Area Information

Yarmouth

Yarmouth, incorporated in 1849, was originally a part of North Yarmouth, from which the cities of Harpswell, Freeport, Pownal, and Cumberland all originated. A quaint New England style city with many old homes, the town center is located along the lower part of the picturesque Royal River, is home to Yarmouth Harbor, and has a diversified commercial base and actively supports many small businesses. Nearly 9000 residents make up this welcoming community whose motto is “Our Latchstring Always out.”

Business & Industry
Clam Festival - Local Festival on Main Street.
Estabrook’s - Local Gardening Center
The Forecaster - Local Paper
The Notes - Local Newspaper
Yarmouth Boat Yard - Marina
Yankee Marina

Dining
Chopstick Sushi
Clayton’s Gourmet Market
Muddy Rudder
Pat’s Pizza
Romeo’s Pizza
Royal River Grillhouse

School Systems
Yarmouth Public Schools
North Yarmouth Academy

Town Information
Chamber of Commerce
Historical Society
Town of Yarmouth

North Yarmouth

North Yarmouth was incorporated out of the ancient territory of Westcustigo (Indian term for mouth of the river), on June 17, 1683. The Royal (then Royall) River, was named for William Royall, Yarmouth’s first documented European settler nearly fifty years earlier.

The town was one of the recipients of a copy of the Declaration of Independence, dated July 17, 1776. It was lost and then found over 200 years later and eventually returned back to the town.

Abandoned several times due to war and conflicts, in 1670 the region became incorporated as North Yarmouth, (Maine Province’s eighth town), but was abandoned again due to conflicts in 1689. In 1722 a “Committee for the Resettlement of North Yarmouth,” but its first town meeting wasn’t held until 11 years later on May 14, 1733.

Harpswell, Freeport (including present-day Pownal), and Cumberland separated from North Yarmouth in 1789, 1798, and 1820 respectively. The separation of the town into North Yarmouth and Yarmouth occurred in 1849.

Maritime activities were important from the beginning of the final settlement, and by 1818 shipbuilding was well-established along both sides of the harbor. Peaking in the 1870′s, the last large sailing vessel was built in 1890.

With the construction of U.S. Route One rapid population growth began. In 1950, there were 2699 people in town. The town has grown from 4854 residents in 1970 to 8360 according to the 2000 census.

Source: Yarmouth’s Official website

Town Information
North Yarmouth

Freeport

Credited with being the birthplace of the state, the town of Freeport is a beautiful coastal Maine village located along the shores of Casco Bay. Well known for its outlet shopping areas, it is also home to numerous boutiques, hotels, designer shops and fantastic dining both casual and upscale. Freeport is a wonderful combination of rural, residential, oceanfront and recreational areas. The town is rich in beauty and history and is home of the world famous L.L.Bean Company. Freeport also provides many opportunities for outdoors enjoyment.

Accommodations
The Harraseeket Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Casco Bay Inn
White Cedar Inn B&B

Business & Industry
Experience Freeport
L.L. Bean

School Systems
Freeport Public Schools
The Merriconeag Waldorf School
Pine Tree Academy

Town Information
Town of Freeport
Chamber of Commerce

Brunswick

Brunswick, Maine is a community steeped in history, rich in cultural heritage and full of scenic beauty. The flavor of downtown Brunswick is a quaint New England town. Some have jokingly referred to downtown Brunswick as “Bedford Falls,” a nod to the classic James Stewart movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” A visit to downtown will reveal our version of the hometown movie theater. During the summer you might find a community band playing on the town Mall – a large grassy park in the center of town that has served as a meeting and community center for generations. However, downtown Brunswick has city flair as well represented by a plethora of ethnic cuisines and dozens of specialty boutiques. What kind of food are you in the mood for? How about Italian, Thai, Indian, German, Mexican, American, or a couple of the best hotdogs you’ve ever tasted.

Accommodations
Brunswick Bed & Breakfast
Best Western Parkwood Inn
Fairfield Inn & Suites

Business & Industry
The Times Record
Chamber of Commerce
Brunswick Business Center

School Systems
Brunswick Public Schools
Bowdoin College

Town Information
Downtown Brunswick
Town of Brunswick

Portland

Often cited as one of America’s best small cities to live in, Portland, Maine’s largest city with nearly 64,000 inhabitants (and over 230,000 in the Greater Portland area), after being destroyed four different times dating from the 17 century, is one of the most beautiful cities in New England. The city seal is a phoenix rising out of ashes, which goes with its motto, “Resurgam,” which means “I will rise again.”

