[2][1] Located on the west bank of the Sheepscot River and settled in the 18th century, Wiscasset was a prominent harbor in Mid Coast Maine, and a major shipbuilding and merchant port, until the War of 1812 ended its prosperity.

Wiscasset was first settled by Europeans in the 1670s, but conflict with the local Native Americans (sometimes with French assistance) prevented significant permanent settlement until the 1760s.

It flourished as a shipbuilding and commercial center until the Embargo Act of 1807 damaged its economy, and the War of 1812 wrecked it.

The town's economy has since been a shadow of that period's success, and development stalled, only sometimes punctuated by fires, which were mainly restricted to its waterfront areas.

[2] During the height of its economic success, a significant amount of fairly high-style Federal architecture was built.