Brunswick, Maine | |
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Motto: "Beautifully balanced" | |
Coordinates: 43°54′39″N69°57′47″W / 43.91083°N 69.96306°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Maine |
County | Cumberland |
Settled | 1628 |
Incorporated (town) | 1739 |
Communities |
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Area | |
• Total | 54.34 sq mi (140.74 km2) |
• Land | 46.73 sq mi (121.03 km2) |
• Water | 7.61 sq mi (19.71 km2) |
Population | |
• Total | 21,756 |
• Density | 433.9/sq mi (167.5/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
ZIP code | 04011 |
Website | www |
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Brunswick is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. [3] Part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area, Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum, and the Maine State Music Theatre. It was formerly home to the U.S. Naval Air Station Brunswick, which was permanently closed on May 31, 2011, and has since been partially released to redevelopment as "Brunswick Landing".
Settled in 1628 by Thomas Purchase and other fishermen, the area was called by its Indian name, Pejepscot, meaning "the long, rocky rapids part [of the river]". In 1639, Purchase placed his settlement under protection of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During King Philip's War in 1676, Pejepscot was burned and abandoned, although a garrison called Fort Andros was built on the ruins during King William's War. During the war, in Major Benjamin Church's second expedition a year later, he arrived on September 11, 1690, with 300 men at Casco Bay. He went up the Androscoggin River to Fort Pejepscot (present day Brunswick, Maine). [4] From there he went 40 miles (64 km) upriver and attacked a native village. Three or four native men were shot in retreat. When Church discovered five captive settlers in the wigwams, six or seven prisoners were butchered as an example, [5] and nine prisoners were taken. A few days later, in retaliation, the natives attacked Church at Cape Elizabeth on Purpooduc Point, killing seven of his men and wounding 24 others. [6] On September 26, Church returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth brought peace to the region between the Abenaki Indians and the English colonists. [7]
In 1714, a consortium from Boston and Portsmouth bought the land, thereafter called the Pejepscot purchase. The Massachusetts General Court constituted the township in 1717, naming it "Brunswick" in honor of the House of Brunswick and its scion, King George I. A stone fort called Fort George was built in 1715 near the falls. But during Dummer's War on July 13, 1722, Abenaki warriors from Norridgewock burned the village. Consequently, Governor Samuel Shute declared war on the Abenakis. In 1724, 208 English colonial militia left Fort Richmond and sacked Norridgewock during Dummer's War. Brunswick was rebuilt again in 1727, and in 1739 incorporated as a town. It became a prosperous seaport, where Bowdoin College was chartered in 1794. [7]
The Androscoggin River falls in three successive stages for a total vertical drop of 41 feet (12 m), providing water power for industry. Brunswick became a major producer of lumber, with as many as 25 sawmills. Some of the lumber went into shipbuilding. Other firms produced paper, soap, flour, marble and granite work, carriages and harness, plows, furniture, shoes and confections. The town was site of the first cotton mill in Maine, the Brunswick Cotton Manufactory Company, built in 1809 to make yarn. Purchased in 1812, the mill was enlarged by the Maine Cotton & Woolen Factory Company. [8] In 1857, the Cabot Manufacturing Company was established to make cotton textiles. It bought the failed Worumbo Mill and expanded the brick factory along the falls. Needing even more room, the company in 1890 persuaded the town to move Maine Street. [9]
Principal employers for Brunswick include L.L. Bean, Bath Iron Works, as well as companies that produce fiberglass construction material and electrical switches. A number of health services providers serving Maine's mid-coast area are located in Brunswick. [10] The former Naval Air Station Brunswick was a major employer in Brunswick prior to its closure.
Brunswick has a number of historic districts recognized on the National Register of Historic Places:
The book Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe while she was living in Brunswick, during the time that her husband was a professor at Bowdoin. She got a key vision for the book in the First Parish Church. [11]
A scene in the 1993 movie The Man Without a Face was filmed in the town. [10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 54.34 square miles (140.74 km2), of which 46.73 square miles (121.03 km2) is land and 7.61 square miles (19.71 km2) is water. [1] Brunswick is located at the north end of Casco Bay, as well as the head of tide and head of navigation on the Androscoggin River.
