Brunswick, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brunswick, Maine
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Androscoggin River, with the Free-Black railroad bridge in the foreground
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| Motto(s):
"Beautifully balanced"
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Location in Cumberland County and the state of Maine
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 Brunswick, Maine
Location in Maine
Brunswick, Maine
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Maine | |
| County | Cumberland | |
| Settled | 1628 | |
| Incorporated (town) | 1739 | |
| Communities |
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| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor-council | |
| 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
(2020)
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| • Total | 21,756 | |
| • Density | 433.9/sq mi (167.5/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) | |
| ZIP code |
04011
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Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It's part of the wider Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. In 2020, about 21,756 people lived there.
Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, a famous school. It also hosts the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, and the Maine State Music Theatre. For many years, it was home to the U.S. Naval Air Station Brunswick. This base closed in 2011, and parts of it are now being used for new businesses and projects called "Brunswick Landing."
History of Brunswick
Brunswick was first settled in 1628 by Thomas Purchase and other fishermen. The local Native Americans called the area "Pejepscot." This name meant "the long, rocky rapids part [of the river]."
In 1639, Thomas Purchase asked the Massachusetts Bay Colony to protect his settlement. During King Philip's War in 1676, Pejepscot was burned down and everyone left. Later, during King William's War, a fort called Fort Andros was built on the ruins.
In 1690, Major Benjamin Church and 300 men arrived. They went up the Androscoggin River to Fort Pejepscot. They attacked a Native American village further upriver. This led to more fighting.
Peace came to the region with the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1713. This treaty was between the Abenaki Indians and the English colonists.
In 1714, a group from Boston and Portsmouth bought the land. They called it the Pejepscot purchase. In 1717, the area became a township named "Brunswick." This name honored the House of Brunswick and King George I.
A stone fort, Fort George, was built in 1715. But in 1722, during Dummer's War, Abenaki warriors burned the village. Brunswick was rebuilt in 1727 and officially became a town in 1739. It grew into a busy seaport. Bowdoin College was started here in 1794.
The Androscoggin River has three waterfalls that drop a total of 41 feet (12 meters). This provided water power for many businesses. Brunswick became a big producer of lumber, with about 25 sawmills. Some of this lumber was used for shipbuilding. Other factories made paper, soap, flour, and furniture.
Brunswick was also home to Maine's first cotton mill. It was built in 1809 to make yarn. Later, the Cabot Manufacturing Company made cotton textiles. They even moved Maine Street in 1890 to make more room for their growing factory.
Today, major employers in Brunswick include L.L. Bean and Bath Iron Works. Many health services for Maine's mid-coast area are also located here.
Historic Places in Brunswick
Brunswick has many historic places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:
- Androscoggin Swinging Bridge
- Henry Boody House
- Brunswick Commercial Historic District
- Parker Cleaveland House
- Crystal Spring Farm
- John Dunlap House
- Federal Street Historic District
- First Parish Church
- Lincoln Street Historic District
- Massachusetts Hall, Bowdoin College
- Pennellville Historic District
- Richardson House
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Harriet Beecher Stowe House
- Whittier Field
Geography and Climate
Brunswick covers about 54.34 square miles (140.74 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with some water. It is located at the northern end of Casco Bay. It is also at the end of the Androscoggin River where the tide reaches and where boats can travel.
Weather in Brunswick
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Nearby Towns and Cities
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Durham | Topsham | Bath | |
| Durham |  |
West Bath | ||
 Brunswick  |
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| Freeport | Harpswell | Harpswell |
People of Brunswick
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 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% | |
In 2010, there were 15,175 people living in the main part of Brunswick. The population density was about 433.9 people per square mile. Most residents (93%) were White. About 1.7% were African American, and 2.1% were Asian. About 2.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Brunswick was 41.4 years. About 19.2% of residents were under 18, and 18.2% were 65 or older.
Education in Brunswick
The Brunswick School Department runs the public schools in town. These include:
- Brunswick High School
- Brunswick Junior High School
- Kate Furbish Elementary School
- Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School
- REAL School
- Region 10 Technical High School
Other schools and colleges in Brunswick are:
- Children's School of Arts & Science
- Saint John's Catholic School
- Bowdoin College
- Southern Maine Community College Midcoast Campus
The Growstown School is the last remaining one-room schoolhouse in Brunswick.
Sister City
Brunswick has a sister city, which is Trinidad, Cuba. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.
Places to Visit
Some interesting places to visit in Brunswick include:
- Androscoggin Pedestrian Swinging Bridge
- Bowdoin College Museum of Art
- Pejepscot Historical Society
- Pejepscot Museum
- Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum
- Skolfield-Whittier House
Getting Around Brunswick
Transportation
Brunswick is served by several major roads, including Interstate 295, U.S. Routes 1 and 201. It also has Maine State Route 24, Maine State Route 123, and Maine State Route 196.
You can travel to Brunswick by train using Amtrak's Downeaster service. This train connects Brunswick to Portland Transportation Center and Boston.
The Greater Portland Metro offers bus service called Metro Breez between Brunswick and Portland. There is also a local bus service in town called Brunswick Link.
Famous People from Brunswick
- John Stevens Cabot Abbott, clergyman and author
- Daniel Ankeles, state legislator
- Poppy Arford, state legislator
- Dale Arnold, sportscaster; lived in Brunswick
- Austin Cary, forester
- Fanny Chamberlain, wife of Joshua Chamberlain
- Joshua Chamberlain, Civil War general and former governor of Maine
- Walter Christie, author
- Robert P. T. Coffin, poet
- Alexander Cornell du Houx, state legislator
- Scott Cowger, state legislator
- Elizabeth W. Crandall, environmental and women's rights activist
- Robert L. Dale, pilot in Antarctica
- Robert P. Dunlap, congressman and former governor of Maine
- Charles Carroll Everett, theologian
- Stanley Gerzofsky, state legislator
- John Gould, reporter and columnist
- Frederic Aldin Hall, professor and school chancellor
- Joshua Herrick, congressman
- Graeme K., musician
- Angus King, U.S. Senator and former governor of Maine
- Lady Lamb, musician
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, famous poet
- Cynthia Lord, children's author
- Stump Merrill, baseball player
- Karen Mills, former Administrator of Small Business Administration
- Ralph Mims, basketball player
- Benjamin Orr, congressman
- Alpheus Spring Packard, professor
- George Palmer Putnam, publisher
- Luke Rathborne, musician
- John Rankin Rogers, former governor of Washington state
- Mark Rogers, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
- Patricia E. Ryan, human rights advocate
- Arthur A. Small, Iowa state legislator
- Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and author
- Brigadier Samuel Thompson, Revolutionary War soldier
- Grant Tremblay, astrophysicist
- George J. Varney, author and historian
- Dan Walters, baseball player and police officer
- Robert Zildjian, founder of Sabian cymbals
Gallery
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Brunswick Falls around 1912.
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The Class of 1903 Gates at Bowdoin around 1920.
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Massachusetts Hall at Bowdoin in 1907.
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Merrymeeting Park Casino around 1905.
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A typical New England home in Brunswick.
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Brunswick Town Hall.
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The U.S. Post Office in Brunswick.
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The First Parish United Church of Christ in Brunswick, built in 1845. It's a great example of Gothic Revival style.
See also
In Spanish: Brunswick (Maine) para niños
