Brunswick, Maine
Encyclopedia
Brunswick is a town
in Cumberland County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College
, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art
, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum
, The Theater Project, and the Maine State Music Theatre. It was home to Naval Air Station Brunswick
which permanently closed on May 31, 2011.
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 11 September 1690 with 300 men at Casco Bay. He went up the Androscoggin River
to the English Fort Pejepscot (present day Brunswick, Maine). From there he went 40 miles up river and attacked a native village. Three or four native men were shot in retreat; When Church discovered 5 English captives in the wigwams, six or seven prisoners were butchered as an example; and nine prisoners were taken. A few days later, in retaliation, the natives attacked Church at Cape Elizabeth
on Purpooduc Point, killing 7 of his men and wounding 24 others. 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.
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 troops 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.
The Androscoggin River
falls in three successive stages for a total vertical drop of 41 feet (12.5 m), providing water power for industry
. Brunswick became a major producer of lumber
, with as many as 25 sawmill
s. Some of the lumber went into shipbuilding
. Other firms produced paper
, soap
, flour
, marble
and granite
work, carriage
s 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. In 1857, the Cabot Manufacturing Company was established to make cotton textile
s. 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.
Brunswick today has a number of historic district
s 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 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. The former Naval Air Station Brunswick
was a major employer in Brunswick prior to its closure.
The book Uncle Tom's Cabin
was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
while she was living in Brunswick, because her husband was a professor at Bowdoin. She got a key vision for the book in the First Parish Church. A scene in the 1993 movie The Man Without a Face
was filmed in the town.
, the town has a total area of 54.2 square miles (140.4 km²), of which 46.8 square miles (121.2 km²) is land and 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), or 13.72%, is water. 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
.
The town is served by Interstate 295
, U.S. Route 1
and 201
, and Maine State Route 24, Maine State Route 123 and Maine State Route 196
.
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 per square mile (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.
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.
With the closure of the Brunswick Naval Air Station, population for the town is expected to decline for the 2010 Census.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art
Bowdoin College Museum of Art
The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is an art museum located in Brunswick, Maine. Included on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum is located in a building on the campus of Bowdoin College designed by the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White.-History:The museum's collection...
, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum
Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum is a museum located in Hubbard Hall at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Named after Arctic explorers and Bowdoin College graduates Robert E. Peary and Donald B...
, The Theater Project, and the Maine State Music Theatre. It was home to Naval Air Station Brunswick
Naval Air Station Brunswick
Naval Air Station Brunswick , also known as NAS Brunswick, was a military airport located northeast of Brunswick, Maine. The base was home to a number of Navy-operated Maritime patrol aircraft...
which permanently closed on May 31, 2011.
History
Settled in 1628 by Thomas Purchase and other fishermen, the area was called by its IndianIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
name, Pejepscot, meaning "the long, rocky rapids part [of the river]". In 1639, Purchase placed his settlement under protection of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. During King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
in 1676, Pejepscot was burned and abandoned, although a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
called Fort Andros
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
was built on the ruins during King William's War
King William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
. During the war, in Major Benjamin Church's second expedition a year later, he arrived on 11 September 1690 with 300 men at Casco Bay. He went up the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
to the English Fort Pejepscot (present day Brunswick, Maine). From there he went 40 miles up river and attacked a native village. Three or four native men were shot in retreat; When Church discovered 5 English captives in the wigwams, six or seven prisoners were butchered as an example; and nine prisoners were taken. A few days later, in retaliation, the natives attacked Church at Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
on Purpooduc Point, killing 7 of his men and wounding 24 others. On September 26, Church returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth
Treaty of Portsmouth (1713)
The Treaty of Portsmouth, signed on July 13, 1713, ended hostilities between Eastern Abenakis with the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The agreement renewed a treaty of 1693 the Indians had made with Governor William Phips, two in a series of attempts to establish peace between Indians and...
brought peace to the region between the Abenaki Indians and the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
colonists.
