Stevensville sits on land called Stevens Adventure, a 1694 grant to Francis Stevens. The town developed after the 1850 sale of two farms by James and Charles Stevens, descendants of Francis Stevens. An 1877 tax map shows that the town had grown to nearly 30 structures, including dwellings, churches, stores, a doctor’s office, a post office, an Odd Fellows’ hall and a hotel.
Stevensville’s development benefited from the steamboat-based trade system that linked the eastern and western shores in the mid-19th century. The railroad came to Stevensville in 1902, and by 1909 the town had two schools, four doctors, a blacksmith and a sawmill. The end of passenger rail service by 1938 and freight line service by 1948 halted growth of the town.
Today, Stevensville is still a close-knit community that retains its charming 1920s appearance. Its historic district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
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