Climate data for Brunswick, Maine | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 61 (16) | 59 (15) | 73 (23) | 84 (29) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 98 (37) | 104 (40) | 95 (35) | 85 (29) | 74 (23) | 68 (20) | 104 (40) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31 (−1) | 34 (1) | 43 (6) | 54 (12) | 65 (18) | 74 (23) | 79 (26) | 78 (26) | 70 (21) | 59 (15) | 47 (8) | 36 (2) | 56 (13) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10 (−12) | 14 (−10) | 23 (−5) | 33 (1) | 44 (7) | 53 (12) | 59 (15) | 58 (14) | 50 (10) | 38 (3) | 30 (−1) | 18 (−8) | 36 (2) |
Record low °F (°C) | −49 (−45) | −25 (−32) | −10 (−23) | 13 (−11) | 27 (−3) | 34 (1) | 37 (3) | 37 (3) | 28 (−2) | 18 (−8) | 1 (−17) | −21 (−29) | −49 (−45) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.72 (94) | 3.55 (90) | 4.37 (111) | 4.74 (120) | 4.52 (115) | 4.17 (106) | 4.00 (102) | 3.30 (84) | 4.23 (107) | 4.94 (125) | 5.62 (143) | 4.07 (103) | 51.23 (1,300) |
Source: weather.com [12] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 1,357 | — | |
1800 | 1,809 | 33.3% | |
1810 | 2,682 | 48.3% | |
1820 | 2,931 | 9.3% | |
1830 | 3,547 | 21.0% | |
1840 | 4,259 | 20.1% | |
1850 | 4,977 | 16.9% | |
1860 | 4,723 | −5.1% | |
1870 | 4,687 | −0.8% | |
1880 | 5,384 | 14.9% | |
1890 | 6,012 | 11.7% | |
1900 | 6,806 | 13.2% | |
1910 | 6,621 | −2.7% | |
1920 | 7,261 | 9.7% | |
1930 | 7,604 | 4.7% | |
1940 | 8,658 | 13.9% | |
1950 | 10,996 | 27.0% | |
1960 | 15,797 | 43.7% | |
1970 | 16,195 | 2.5% | |
1980 | 17,366 | 7.2% | |
1990 | 20,906 | 20.4% | |
2000 | 21,172 | 1.3% | |
2010 | 20,278 | −4.2% | |
2020 | 21,756 | 7.3% | |
[13] [14] [15] |
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $40,402; and the median income for a family was $49,088. Males had a median income of $32,141 versus $24,927 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,322. About 5.0% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census [2] of 2010, there were 15,175 people, 7,183 households, and 6,498 families residing in the census-designated place of Brunswick. The population density was 433.9 inhabitants per square mile (167.5/km2). There were 9,599 housing units at an average density of 205.4 per square mile (79.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.0% White, 1.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.
There were 8,469 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 44.7% were married couples living together; 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present; 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present; and 42.3% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the town was 41.4 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.
The Brunswick School Department operates the town's public schools, including:
Other local educational institutions include:
The Growstown School, on Woodside Road, is the last remaining of the town's formerly twenty-six one-room schoolhouses.
The town is served by Interstate 295, U.S. Routes 1 and 201, and Maine State Route 24, Maine State Route 123 and Maine State Route 196.
Amtrak's Downeaster train service terminates at Brunswick Maine Street Station and connects the town to the Portland Transportation Center and Boston's North Station.
Greater Portland Metro provides several trips a day between the Portland Transportation Center and Brunswick Maine Street Station with its Metro Breez bus service. A local bus service is provided by Brunswick Link.
Auburn is a city in south-central Maine, within the United States. The city serves as the county seat of Androscoggin County. The population was 24,061 at the 2020 census. Auburn and its sister city Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston–Auburn (L–A).
Lisbon is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,711 at the 2020 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and the Lewiston–Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England city and town area. The town of Lisbon includes the villages of Lisbon and Lisbon Falls.
Falmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 12,444 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.
