Scarborough, Maine Facts for Kids

Scarborough is a town in Cumberland County, Maine. It is located on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Maine. The town is about 7 miles (11 km) south of Portland. Scarborough is part of the larger Portland metropolitan area.

In 2020, 22,135 people lived in Scarborough. This makes it the town with the most people in Maine.

History
- Early Conflicts
- Rebuilding the Town
Geography
Population
What People Do Here
Schools
Neighborhoods
Fun Places to Visit
Notable People
See also

History

Around 1630, a man named John V. Stratton opened a trading post. It was on Stratton Island in Saco Bay. In 1631, Captain Thomas Cammock received land called the "Black Point Patent." He built a house and moved there in 1635. This land is now known as Prouts Neck.

Thomas Cammock died in 1643. His wife, Margaret Cammock, took over the land. More settlements grew in the area. These included Black Point, Blue Point (now Pine Point), Dunstan, and Stratton Island. By 1650, there were 50 homes. People here were good at fishing and farming.

On July 14, 1658, all these settlements became one town. It was named Scarborough, after a town in England.

Early Conflicts

In 1675, a big war called King Philip's War started. Scarborough was an important town with over 100 houses. But by 1676, the town was destroyed. Many settlers were killed or taken hostage by Native Americans.

In 1677, soldiers from Massachusetts came to help. They were ambushed by warriors led by Chief Squandro. About 50 to 60 soldiers were killed or badly hurt. This event was called the Battle at Moore's Brook. In 1681, a large fort was built at Black Point. After more attacks during King William's War, the people left in 1690. They moved to safer places like Portsmouth, New Hampshire or Boston.

Rebuilding the Town

A peace agreement was signed in 1699. People started to resettle Scarborough in 1702. Seven settlers came from Lynn, Massachusetts. They began building a new fort on Prout's Neck. Captain John Larrabee was in charge of this fort.

In August 1703, about 500 French and Native American fighters attacked English settlements. They tried to capture the fort on Prout's Neck. The fort was on a high cliff. The attackers tried to dig a tunnel under the cliff to get inside. But a two-day rainstorm made the ground soft. This exposed the diggers to the fort's defenders. The attackers then left to find easier targets.

Even with more small attacks, the second settlement grew strong. By 1749, Scarborough was doing well. People exported cattle and timber. Many water power sites helped run a dozen sawmills.

Geography

Scarborough from the air, looking to the southeast (December 2015). You can see the Prouts Neck Peninsula and the Scarborough River.

Scarborough covers about 70.63 square miles (182.93 km²). About 47.61 square miles (123.31 km²) is land, and 23.02 square miles (59.62 km²) is water. Several rivers flow through the town, including the Scarborough River, Nonesuch River, Libby River, and Spurwink River.

The town is next to the Gulf of Maine, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The highest point in Scarborough is Beech Ridge, which is 215 feet (66 meters) high. In the past, people lit bonfires on Scottow Hill to warn others of danger.

Major roads like Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 pass through Scarborough. The town shares borders with Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, Westbrook, Gorham, Buxton, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach.

Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	2,099	—
1810	2,094	−0.2%
1820	2,232	6.6%
1830	2,106	−5.6%
1840	2,172	3.1%
1850	1,837	−15.4%
1860	1,807	−1.6%
1870	1,692	−6.4%
1880	1,847	9.2%
1890	1,794	−2.9%
1900	1,865	4.0%
1910	1,945	4.3%
1920	1,832	−5.8%
1930	2,445	33.5%
1940	2,842	16.2%
1950	4,600	61.9%
1960	6,418	39.5%
1970	7,845	22.2%
1980	11,347	44.6%
1990	12,518	10.3%
2000	16,970	35.6%
2010	18,919	11.5%
2020	22,135	17.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 18,919 people living in Scarborough. There were 7,506 households. About 33% of households had children under 18. The average age in town was 44.5 years.

What People Do Here

The main office for Hannaford supermarkets is located in Scarborough.

Schools

A Scarborough school bus

Scarborough has its own public school system for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Scarborough High School
Scarborough Middle School
Wentworth Intermediate School
Eight Corners Primary School
Pleasant Hill Primary School
Blue Point Primary School

Neighborhoods

Higgins Beach.

Scarborough has several distinct neighborhoods:

Blue Point
Dunstan (also known as West Scarborough)
Eight Corners
Higgins Beach
North Scarborough
Oak Hill (the town center, where you'll find the town hall and high school)
Pine Point (located between the Scarborough Marsh and Saco Bay)
Pleasant Hill
Prouts Neck (a peninsula that extends into the Gulf of Maine)
West Scarborough (the northwestern part of town)

Fun Places to Visit

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
Hannaford Supermarkets headquarters
Higgins Beach
Higgins Beach Market
Scarborough Beach State Park
Scarborough Downs
Scarborough Historical Society & Museum
Scarborough Marsh
Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center
Scarborough Public Library
Scarborough River Wildlife Sanctuary

Notable People

Many interesting people have connections to Scarborough:

Susan Alfond (born 1946), an investor and giver to good causes.
Frank Bathe (born 1954), a retired professional ice hockey player.
Joe Bessey (born 1961), a NASCAR team owner and driver.
Greg Finley (born 1984), an American actor.
Linwood M. Higgins (born 1948), a politician from Maine.
Winslow Homer (1836–1910), a famous landscape artist and painter.
Rufus King (1755–1827), one of America's Founding Fathers and a diplomat.
Stephen King (born 1947), a very well-known author of many books.
William King (1768–1852), the first Governor of Maine.
Kelly Moore (born 1959), an American stock car racing driver.
Ryan Moore (born 1983), an American stock car racing driver.
Kelly Noonan Murphy (born 1974 or 1975), an American politician.
Wyatt Omsberg (born 1995), a professional soccer player for MLS.
Erin Pearl (born 1982), a former competitive figure skater.

Scarborough, Maine facts for kids

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