Pennellville Historic District
Encyclopedia
Pennellville Historic District is a residential district located in the town of Brunswick
, Maine
(United States of America
). It is a historic district
, and to locals, it is known simply as "Pennellville." (PEN'-null-vill)
Pennellville is home to several historic mansions built by the Pennell (PEN'-null) family in the 18th and 19th centuries AD. The area was home to the Pennellville shipyard
, where the Pennell family built wooden sailing ships for the American shipping trade in the 19th century. The company was known as the Pennell Brothers shipbuilding company. The company was one of the most successful shipbuilding companies in all of America
.
The real estate
in Pennellville is some of the most desirable in the entire state of Maine
. This is due in large part to the fact that many of the properties are ship captains' mansions, with sweeping views of the ocean. For this reason, it is also some of the most expensive real estate in Maine.
. The area was known as Pejepscot at the time, and encompassed the modern day town of Brunswick, Maine. Native Americans left the area by the year 1725 AD, 35 years before the Pennell family arrived. Evidence of their presence can be seen in the arrowheads and piles of discarded shellfish they left behind. Native Americans in the area ate shellfish for survival and discarded the leftover shells.
(in the Channel Islands
) around 1708, and settled in Gloucester, Massachusetts
. He married a woman by the name of Sarah Durin, and sired two sons and two daughters. He died in 1723. When his two sons, Thomas II and Clement, came of age, both moved north to Falmouth, Maine
(now known as Portland, Maine
), around 1735, and purchased land in the Stroudwater area. Thomas II lost this land in 1759 due to a legal encumbrance
. As a result he, along with his family, moved to the Brunswick area in 1760. He then built the first house in Pennellville. The original house no longer stands.
Thomas II had five sons. His second son, Thomas III, was born in 1739. Thomas III lived in the Brunswick area, becoming tax collector
and was a shipwright in the 1790s. He married Alice Anderson of Freeport, Maine. They had five sons and five daughters. Thomas III taught his sons the shipbuilding trade and together they expanded their shipbuilding activities and merchant shipping business around the turn of the 19th century.
The eldest son of Thomas III was Jacob Pennell, born in 1778. He was the most prosperous of five sons, and he built 20 or more vessels in Middle Bay (the bay upon which Pennellville sits) between 1810 and 1841. He acquired most of the land at Pennellville (land originally owned by his father) by buying the lots that had been divided amongst his brothers. As of 2011, Jacob's house (The Jacob Pennell Mansion) is the oldest house standing in Pennellville.
ever since Thomas I arrived from England
. The earliest known records show that Jacob Pennell was building wooden ships around 1760. Over the next 114 years (1760–1874) the Pennell family would build in excess of 90 ships in the Pennellville Shipyard, making them one of the wealthiest and most famous shipbuilding families in all of America.
With the wealth acquired from the massively successful shipbuilding business, the Pennell family began building beautiful mansions. Jacob had several sons and, around this time, they christened the company the "Pennell Brothers" shipbuilding company.
Pennellville was soon considered its own community, and eventually three roads in the area would bare the Pennell name: Pennellville Road, Old Pennellville Road, and Pennell Way. Soon the area had its own schoolhouse and signs designating the area as being separate from Brunswick. Another road in Pennellville, Tedesco Way, is named for a Pennell ship. In all, the Pennells built seven mansions in the area between 1760 and 1877. Since 1877, housing development has been relatively sparse, and much of Pennellville remains wooded areas and open fields. However, the area has become somewhat more developed since the 1980s.
While all other Pennells have since sold their properties, one descendant of Thomas I still lived in one of the Pennell mansions as of 2011.
-winning writer Robert P.T. Coffin, who lived in the Jacob Pennell II Mansion. Coffin wrote the critically acclaimed novel Captain Abby and Captain John, a story about two Pennell ship captains.
The Pennells gained much visibility during their boom period and entertained many famous guests, who often attended ship launchings. Notables who visited Pennellville mansions include such historic figures as Gen.