Harpswell is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. The population was 5,031 at the 2020 census. Harpswell is composed of land contiguous with the rest of Cumberland County, called Harpswell Neck, as well as three large islands connected by bridges: Sebascodegan Island, Orr's Island, and Bailey Island and over 200 smaller islands. Harpswell is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Castine is a town in Hancock County in eastern Maine, United States. The population was 1,320 at the 2020 census. Castine is the home of Maine Maritime Academy, a four-year institution that graduates officers and engineers for the United States Merchant Marine and marine related industries.
Denmark is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2020 census. A number of ponds and lakes are located within the town.
Bowdoin is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Bowdoin is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 3,136 at the 2020 census. Bowdoin is 31 land miles north of Portland, and 21 land miles south of Augusta.
Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Bowdoinham was included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 3,047 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,522 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area, situated at the head of Merrymeeting Bay.
Dummer's War (1722–1725) was a series of battles between the New England Colonies and the Wabanaki Confederacy, who were allied with New France. The eastern theater of the war was located primarily along the border between New England and Acadia in Maine, as well as in Nova Scotia; the western theater was located in northern Massachusetts and Vermont at the border between Canada and New England. During this time, Maine and Vermont were part of Massachusetts.
The Harriet Beecher Stowe House is a historic home and National Historic Landmark at 63 Federal Street in Brunswick, Maine, notable as a short-term home of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Calvin Ellis Stowe and where Harriet wrote her 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Earlier, it had been the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as a student. It is today owned by Bowdoin College. A space within the house, called Harriet's Writing Room, is open to the public.
The First Parish Church is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. The church meetinghouse sits at 217 Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine. Built in 1845 to a design by Richard Upjohn, it is a unique example of Gothic Revival architecture done in wood, as the church was built with vertical board-and-batten paneling. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The congregation dates to 1717. The Senior Pastor is Rev. John Allen.
Thomaston, formerly known as Fort St. Georges, Fort Wharf, and Lincoln, is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,739 at the 2020 census. Noted for its antique architecture, Thomaston is an old port popular with tourists. The town was named after Major General John Thomas.
Topsham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Topsham was included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 9,560 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is home to the annual Topsham Fair.
Skowhegan is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,620. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously held state fair in the United States. Skowhegan was originally inhabited by the indigenous Abenaki people who named the area Skowhegan, meaning "watching place [for fish]," and were mostly dispersed by the end of the 4th Anglo-Abenaki War.
The Federal Street Historic District of Brunswick, Maine encompasses a part of the town whose development was influenced by its 18th-century success as a shipping center, and by the presence of Bowdoin College, whose historic central campus is part of the district. In addition to the campus, the district includes a series of relatively high-style Federal and later-period houses along Federal Street and Maine Street, which join the campus to downtown Brunswick. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Brunswick Commercial Historic District encompasses the historic late-19th century commercial core of Brunswick, Maine. It includes the northern four blocks of Maine Street, the town's principal commercial thoroughfare, which was laid out in the late 17th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Fort Andross, also known as Fort George and Cabot Mill, was initially established as a trading post and later converted into a historic garrison by the colonial British Empire as a defensive measure against the Wabanaki Native Americans who were allied with France during King William's War (1688–1697). It was situated next to Brunswick Falls, on the Androscoggin River in Brunswick, Maine. During the war, the fortification was destroyed, rebuilt, and renamed Fort George in 1715. Once the Native American wars came to an end, the fort was abandoned.
Pejepscot is a historical settlement first occupied by a subset of the Androscoggin Native Americans known as the Wabanaki. The region encompasses the current towns of Brunswick, Topsham and Harpswell, Maine in Sagadahoc and Cumberland counties and was first settled by English settlers in 1628.
Brunswick Falls, also known as Pejepscot Falls, lie on a rocky section of the Androscoggin River, bordering the towns of Brunswick and Topsham, Maine in the US. First occupied by Paleoindians and the Wabanaki Native Americans, the falls were a plentiful resource for food and trade. Throughout colonial history, the Industrial Revolution, and into the 21st century, the falls have been a vital part of Brunswick and Topsham's economy, harnessing its power for energy development.
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