In 1714, a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
from Boston and Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
bought the land, thereafter called the Pejepscot Purchase. The Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
constituted the township in 1717, naming it Brunswick in honor of the House of Brunswick and its scion, King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
. A stone fort called Fort George
Fort George (Maine)
Fort George was a colonial era fort, erected in 1715, that was located in Brunswick, when Maine was under jurisdiction of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.-History:...
was built in 1715 near the falls. But during Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
on July 13, 1722, Abenaki warriors from Norridgewock
Norridgewock
The Norridgewock were a band of the Abenaki Native Americans/First Nations, an Eastern Algonquian tribe of the United States and Canada. The tribe occupied an area in Maine to the west and northwest of the Penawapskewi tribe, which was located on the western bank of the Penobscot River...
burned the village. Consequently, Governor Samuel Shute
Samuel Shute
Samuel Shute was a military officer and royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. After serving in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession, he was appointed by King George I as governor of Massachusetts in 1716...
declared war on the Abenakis. In 1724, 208 English troops left Fort Richmond
Richmond, Maine
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
and sacked Norridgewock during Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
. Brunswick was rebuilt again in 1727, and in 1739 incorporated as a town. It became a prosperous seaport, where Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
was chartered in 1794.
The Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
falls in three successive stages for a total vertical drop of 41 feet (12.5 m), providing water power for industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
. Brunswick became a major producer of lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, with as many as 25 sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s. Some of the lumber went into shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
. Other firms produced paper
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
, soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
, flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
, marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
work, carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s and harness, plows, furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, shoes
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
and confections. The town was site of the first cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
in Maine, the Brunswick Cotton Manufactory Company, built in 1809 to make yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
. 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 textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s. It bought the failed Worumbo Mill
Worumbo Mill
Worumbo Mill is an historic mill on the bank of the Androscoggin River in Lisbon Falls, Maine.The mill was built in 1864 and added to the National Historic Register in 1973....
and expanded the brick factory along the falls. Needing even more room, the company in 1890 persuaded the town to move Maine Street.
Brunswick today has a number of historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
s recognized on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, including the Pennellville Historic District
Pennellville Historic District
Pennellville Historic District is a residential district located in the town of Brunswick, Maine . It is a historic district, and to locals, it is known simply as "Pennellville."...
, to preserve shipbuilders' and sea captains' mansions built in the Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate architectural styles. Principal employers for Brunswick include L.L. Bean, Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, as well as companies that produce fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
construction material and electrical switches. A number of health services providers serving Maine's mid-coast area are located in Brunswick. The former Naval Air Station Brunswick
Naval Air Station Brunswick
Naval Air Station Brunswick , also known as NAS Brunswick, was a military airport located northeast of Brunswick, Maine. The base was home to a number of Navy-operated Maritime patrol aircraft...
was a major employer in Brunswick prior to its closure.
The book Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
while she was living in Brunswick, because her husband was a professor at Bowdoin. She got a key vision for the book in the First Parish Church. A scene in the 1993 movie The Man Without a Face
The Man Without a Face
The Man Without a Face is a 1993 drama film starring and directed by Mel Gibson. The film is based on Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel of the same name. Gibson's directorial debut received respectful reviews from most critics.-Plot:...
was filmed in the town.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 54.2 square miles (140.4 km²), of which 46.8 square miles (121.2 km²) is land and 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), or 13.72%, is water. Brunswick is located at the north end of Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
, as well as the head of tide
Head of tide
Head of tide is the farthest point upstream where a river is affected by tidal fluctuations. This applies to rivers which flow into tidal bodies such as oceans, bays and sloughs. Though this point may vary due to storms and seasonal or annual differences in water flows, there is generally an...
and head of navigation on the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
.
The town is served by Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Maine)
Interstate 295 is a -long connector in the U.S. state of Maine from I-95 in Scarborough to I-95 in West Gardiner.-Route description:...
, U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maine
In the U.S. state of Maine, U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south state highway serving the eastern part of the state. It parallels the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire north through Portland, Brunswick, and Belfast to Calais, and then the St. Croix River and the rest of the Canadian border...
and 201
U.S. Route 201
U.S. Route 201 is a spur of U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Maine. US 201 begins in Brunswick. It follows the Kennebec River from Gardiner, Maine, to The Forks where it pulls away from the town and runs into the north woods. Route 201 ends in Sandy Bay Township, where it enters Quebec, Canada at...
