The murals are available for viewing during regular Town hall hours. The location of the York Town Hall is 186 York Street, York, Maine.
The York Town Hall Mural was created in 2025 by artist Gordon Carlisle of Eliot, Maine. The Town Hall Historic Display Subcommittee was tasked with producing a historical display in the lobby and display cabinet in the first floor lobby at the Town Hall. The Committee saw an opportunity to expand this vision by creating a mural depicting the town’s rich past.
Once the mural idea was approved by the Select Board, committee members—Town of York Historian James Kences, Wayne Martin, Kevin McKinney, and Kevin Freeman—began researching significant historical events and places to be included in the mural panels.
From a group of four candidates, the Committee selected Gordon Carlisle to paint the mural in April of 2024. The Committee worked closely with Gordon for many months, developing a design that would represent 400 years of York’s history and win the approval of both town officials and residents. As the Committee gathered feedback from the public, the mural evolved into its final version, and Gordon committed paint to panel. The Committee has made an earnest effort to represent the town’s history and diversity in the broadest sense possible. Four centuries of history, as the Committee discovered, is no small task.
Above, James Kences, Kevin Freeman, Kevin McKinney survey residents at the polling station to find their opinion on the mural and what might or might not be included to best represent four centuries of York history
Above, the Committee created this information kiosk, at the York Public Library to survey the public for comments or suggestions about the proposed mural.
It is the Committee’s hope that the mural will serve the curiosity of the casual passerby as well as the most scrupulous scholar. Ideally, the mural will inspire all residents—from schoolchildren to lifelong townies. History is an ever-evolving story that cannot be made final, and the Committee recognizes that while the mural may appear definitive, it is not unquestionable. We encourage dialogue and the sharing of information as opportunities for learning, and invite viewers to see the mural panels as a hub of historic discovery.
On occassion, the The Historic Display Committee went beyond the scope of the Committee and invited others with specific expertise to several meetings. This was very helpful and opened new possibilies. An example was the use of a key system to help viewers better navigate the information on the mural panels. The Committee also consulted with scholars in York’s Colonial history.
From left to right are artist Gordon Carlisle, York town historian James Kences, special consultants Elaine Wood, Mary Harding, Susan Meffert, Town Hall Historic Display Sub-Committee Members Kevin McKinney, Wayne Martin and Kevin Freeman.
The Historic Display Sub Committee is grateful to Danny Bottino for contributing summaries on the 17th and 18th century mural keys.
More Historic Resources are available on the York Town Hall website. https://www.yorkmaine.org/635/York-Historical-Records