Maine Statehood Stamp will be dedicated March 15

AUGUSTA — The U.S. Postal Service will celebrates the 200th anniversary of Maine statehood with a new Forever stamp that will be dedicated in a ceremony at 1 p.m. on Maine Statehood Day Sunday, March 15, at the Augusta Armory, 179 Western Ave. Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820.
The Edward Hopper painting “Sea at Ogunquit” (1914) will be represented on the state. The state’s picturesque rocky coastline has long inspired the imagination of writers and artists. American painter Hopper (1882-1967) was among the many prominent artists who sought the tranquility of the state’s coastal towns during the summer. The painting “captures the ugged beauty so characteristic of Maine,” according to a news release from the postal service.
Maine celebrates its bicentennial in 2020, but its history of human habitation dates back some 12,000 years to the earliest inhabitants, who are now part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. During the Colonial period, Maine territory was disputed between Massachusetts Bay Colony and French Acadia, who sought allies among and warred against the Wabanaki. Following the Revolutionary War and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the District of Maine remained part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Maine became an independent state on March 15, 1820. Portland, the state’s largest city then and now, was capital until 1827, when the seat of government moved to Augusta, a more geographically central location.
The stamp was designed by art director Derry Noyes. Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/mainestatehood.