It was originally called Machigonne (Great Neck). Renamed Casco in 1632, it was renamed Falmouth again in 1658. Portland was the original capital of the state of Maine, which is now in Augusta.

A seacoast town and one of the few remaining working waterfront cities in the US, it was entered into the National Register of Historic places in 1982. It offers a funky and lively downtown, beautiful and outstanding architecture, a vibrant shopping and business community, outstanding dining, and great cultural opportunities.

Like the similarly named city on the West Coast, Portland combines metropolitan living with a cozy small town ambience. It is the financial capital of Northern New England. Only 90 minutes from Boston, Portland offers all the amenities one expects from city living: the arts, waterfront, museums, parks, upscale hotels, diverse shopping opportunities; yet within minutes, one can be skiing in the mountains, canoeing on the river, or hiking in the Maine Woods.

Some of its more famous inhabitants have included the writer Stephen King, actors Liv Tyler, Judd Nelson, Linda Lavin, and Victoria Rowell, the late singer Bob Marley and director John Ford, architect Alexander Parris, and Revolutionary war general Peleg Wadsworth.

Dining
Portland has such an amazing food scene from high-end fine dining to the mom and pop shops we all love its hard to list just a few so here is a link to get you started.
www.visitportland.com

Town Information
Portland
Portland's Downtown District
Portland Regional Chamber

South Portland

With miles of waterfront on Casco Bay, Fore River, and Portland Harbor, South Portland is often under appreciated for the wonderful town that it is. Home of Portland International Jetport and Maine Mall, it offers bustling commercial activity and is loaded with picturesque waterfront views.

Once home to many of the towns that now make up the Greater Portland area, South Portland has a number of its own unique characteristics including a historic harbor, Portland Harbor Light and Willard Beach.

A special treat is the Greenbelt Walkway, a paved path three miles long that follows along the shoreline and connects to the Spring Point Shoreway walking trail that goes to Bug Light Park, home of the world famous Portland Harbor Lighthouse.

Accommodations
Courtyard Portland Airport
Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks

Town Information
South Portland

Falmouth

Minutes from Portland, and once a part of Maine’s largest city, Falmouth is a vibrant residential community winding along scenic Casco Bay. First recognized as a town in 1658, it became what we now know as Falmouth in 1814 when Westbrook become the 4th (and last) of the 5 towns that originally made up Portland to break away. Like many towns in the New England area, the name of Falmouth has its roots in the English old country, being named after a small village at the mouth of the Fal River in Cornwall, England.

Falmouth is known for having one of the best school systems in the state and has a wide and varied range of housing opportunities. There is much in the way of shopping, commercial activity, and outdoor recreational opportunities along with the local harbor and town landing.

Business & Industry
The Forcaster - Local Paper

Dining

The Falmouth Sea Grill
The Foreside Tavern
Ricetta’s Brick Oven Pizzeria

School Systems
Falmouth Public Schools

Town Information
Town of Falmouth

Cumberland

One of the leading suburbs of Portland, Maine, Cumberland runs from the coast of Maine to rolling inland hills. The town itself is quite relaxed noted mostly for its apple orchards and small family farms.

Business & Industry
Cumberland Fair - Local Annual Fair in September

Val Halla - Golf & Recreation Center

School Systems
Cumberland & North Yarmouth Public Schools

Town Information
Town of Cumberland

Durham

Located on the Androscoggin River, Durham, originally known as Royalsborough, is a quiet countryside town with a long and rich history. Life is peaceful and relaxed, and there are many outdoor activities available in the area including horseback riding, hunting, kayaking and golf. Bowdoin College is located nearby in Brunswick.

Accommodations
Royalsborough Inn

School Systems
Durham Elementary School

Town Information
Town of Durham

Pownal

Pownal is a town in Cumberland County, settled in 1680 and incorporated on March 3, 1808 from a portion of Freeport. It swapped land with North Yarmouth in 1813 and 1816.

From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com)

Town Information
Pownal
Bradbury State Mountain