atop the hill to watch for Canadian encroachment during the Aroostook War.[22]
Recreation (4)
- Aroostook River
- The Aroostook River flows through the northwestern portion of Castle Hill, providing water recreation and historically notable spots such as Trask Landing.[23]
- Haystack Mountain Management and Facilities
- The 215-acre Haystack Mountain area is owned and managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and maintained by the Town of Castle Hill, featuring a trailhead parking area with a picnic canopy.[24]
- Haystack Mountain Trail
- Haystack Mountain Trail in Castle Hill features a 0.40-mile round-trip hiking path leading to the mountain's 1,142-foot summit, offering 360-degree panoramic views of Aroostook County.[24]
- Shared Municipal Recreation Department
- Castle Hill operates a joint Recreation Department through an interlocal cooperation agreement with neighboring Mapleton and Chapman, coordinating youth sports leagues and community recreation programs.[25]
Culture (5)
- Agricultural Heritage and Harvest Recess
- Students residing in Castle Hill attend Maine School Administrative District 1, which maintains an annual multi-week fall harvest break rooted in Aroostook County's traditional potato farming culture.[26]
- Castle Hill Grange Hall
- The Castle Hill Grange Hall, originally built in 1905, is distinguished by its large size and two stages, and has been stewarded by the Castle Hill Grange Hall Preservation Society.[27]
- Historical Society Artifact Collections
- Photographs and historical artifacts from Castle Hill, Mapleton, and Chapman are preserved by the Haystack Historical Society in its historic one-room schoolhouse museum building.[28]
- Library and Institutional Facility Regulations
- Castle Hill does not operate a public library within town borders, and in 2026 town voters took action to amend land use rules to allow proposed institutions such as libraries, schools, and hospitals to be considered by the planning board.[29]
- Regional Historical Society Coverage
- The Haystack Historical Society's Old Mill School Museum serves the tri-town area of Mapleton, Chapman, and Castle Hill as a repository and educational center for the area's rural history and culture.[30]
Transportation (6)
- Distance to Mapleton
- Access to Haystack Mountain off Route 163 in Castle Hill is situated approximately four miles west of neighboring Mapleton.[31]
- Distance to Presque Isle
- Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill is located approximately 10 miles west of Presque Isle.[31]
- Nearby Commercial Airport
- Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) is the primary commercial airport serving the central Aroostook County region, including Castle Hill.[32]
- Regional Public Transit Provider
- Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS) operates regional public transit vans and buses across central Aroostook County communities.[33]
- State Route 163
- Maine State Route 163 traverses Castle Hill, running east-west between Ashland and Presque Isle and passing just south of Haystack Mountain.[34]
- State Route 227
- Maine State Route 227 traverses northern Castle Hill (locally known in part as State Road), connecting Ashland to the west with Presque Isle to the east.[35]
Services (5)
- Absence of Local Hospitals and Libraries
- Castle Hill does not have its own hospital or public library within the town limits, relying instead on nearby communities such as Presque Isle.[36]
- Fire Protection Services
- Fire protection for Castle Hill is provided by the joint Mapleton-Castle Hill-Chapman Volunteer Fire Department, operating out of headquarters on Pulcifur Road in Mapleton.[37]
- Highway Department and Public Works
- Public works and road maintenance in Castle Hill are managed through a shared Highway Department overseen by a joint Road Commissioner serving Mapleton, Castle Hill, and Chapman.[38]
- Interlocal Municipal Administration
- Castle Hill shares municipal administration, town offices, and services with the neighboring towns of Mapleton and Chapman under a joint interlocal agreement based at 103 Pulcifur Road in Mapleton.[39]
- Police Coverage
- Castle Hill does not operate a municipal police department and relies on the Maine State Police and the Aroostook County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services.[40]
Geography (7)
- Average elevation
- The elevation of the town of Castle Hill is recorded at 869 feet above sea level.[41]
- Bodies of water and waterways
- The Aroostook River flows through northern sections of Castle Hill, along with tributaries including Welts Brook, Alder Brook, Dudley Brook, and Clayton Brook.[42]
- Bordering communities
- Castle Hill borders the neighboring communities of Mapleton to the east, Wade to the north, and Chapman to the south.[42]
- Location within Aroostook County
- Castle Hill is located in central Aroostook County, approximately 10 miles west of Presque Isle and 4 miles west of Mapleton.[43]
- Prominent peak elevation
- Haystack Mountain, located in Castle Hill, rises to an elevation of 1,142 feet (348 meters).[43]
- Total Area
- According to the United States Census Bureau, Castle Hill has a total area of 36.15 square miles, comprising 35.69 square miles of land and 0.46 square miles of water.[1]
- Total area
- Castle Hill covers a total area of 36.15 square miles (93.63 km²), comprising 35.69 square miles of land and 0.46 square miles of water.[1]
Businesses in Castle Hill
Map of Castle Hill
Nearby communities
All communities in The County
St. John Valley
Central Aroostook
Southern Aroostook
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- Castle Hill - Undiscovered Maine — umaine.edu , viewed Oct 10, 2026
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- Castle Hill Maine Vacation Guide — etravelmaine.com , viewed Oct 10, 2026
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- Maine School Administrative District #1: Home — vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com , viewed Oct 10, 2026
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- Joint Comprehensive Plan - TOWNS OF MAPLETON, CASTLE HILL, AND CHAPMAN — mapletonmaine.gov , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- Total Population in Bancroft town, Aroostook County, Maine is P1_001N - U.S. Census Bureau — data.census.gov , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- Income 2022 2012 2022 % Change Maine 68251 1327729 1389338 4.64% Abbot town, Piscataquis County, Maine 61250 702 647 - Maine.gov — maine.gov , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- Castle Hill Land Use Map — mapletonmaine.gov , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- CASTLE HILL ELECTED OFFICIALS MEETING — mapletonmaine.gov , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- Castle Hill Advent Christian Church celebrates centennial - The County — thecounty.me , viewed Oct 10, 2026
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- Aroostook County's harvest break is indispensable for the potato industry, farmers say — thecounty.me , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- Central Aroostook County Cultural Directory - Digital Maine — digitalmaine.com , viewed Oct 10, 2026
- Haystack Historical Society | SOS - Maine.gov — maine.gov , viewed Oct 10, 2026
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- What we know about the double homicide case in Castle Hill - Bangor Daily News — bangordailynews.com , viewed Oct 10, 2026
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