Joshua Chamberlain
(Union Officer in the Civil War
who was instrumental in the victory at Gettysburg), Helen Keller
, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. After the shipbuilding days, Norman Rockwell
, Gov. Angus King
, and Pulitzer Prize
-winner James Michener all visited the Pennellville mansions. Rockwell did extensive research on the Pennell family, and considered using them for a Thanksgiving
cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
It is known with certainty that the Pennell family was building ships in Pennellville by 1760. However, as stated above, the Pennell family was almost definitely building ships in America before the first records of such activities in the 1760s. This is thought to be true because ancestors who pre-date Thomas I (the first Pennell in America) were shipbuilders in England
.
, deadstock, wine
, guano
, salt
, and fruit
. Often they would also transport people as passengers from port to port for a fee. It is noted, however, that the company was never involved in the American slave trade.
Ships sailed to ports all over the world, and there they traded their cargoes. Included in their routes were ports in England
, Italy
, California
, and China
- along with many others. Their shipping routes included the infamous run around Cape Horn
at the southern tip of South America
. This route was world-famous for being extremely dangerous. Undaunted, the Pennell family sailed it many times.
s, schooners, sloops, and brigs. The largest ships weighed over 2,800,000 lbs (1,400 tons), while the smallest weighed as little as 90,000 lbs (45 tons). The Benjamin Sewall, the biggest ship ever built by the Pennells, weighed 2,866,000 lbs (1,433 tons). Completed in 1874, it would also prove to be the last ship the Pennells ever built. In 1903 it sank and was lost near Taiwan
(known at the time as Formosa
).
to San Francisco than it was sail around Cape Horn.
Around this same time, James Pennell (master builder of the Pennell Brothers company) died as a result of an accident that occurred in the shipyard. As James was the last master builder of the Pennell family, his death was probably a major blow to the workings of the yard. By the early 20th century, the shipyard had gone out of business, although left standing were the stately mansions which the Pennell family had built there. To this day, the area is still known as Pennellville. Evidence of the shipyard also still exists. The ways (the wooden ramp down which a ship was pushed in order to be launched) can still be seen sitting in the bay at low tide. Another visible feature of the yard is the hall where the shipyard workers lived, located at the very end of Pennellville Road.
, on the Atlantic Ocean
. Pennellville sits on a cove known as Middle Bay Cove. The greater bay where it sits is known as Middle Bay, which is a part of the larger still Casco Bay
.
Although no official boundaries have ever been designated, Pennellville does have a distinct area. The northern boundary of Pennellville is Middle Bay Road; the southern boundary is Middle Bay itself. As Pennellville sits on a peninsula
, Middle Bay also forms the eastern boundary, and Simpson's Point Road serves as the western boundary. Properties on Mere Point Road between Middle Bay Road and Simpson's Point Road are not part of Pennellville.
, police department, fire
and rescue departments, library
, and public school system.
Brunswick, Maine
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, , and 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 of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It is a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
, and to locals, it is known simply as "Pennellville." (PEN'-null-vill)
Pennellville is home to several historic mansions built by the Pennell (PEN'-null) family in the 18th and 19th centuries AD. The area was home to the Pennellville shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
, where the Pennell family built wooden sailing ships for the American shipping trade in the 19th century. The company was known as the Pennell Brothers shipbuilding company. The company was one of the most successful shipbuilding companies in all of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
in Pennellville is some of the most desirable in the entire state of 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...
. This is due in large part to the fact that many of the properties are ship captains' mansions, with sweeping views of the ocean. For this reason, it is also some of the most expensive real estate in Maine.
Native Americans
Before white settlers, Pennellville was inhabited by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. The area was known as Pejepscot at the time, and encompassed the modern day town of Brunswick, Maine. Native Americans left the area by the year 1725 AD, 35 years before the Pennell family arrived. Evidence of their presence can be seen in the arrowheads and piles of discarded shellfish they left behind. Native Americans in the area ate shellfish for survival and discarded the leftover shells.
