Freeport, Maine

Coordinates: 43°50′38″N 70°6′6″W / 43.84389°N 70.10167°W / 43.84389; -70.10167
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Freeport, Maine
Town
View of downtown
View of downtown
FIPS code
23-26525
GNIS feature ID0582481
Websitewww.freeportmaine.com

Freeport is a

L.L. Bean, Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, and the Desert of Maine
.

Freeport is part of the

metropolitan statistical area. The Harraseeket Historic District
is in Freeport.

History

The town was once a part of North Yarmouth called Harraseeket, after the Harraseeket River. First settled about 1700, it was set off and incorporated on February 14, 1789 as Freeport. It is probably named "from the openness of its harbor" (free from ice).[3] Freeport developed as four villages—Mast Landing, Porter's Landing, South Freeport and Freeport Corner—all of which are now part of the Harraseeket Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the

farming. In 1903, the Casco Castle was built here by Amos Gerald to encourage travel by trolley
cars. The hotel burned in 1914, but its tower still stands.

Freeport Corner was an inland village for farming and

brickyard, granite quarry and large shoe factory.[5]

In 1912,

mail order catalog facilities expanded into Freeport's principal business, and a worldwide company with annual sales of over a billion dollars.[6] The L.L. Bean flagship store is the anchor to outlet shopping in the town of Freeport. The town sees about 3.5 million visitors annually, spending $308 million in 2015 alone.[7] L.L. Bean, for its part, has invested heavily in activities for both visitors and residents, including their Outdoor Discovery Schools, and their Summer Concert Series, which has attracted artists such as Edwin McCain, Great Big Sea, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Rockapella
.

In 1982,

Greek Revival house to build one of its stores. Outcry from residents caused the town to adopt new ordinances concerning what businesses could and could not do with their buildings, and McDonald's built the restaurant inside the house and opened it in 1984, maintaining the exterior appearance. This was one of the first times that McDonald's had been forced to change its restaurant design to fit local requirements.[8]

  • Old Ledge Schoolhouse c. 1905
    Old Ledge Schoolhouse c. 1905
  • Main Street c. 1910
    Main Street c. 1910
  • Main Street c. 1912
    Main Street c. 1912
  • Jameson Tavern c. 1915
    Jameson Tavern c. 1915
  • Rockapella performs at the L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series, July 2003
    Rockapella performs at the L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series, July 2003
  • Facade of McDonald's located in Freeport where the restaurant was forced to maintain the pre-existing exterior of the house.
    Facade of McDonald's located in Freeport where the restaurant was forced to maintain the pre-existing exterior of the house.
  • Main Street, 2012
    Main Street, 2012

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.47 square miles (120.36 km2), of which 34.70 square miles (89.87 km2) is land and 11.77 square miles (30.48 km2) is water.[1] Situated at the northeastern extremity of Casco Bay, Freeport is drained by the Harraseeket River.

Freeport borders Brunswick and Durham to the north, Pownal to the west, and Yarmouth to the southwest. Freeport also shares small borders with Cumberland and Harpswell in Casco Bay. Cumberland and Harpswell are not connected to Freeport by roads, but since Freeport's town border ranges out into Casco Bay, the other towns' borders meet Freeport's.

Climate

This

warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[9]

Transportation

Both U.S. 1 and Interstate-295 run directly through Freeport, the latter with three exits northbound (20, 22 and 24) and two exits southbound (22 and 20).

Amtrak's Downeaster train service stops at Freeport station with service to the Portland Transportation Center and Boston's North Station.

Greater Portland Metro's BREEZ
provides bus service between Brunswick and Portland, with four stops in Freeport.

Demographics

See also: Freeport (CDP), Maine
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17901,320—
18002,23769.5%
18102,184−2.4%
18202,1840.0%
18302,62320.1%
18402,6621.5%
18502,629−1.2%
18602,7926.2%
18702,457−12.0%
18802,279−7.2%
18902,4828.9%
19002,339−5.8%
19102,4605.2%
19202,4881.1%
19302,184−12.2%
19402,76426.6%
19503,28018.7%
19604,05523.6%
19704,78117.9%
19805,86322.6%
19906,90517.8%
20007,80013.0%
20107,8791.0%
20208,73710.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

2010 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 3,209 households, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. Of all households, 25.1% were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the town was 45 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 34.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 3,065 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. Of all households, 22.4% were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,023, and the median income for a family was $58,134. Males had a median income of $41,703 versus $27,490 for females. The

poverty line
, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Freeport is part of Regional school unit #5.[13]

Public schools

  • Morse Street School, grades K–2
  • Mast Landing School, grades 3–5
  • Freeport Middle School, grades 6–8
  • Freeport High School, grades 9–12

Private schools

Sites of interest

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Freeport town, Cumberland County, Maine". Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. p. 131. coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
  4. ^ Varney, George J. (1886), Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Freeport, Boston: Russell
  5. ^ "Historical Sketch of FREEPORT, Maine". history.rays-place.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  6. ^ There is now a park that is dedicated in his name. "Company Information:Background". L.L. Bean. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  7. ^ http://www.freeportecon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/160510-Retail-Sales-Report.pdf Freeport, Maine Retail Sales Report Prepared by: Freeport Economic Development Corporation Updated: May 10, 2016
  8. ^ "Thinking Outside the Big Box". Preservation Online. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  9. ^ "Freeport, Maine Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  13. ^ Inc., SchoolPointe. "Home - Regional School Unit 5". rsu5.org. Retrieved April 18, 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ Maine Coast
  15. ISBN 9780884482758
    .

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Freeport, Maine.
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