, and Maine State Route 24, Maine State Route 123 and Maine State Route 196
Maine State Route 196
State Route 196 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maine. It connects Lewiston to Brunswick, following the valley of the Androscoggin River. ME 196 begins at a junction with US Route 1, which is a recent re-alignment change...
.
Neighboring cities and towns
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 21,172 people, 8,150 households, and 5,150 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 452.6 people per square mile (174.7/km²). There were 8,720 housing units at an average density of 186.4 per square mile (72.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.35% White, 1.71% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.23% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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.
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
With the closure of the Brunswick Naval Air Station, population for the town is expected to decline for the 2010 Census.
Education
- Brunswick High School
- Children's School of Arts & Science
- Saint John's Catholic School
- Bowdoin College
Sites of interest
- Brunswick Maine Street StationBrunswick Maine Street StationBrunswick Maine Street Station is a multi-modal, multi-use real estate development in the middle of Brunswick, Maine, located on Maine Street. It is currently under construction and when finished will consist of commercial offices, service centers, retail, restaurants, theatre and residential space...
- The Theater Project
- Androscoggin Pedestrian Swinging BridgeAndroscoggin Pedestrian Swinging BridgeThe Swinging Bridge in Maine was originally built in 1892 for workers walking from the Topsham Heights neighborhood to Cabot Mill in Brunswick, over the Androscoggin River. The bridge was constructed by John A. Roebling's Sons Company, the engineering firm that designed and built the Brooklyn...
- Bowdoin College Museum of Art
- Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum
- Pejepscot Historical SocietyPejepscot Historical SocietyThe Pejepscot Historical Society, located in Brunswick, is one of the oldest historical societies in the state of Maine. Founded in 1888, the Society's mission is to preserve and celebrate the history of the Pejepscot region, which includes the towns of Brunswick, Harpswell and...
(official website)- Pejepscot Museum
- Joshua L. Chamberlain MuseumJoshua L. Chamberlain MuseumThe Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum was the home of American Civil War general, Bowdoin College president, and Maine Governor Joshua L. Chamberlain for over 50 years...
- Skolfield-Whittier HouseSkolfield-Whittier HouseThe Skolfield-Whittier House is a Victorian museum of the Pejepscot Historical Society, located at 161 Park Row in Brunswick, Maine. It is often referred to as a "time capsule" because it has been virtually untouched since the Victorian era.-The Skolfields:...
- Pennellville Historic DistrictPennellville Historic DistrictPennellville Historic District is a residential district located in the town of Brunswick, Maine . It is a historic district, and to locals, it is known simply as "Pennellville."...
Notable people
- Gorham Dummer AbbotGorham Dummer AbbotGorham Dummer Abbott was an American clergyman, educator, and author. He was a significant figure in the movement to supply schools with textbooks, libraries, and educational journals.-Biography:...
, clergyman and teacher - John Stevens Cabot AbbottJohn Stevens Cabot AbbottJohn Stevens Cabot Abbott , an American historian, pastor, and pedagogical writer, was born in Brunswick, Maine to Jacob and Betsey Abbott.-Early life:...
, clergyman and author - Dale ArnoldDale ArnoldDale Arnold is a New England sportscaster who hosts Boston Bruins broadcasts on NESN. He is formerly the co-host of a popular midday sports talk radio show on WEEI and formerly the Bruins' play-by-play announcer on NESN...
, sportscaster and radio personality - Corey Beaulieu, musician
- Josh CasaubonJosh CasaubonJoshua Thomas Casaubon is an American actor. He was raised in Nashua, New Hampshire and Southbridge, Massachusetts, and after serving four years in the U.S. Army, moved to New York City in 2001 to pursue his career...
, actor - Fanny ChamberlainFanny ChamberlainFrances Caroline "Fanny" Chamberlain, née Adams was born in the Greater Boston area. She was shuffled to different family members until she settled with Rev. George Eliashib Adams, a nephew of her father, in Brunswick, Maine as a small child...
