About Newry

Newry is probably best known as the home of the Sunday River Ski Resort, which draws skiers from all over the country, as well as Canada and Europe. Consequently, this little town of 332 residents has a proportionately large seasonal (winter) population.

First called Sunday River Plantation, Newry was settled in 1781, but the settlement was abandoned in 1782 after an Indian attack. In 1794, it was resettled and named Bostwick Plantation, but was renamed in 1805 by settlers who had come from Newry in what is now Northern Ireland. Farms were established on the intervales, which had excellent soil, with hay being the principal crop. Slopes of the mountains provided pasturage for grazing animals. A sawmill and gristmill were built on the Bear River, and by 1870 the population was 416.

The town has a total area of 61.55 square miles and is drained by the Bear River and Sunday River, which both flow into the Androscoggin River. The two valleys, separated by mountains, create a sense of two towns. The estimated median age in the town as of 2014 was 46.6 years.  Residents 55 and older make up 35.5% of the total population; those 65 and older are 14.46% of the total.