Town boundaries were not clearly defined in the 1600s. In the charter for Gorgeana, Sir Ferdinando Gorges described the town limits as extending “from the beginning of the entrance of the river commonly called and known by the name of Agamenticus, and so up the said river seven English miles, and all along the east and northeast side of the sea-shore three English miles in breadth from the entrance of the said river, up into the mainland seven miles, butting with the seven miles from the sea-side up the said river, the breadth of the said three miles opposite thereunto.”

Over time, town boundaries frequently shifted due to charter changes, surveys, and disputes. One example occurred on June 26, 1794, when Surveyor Daniel Sewall was commissioned by the York Selectmen—under direction of the Massachusetts General Court—to resolve a longstanding boundary dispute with Kittery. That same boundary disagreement has resurfaced and remains active as of 2025.

URL: York’s Boundaries