, wife of Joshua Chamberlain - Joshua ChamberlainJoshua ChamberlainJoshua Lawrence Chamberlain , born as Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain, was an American college professor from the State of Maine, who volunteered during the American Civil War to join the Union Army...
, Civil War era general and 32nd governor of Maine - Robert P. T. CoffinRobert P. T. CoffinRobert Peter Tristram Coffin was a writer, poet and professor at Wells College and Bowdoin College . He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1936.-Life:...
, poet - Robert P. DunlapRobert P. DunlapRobert Pinckney Dunlap was the 11th Governor of Maine and a U.S. Representative from Maine.Born in Brunswick, Maine, Dunlap was educated by private tutors. He graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, in 1815...
, congressman, 11th governor of Maine - Charles Carroll EverettCharles Carroll EverettCharles Carroll Everett was an American divine and philosopher.Everett graduated from Bowdoin College in 1850, after which he studied at the University of Berlin. He subsequently took a degree in divinity at the Harvard Divinity School...
, theologian - John GouldJohn Gould (columnist)John Thomas Gould was an American humorist, essayist, and columnist who wrote a column for the Christian Science Monitor for over sixty years from a farm in Lisbon Falls, Maine...
, reporter, columnist - Frederic Aldin HallFrederic Aldin HallFrederic Aldin Hall served as chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1913 until 1923.-Biography:Frederic Aldin Hall was born in Brunswick, Maine, in 1854, the son of a farmer. At the age of 17 he settled on a farm of his own in Illinois but quickly gave up farming to enter college...
, professor, school chancellor - Joshua HerrickJoshua HerrickJoshua Herrick was a United States Representative from Maine. He was born in Beverly, Massachusetts where he attended the common schools. He moved to the district of Maine in 1811 and engaged in the lumber business and served in the War of 1812...
, congressman - Graeme K.Graeme K.Graeme K. is a musician, producer, and owner of Mckeenstreet Music, a small, independent record label based in Portland, Maine. As an artist, he is known for dense, highly orchestrated compositions utilizing electronics and live instrumentation...
, musician - Angus KingAngus KingAngus S. King, Jr. served two terms as the 72nd Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003. Since 2004, King has been a distinguished lecturer at Bowdoin College teaching a course called "Leaders and Leadership"; in the fall of 2009, he also taught a similar course at Bates College...
, 72nd governor of Maine - Stump MerrillStump MerrillCarl "Stump" Merrill is a former manager in Major League Baseball who served as manager of the New York Yankees in and...
, baseball player - Will MontgomeryWill MontgomeryWill Montgomery is an American football center for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, football player - Benjamin OrrBenjamin Orr (Massachusetts politician)Benjamin Orr was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts.Orr was born in Bedford, New Hampshire on December 1, 1772. He was self-educated and apprenticed as a carpenter. He attended Fryeburg Academy, taught school at Concord and New Milford, New Hampshire; and...
, congressman - Alpheus Spring PackardAlpheus Spring PackardAlpheus Spring Packard, LL.D. was an American entomologist and palaeontologist. He was the son of Alpheus Spring Packard, Sr. and the brother of William Alfred Packard. He was born in Brunswick, Maine and was Professor of Zoology and Geology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island from...
, professor - George Palmer PutnamGeorge Palmer PutnamGeorge Palmer Putnam was an important American book publisher.-Biography:Putnam was born in Brunswick, Maine. On moving to New York City, Putnam was given his first job by Jonathan Leavitt, who subsequently published Putnam's first book...
, publisher - Mark RogersMark Rogers (baseball)Mark Elliot Rogers is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He made his Major League Baseball debut in .-Career:...
, pitcher for the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... - Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, abolitionist, author - Jeff ThistedJeff ThistedJeffrey "Jeff" Thisted is an American game show host. He served as one of the hosts on GSN's interactive game show Quiznation in the PlayMania Block. He made his hosting debut presiding over one game on the May 18, 2007 episode of Quiznation and finished in October before the finale. He was the...
, game show host
Further reading
- History of the Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine
- History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine Including Ancient Pejebscot. By George Augustus Wheeler and Henry Warren Wheeler. Published 1878. Full image at books.google.