European Settlers
Pennellville was settled by Thomas Pennell II. He was the first Pennell to arrive in the area. His father, Thomas I, had immigrated from JerseyJersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
(in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
) around 1708, and settled in Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
. He married a woman by the name of Sarah Durin, and sired two sons and two daughters. He died in 1723. When his two sons, Thomas II and Clement, came of age, both moved north to Falmouth, Maine
Falmouth, Maine
Falmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,185 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
(now known as Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
), around 1735, and purchased land in the Stroudwater area. Thomas II lost this land in 1759 due to a legal encumbrance
Encumbrance
Encumbrance is legal technical terminology for anything that affects or limits the title of a property, such as mortgages, leases, easements, liens, or restrictions. Also, those considered as potentially making the title defeasible are encumbrances...
. As a result he, along with his family, moved to the Brunswick area in 1760. He then built the first house in Pennellville. The original house no longer stands.
Thomas II had five sons. His second son, Thomas III, was born in 1739. Thomas III lived in the Brunswick area, becoming tax collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
and was a shipwright in the 1790s. He married Alice Anderson of Freeport, Maine. They had five sons and five daughters. Thomas III taught his sons the shipbuilding trade and together they expanded their shipbuilding activities and merchant shipping business around the turn of the 19th century.
The eldest son of Thomas III was Jacob Pennell, born in 1778. He was the most prosperous of five sons, and he built 20 or more vessels in Middle Bay (the bay upon which Pennellville sits) between 1810 and 1841. He acquired most of the land at Pennellville (land originally owned by his father) by buying the lots that had been divided amongst his brothers. As of 2011, Jacob's house (The Jacob Pennell Mansion) is the oldest house standing in Pennellville.
Shipbuilding
The Pennell family was most likely building ships in the New WorldNew World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
ever since Thomas I arrived from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The earliest known records show that Jacob Pennell was building wooden ships around 1760. Over the next 114 years (1760–1874) the Pennell family would build in excess of 90 ships in the Pennellville Shipyard, making them one of the wealthiest and most famous shipbuilding families in all of America.
With the wealth acquired from the massively successful shipbuilding business, the Pennell family began building beautiful mansions. Jacob had several sons and, around this time, they christened the company the "Pennell Brothers" shipbuilding company.
Pennellville was soon considered its own community, and eventually three roads in the area would bare the Pennell name: Pennellville Road, Old Pennellville Road, and Pennell Way. Soon the area had its own schoolhouse and signs designating the area as being separate from Brunswick. Another road in Pennellville, Tedesco Way, is named for a Pennell ship. In all, the Pennells built seven mansions in the area between 1760 and 1877. Since 1877, housing development has been relatively sparse, and much of Pennellville remains wooded areas and open fields. However, the area has become somewhat more developed since the 1980s.
While all other Pennells have since sold their properties, one descendant of Thomas I still lived in one of the Pennell mansions as of 2011.
Mansions
With their new found fortunes, the Pennell family began building mansions along Pennellville Road. They were built in the style of 19th century ship captains' homes, which was massively popular in the time period, and is very distinctive of New England. This style was considered prestigious, and is now an icon of American architecture. The names of the mansions are as follows:- James Pennell MansionJames Pennell MansionThe James Pennell Mansion is a mansion that stands in the Pennellville Historic District in Brunswick, Maine.-Construction:The building of the mansion was completed in 1838. The house was built by James Pennell, a member of the Pennell shipbuilding family, a very successful shipbuilding family, who...
- Charles Pennell Mansion
- Benjamin Pennell Mansion
- William Pennell Mansion
- Job Pennell Mansion
- Jacob Pennell House (classified as a house because of square footage)
Relatives and Guests
A notable relative of the Pennell family was Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning writer Robert P.T. Coffin, who lived in the Jacob Pennell II Mansion. Coffin wrote the critically acclaimed novel Captain Abby and Captain John, a story about two Pennell ship captains.
The Pennells gained much visibility during their boom period and entertained many famous guests, who often attended ship launchings. Notables who visited Pennellville mansions include such historic figures as Gen.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Joshua Chamberlain
Joshua Chamberlain
Joshua 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...
