Freeport (Maine)

Cumberland County

23-26525

Freeport is a town in Cumberland County, Maine. In the small town of Aaron Lufkin Dennison was born.

Geography

Freeport is located on the shores of Casco Bay near the Desert of Maine and the Wolfe 's Neck Woods State Park.

History

Freeport was originally part of the town Harraseeket, today North Yarmouth, which was created in 1700. Independently, the town was finally named on 14 February 1789 and allegedly after the fictional London merchant Sir Andrew Freeport from Joseph Addison's Spectator. From here was wood, especially for mast construction, shipped. The Harraseeket River was dammed here to use water power for a flour mill, a sawmill and a fulling mill. Shipbuilding gained by the American War of Independence a boost, there were more than four shipyards. In addition, fisheries and agriculture has been significant. 1849 Freetown received its first railway connection. This tissue was processed into clothing, there was a granite quarry, and a shoe factory.

1903 Gerald Amos built here an amusement park and a hotel, the latter burned from 1914. 1912, opened Leon Leon Wood Bean a business, LLBean, that later became a global company with mail order. 1982 was the restaurant chain McDonald's a building from the period of Greek Revival tear, but the company had to the restaurant because of a new regulation to build inside the building without altering the external appearance.

Traffic

Freeport is located on U.S. Highway 1 and is accessible via Interstate 295.