Loss of local gathering places leads to mental health decline

The social landscape of today's Washington County is very different than that of yesteryear. Like most of the country, the county has seen a steady decline in interest and participation in public events, contributing to the closure or cessation of once active organizations — and a concurrent rise in mental health problems as opportunities to socialize have diminished.
The COVID 19 pandemic was one modern catalyst, with the Maine AmeriCorps biannual civic engagement report finding that 40,000 volunteers who participated prior to COVID haven't come back. But that's far from the whole story, as the report also shows participation rates declining in every field since 2017.
In fact, it's far from a recent phenomenon, with participation rates in community organizations declining by nearly half between 1985 to 1994, as revealed in Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone . There are clues, however, that it's getting worse. A recent article from The Atlantic reports that face to face socializing among teenagers dropped by more than 45% between 2003 – 2022.
It's difficult to measure the direct impact of the loss of socialization, but some point to a decrease in mental well being. In a 2023 study by Enghin Atalay, a five point increase in alone time corresponded to a greater decrease in life satisfaction than a 10 point reduction in household income.
There is abundant evidence of a decline in mental health in the county. Washington County leads the state with 28 suicides per 100,000, more than double the national average, and tends to have a similar standing for its rate of fatal overdoses and alcohol related deaths.

Remembering how it was
"When I was growing up in Charlotte, there were two general stores where people would gather to greet their neighbors and discuss local and worldly events," says Eileen Clark. "There were also the grange, church and school events where people enjoyed socializing." Charlotte was one of many thriving communities in the county during the 1900s.
Granges were a key part of the social fabric, drawing local members and those from nearby granges to regular activities. "It was an opportunity for community service, dances, plays, nights of card tournaments, public suppers. People were able to gather and socialize without traveling far," remembers Patricia Brown Fallon. While she was growing up in the 1960s, the Pembroke grange "sure provided a safe place to socialize on a school night when otherwise we wouldn't have gotten out of the house."
Churches also played an important role, says Jerry LaPointe of Calais, including organizations such as the Knights of Pythias and the Rebeccas, as well as large active women's groups. "I remember this very well as my mother belonged [to the St. Anne's group], and when the meeting was held at our house we kids were relegated to the upstairs and expected to stay there -- without television -- keep ourselves occupied and be quiet," LaPointe recalls.
Every Wednesday, the families of St. Anne's would hold a Lenten supper, LaPointe says. "Everyone in the parish would come together, and each family would bring a dish. It was a fun gathering. There were several boys in my class who also went to St. Anne's, and kids would play together after supper, usually outside as I remember."
Fraternal organizations such as the Masons were also much more prominent, LaPointe says, once hosting around 100 members at the Calais lodge. Civic groups such as the Lions and Rotary clubs were also much larger and more active.
In communities throughout the county, it was a similar story: monthly church suppers, weekly dances, nightly grange activities and a slew of major events throughout the year. Decade by decade, that began to change.

Changing social structures
Along with the shrinking youth population, a few key changes have taken place over the past half century. One was access to television, writes Derek Thompson in The Atlantic, noting that the percentage of sixth graders with a TV went from 6 to 77% between 1970 and 1999. Another factor was the government itself, which stopped investing in community gathering spaces in the 1970s. That has contributed to a society wide decline in the understanding of the importance of meaningful social interactions.
"The disintegration of public spaces like the grange, the fraternal order and the church is largely a product of that 'forgetting,'" says Shaun Haskins, co director of the Cobscook Institute in Trescott. "We assumed that intentional investment in those spaces wasn't needed because rural living itself generated the 'glue' that held communities together."
In Maine, where per capita membership in grange halls was the highest in the nation at the turn of the 20th century, granges started to close. Washington County has seen several close over the past two decades, Helen Brooks told The Quoddy Tides in 2021, with 15 granges active at the turn of the millennium. At the time of the article, only five -- Alexander, Jonesboro, Perry, Jacksonville and Cooper -- remained.
In places where social institutions have been lost, communities have suffered, Haskins says, "both because we hadn't practiced the skills needed to keep our interconnected community healthy in the absence of those institutions, and because we had lost our awareness that we even needed skills like that."
Social media has been a poor replacement, Haskins adds, because while it "mimics the benefits of real social health and relationship" it is an "illusion of connection." Users are drawn into surface interactions while missing out on the opportunity to work on long term relationships that "are always, always messy and hard," he continues. "And it's that long term navigation and the work that goes into being successful at it that build the skills that are needed to have a healthy community." Because a user can "opt out" when conversations turn unfavorable, it means users effectively "stop practicing how to not be isolated from each other."

