Sarah Orne Jewett’s “The Old Town of Berwick” is a picturesque description of the life and times of the early days of the town of Berwick, Maine, which today encompasses Berwick, South Berwick (her village), North Berwick and parts of Lebanon. Jewett wrote down stories she heard as a child, and described events that occurred over the course of her lifetime.

In Jewett’s writings, her descriptions of the physical landscape are often very accurate. Taking her father’s advice, she wrote about what she knew. Her short stories sometimes read like 19th century travelogues. However, a few references in her book are not historically accurate. Thanks to the computer, we have access to a great deal of historical information that Jewett wasn’t privy to; her purpose in writing “The Old Town of Berwick” was to keep alive the places and people and stories which were familiar and dear to her.

However, because “The Old Town of Berwick” is often read as a local history, there has been a need to point out a few important inaccuracies in Jewett’s account.

Old Town of Berwick
Old Berwick Historical Society Homepage