Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Hancock County, Maine

Riceville

Ghost town in Maine.

Record

About Riceville

Riceville (also known as Hancock Tannery, Thirty-Nine Tannery, #39 Tannery, Riceville Plantation) is a ghost town in East Hancock, Maine specifically in Township 39 Middle Division. It was once home to a bark extract works owned by F. Shaw and Brothers Company, which owned many tanneries in the state of Maine.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Riceville, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Riceville is

USGS topographic map around Riceville
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

10 historic USGS maps cover Riceville

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Riceville": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Riceville, Maine": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q25021357.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).