Enduring connections
Even as social changes have taken root in recent decades, not every traditional gathering place has fallen away in Washington County. The exceptions are worth noting, particularly in how they've adapted.
In Alexander, the grange is the focal point of a resurgence in community activity. "One of our precepts is perseverance, and we all stand by that," says Dale Holst, master of the Alexander Grange. His grandparents were members, and his mother, Mildred, was the first woman master. Built in 1908, it has approximately 40 members today and meets twice a month. This May it will hold a public open house to celebrate two 65 year members, he shares.
In Perry the grange has taken on a new role, transforming its focus from being the ally and the voice of the local farmer into being a meeting place, says master Paul Woodman. "With most of the farmers gone, it's become a place to socialize. To talk about what's going on the in the garden and what's happening in the community, and, if anything's possible, how the grange can help." Fundraising helps keep the grange going and the building repaired -- "old buildings are awful hard to keep up," Woodman says -- with a new roof to be added this spring.
Down the coast in Jonesboro sits a bastion of local granges with popular public events held throughout the year. "Our dedicated volunteers enjoy seeing the smiling kids' faces and having events to interact and socialize with the locals and tourists," says Amanda Holland, treasurer. "We might be from small towns, but determination and the spirit of the grange -- and all past and current members -- keep us moving forward to bring hope, joy and a little fun to our community."
Church suppers haven't entirely stopped, either. The Dennysville Edmunds Congregational Church, for example, regularly holds monthly breakfasts on the first Saturday and suppers on the third Saturday of each month, says Mary McFadden. Unlike church suppers of yesteryear, which were typically offered at no cost, today's church suppers tend to be fundraisers that serve to keep the community functions going. In the case of the Dennysville Edmunds church, the funds built and help to maintain the parish hall where many events are held. Seasonal holiday meals, meanwhile, are put on by churches around the county and are open to all looking to share in a feast.
For the most part, though, the county's historical social institutions have dramatically fallen away or changed -- and the ensuing mental health impact has not gone unnoticed, with new groups emerging to fill in the voids.

New social gathering spaces
Over the past few decades, libraries, community centers and community focused nonprofits have gradually become hot spots for social gatherings, says Shaun Haskins, noting that they can provide spaces that facilitate "real human connection and create the conditions to understand and practice the skills that are so essential to our mutual thriving." At Cobscook Institute, monthly community dinners are offered, along with art classes and camp programs that provide robust social learning opportunities.
At Healthy Acadia, staff have been seeing "a growing and sustained participation in our wellness programs," says Tracey Carlson, communications director. Virtual and in person tai chi classes -- co hosted in partnership with local libraries and community centers -- have been notably popular. "Additionally, events that involve group activity, such as the Downeast Restorative Harvest community garden volunteer days, Machias Community Suppers and Fun Fridays at our INSPIRE Center in Ellsworth are increasingly popular." The organization is planning its first collaboration with the Friends of Moosehorn with a family fun day on February 8. "These programs are playing a crucial role in fostering connection and aim to ease isolation in our community."
Libraries in particular have "carried forward the spirit of traditional gathering places while adapting to modernity," says Lisa Dereszewski, sociology instructor at Washington County Community College (WCCC), adding that they "host events and provide resources for those who might otherwise feel disconnected."
"I see this every time we have a program, and every day, really," says Dana Chevalier, librarian at the Peavey Memorial Library in Eastport. "The joy of participation in shared activities and interests, the animated and lively conversation that accompanies these library activities and the enthusiasm with which they are received are evidence that libraries are at the forefront of meeting this very important need."
Theater groups such as Stage East and Machias ACT provide opportunities for collaboration, while "town recreation programs, historical societies and even local businesses are all great hubs," Dereszewski says. WCCC regularly holds presentations that are free and open to the public, and the Eastport Arts Center offers frequent events accessible by donation. The Lubec Community Outreach Center organizes regular social events including weekly senior breakfasts.
In his parting "prescription" to the country, Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, outgoing surgeon general of the United States, wrote of the risks of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety and premature death if widespread loneliness is not addressed. He recommends engaging in service to foster purpose and a sense of belonging and stresses the importance of looking outside surface divisions. "We are at our best not when we fear but when we love, not when we turn away but when we turn toward one another. This must be our compass as we set out to build community."