(Union Officer in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who was instrumental in the victory at Gettysburg), Helen Keller
Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. After the shipbuilding days, Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
, Gov. Angus King
Angus King
Angus 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...
, and Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winner James Michener all visited the Pennellville mansions. Rockwell did extensive research on the Pennell family, and considered using them for a Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
Pennell and Brothers Shipbuilding Company
The Pennell and Brothers shipbuilding company built many of the wooden ships that carried cargoes around the world in the 18th- and 19th-century cargo trade. Sometimes the family would retain ownership of the ships and charge fees for shipping cargoes. Other times, they would simply sell the ship. The ships were either sold in shares, or they would sell 100% of it to a buyer. Pennells were also captains of many of the ships they built. The business operated out of the shipyard located in Pennellville. The site of the yard, including the "ways" from which a ship was launched, was located in the Pennellville bay. The shipyard was moved to three locations in the bay during the operation of the company. The first site was located deep inland, farthest away from the entrance to the ocean. The yard was moved twice after this, getting closer to the open ocean with each move.It is known with certainty that the Pennell family was building ships in Pennellville by 1760. However, as stated above, the Pennell family was almost definitely building ships in America before the first records of such activities in the 1760s. This is thought to be true because ancestors who pre-date Thomas I (the first Pennell in America) were shipbuilders in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Routes and Cargoes
The ships carried all sorts of cargoes, among them were: timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, deadstock, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
. Often they would also transport people as passengers from port to port for a fee. It is noted, however, that the company was never involved in the American slave trade.
Ships sailed to ports all over the world, and there they traded their cargoes. Included in their routes were ports in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
- along with many others. Their shipping routes included the infamous run around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
at the southern tip of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. This route was world-famous for being extremely dangerous. Undaunted, the Pennell family sailed it many times.
Ships
The Pennells built many different styles of ships including barqueBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
s, schooners, sloops, and brigs. The largest ships weighed over 2,800,000 lbs (1,400 tons), while the smallest weighed as little as 90,000 lbs (45 tons). The Benjamin Sewall, the biggest ship ever built by the Pennells, weighed 2,866,000 lbs (1,433 tons). Completed in 1874, it would also prove to be the last ship the Pennells ever built. In 1903 it sank and was lost near Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(known at the time as Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
).
Demise of the Shipyard
Although it is not certain what caused the demise of the yard, there are several factors that likely contributed to its decline. By the end of the 19th century, metal-hulled steamships had replaced wooden ships as a means of transporting goods around the world. This was combined with the fact that railroads had also come into their own as a means of shipping. By the end of the 19th century it was faster and safer to ship cargoes by railroad from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to San Francisco than it was sail around Cape Horn.
Around this same time, James Pennell (master builder of the Pennell Brothers company) died as a result of an accident that occurred in the shipyard. As James was the last master builder of the Pennell family, his death was probably a major blow to the workings of the yard. By the early 20th century, the shipyard had gone out of business, although left standing were the stately mansions which the Pennell family had built there. To this day, the area is still known as Pennellville. Evidence of the shipyard also still exists. The ways (the wooden ramp down which a ship was pushed in order to be launched) can still be seen sitting in the bay at low tide. Another visible feature of the yard is the hall where the shipyard workers lived, located at the very end of Pennellville Road.
Geography
Pennellville is located in the southern portion of Brunswick, MaineBrunswick, Maine
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, , and the...
, on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Pennellville sits on a cove known as Middle Bay Cove. The greater bay where it sits is known as Middle Bay, which is a part of the larger still 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...
.
Although no official boundaries have ever been designated, Pennellville does have a distinct area. The northern boundary of Pennellville is Middle Bay Road; the southern boundary is Middle Bay itself. As Pennellville sits on a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, Middle Bay also forms the eastern boundary, and Simpson's Point Road serves as the western boundary. Properties on Mere Point Road between Middle Bay Road and Simpson's Point Road are not part of Pennellville.
Local Government
Pennellville is officially part of the town of Brunswick, Maine. All matters of government are subject to Brunswick, Maine's town government. Residents of Pennellville use Brunswick's post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, police department, fire
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
and rescue departments, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and public school system.