Brunswick, Maine

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Coordinates: 43°54′39″N 69°57′47″W / 43.91083, -69.96306
Town of Brunswick

Town of Brunswick Location within the state of Maine
County	Cumberland
Settled	1628
Incorporated (town)	1738
Area
- Total	140.4 km² (54.2 sq mi)
- Land	121.2 km² (46.8 sq mi)
Population (2000)
- Total	21,172
- Density	174.7/km² (452.6/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04011
Website: http://www.brunswickme.org/

Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,172 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located at the head of tide and head of navigation on the Androscoggin River, Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, and to Naval Air Station Brunswick.

1 History

[edit] History

House where Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, as it appeared in c. 1915

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, Pejepscot in 1676 was burned and abandoned, although a garrison called Fort Andros was built on the ruins during King William's War. The Treaty of Portsmouth of 1713 then brought peace to the region between the Abenaki Indians and English settlements.

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 on July 13, 1722, warriors from Norridgewock burned the village. Consequently, Governor Samuel Shute declared war on the Abenakis. In 1724, 208 English troops left Fort Richmond (now Richmond) and sacked Norridgewock during Dummer's War. Brunswick was again rebuilt in 1727, and in 1738 incorporated a town. It became a prosperous seaport, where Bowdoin College would be chartered in 1794.

Cabot Mill in c. 1908

The Androscoggin River falls in 3 successive stages over a distance of 41 feet, 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. The town was site of the first cotton mill in Maine, the Brunswick Cotton Manufactory Company, built and incorporated in 1809 to make yarn. Purchased in 1812, the mill was enlarged by the Maine Cotton & Woolen Factory Company. In 1857, the Cabot Manufacturing Company was established to make cotton textiles. It bought the failed Warumbo Manufacturing Company, together with its water rights, then expanded the factory into a brick complex lining the falls. Needing even more room, the company in 1890 persuaded the town to move Maine Street. Other local firms produced paper, soap, marble and granite work, carriages and harness, plows, furniture, shoes, flour and confections.

Brunswick today has a number of historic districts recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Pennellville Historic District, to preserve shipbuilders' and sea captains' mansions built in the Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate architectural styles. Principal employers for Brunswick include Naval Air Station Brunswick, L.L. Bean, Bath Iron Works, as well as companies that produce fiberglass construction material and electrical switches. A number of health services providers that serve Maine's mid-coast area are located in Brunswick.

The book Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe while she was living in Brunswick. She got a key vision for the book in the First Parish Church. The 1993 movie The Man Without a Face was filmed in the town.

Captain John Curtis Memorial Library in c. 1915

Class of 1903 Gates at Bowdoin in c. 1910

Massachusetts Hall at Bowdoin in 1907

Merrymeeting Park Casino in c. 1905

[edit] Notable residents

Walker Art Building in c. 1912

Gorham Dummer Abbot, clergyman & teacher
John Stevens Cabot Abbott, clergyman & author
Dale Arnold, sportscaster & radio personality
Corey Beaulieu, musician
Josh Casaubon, actor
Fanny Chamberlain, wife of Joshua Chamberlain
Joshua Chamberlain, general & governor
Robert P. T. Coffin, poet
Robert P. Dunlap, governor
Charles Carroll Everett, theologian
John Gould, reporter & columnist
Frederic Aldin Hall, professor & chancellor
Joshua Herrick, congressman
Angus King, governor
Stump Merrill, baseball player
Will Montgomery, football player
Benjamin Orr, congressman
Alpheus Spring Packard, professor
George Palmer Putnam, publisher
Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist & author
Jeff Thisted, game show host

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 54.2 square miles (140.4 km²), of which, 46.8 square miles (121.2 km²) of it is land and 7.4 square miles (19.3 km²) of it (13.72%) is water. Situated at the head of Casco Bay, Brunswick is drained by the Androscoggin River.

[edit] Demographics

See also: Brunswick (CDP), Maine

House where Nathaniel Hawthorne roomed while at Bowdoin, as it appeared in 1907

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 21,172 people, 8,150 households, and 5,150 families residing in the town. The population density was 452.6 people per square mile (174.7/km²). There were 8,720 housing units at an average density of 186.4/sq mi (72.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.35% White, 1.71% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population.

There were 8,150 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.

House where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow roomed, 1907

In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

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.