Community Profile

FREEPORT

Freeport is located 17 miles north of Portland and 13 miles south of Brunswick. It is considered a part of the mid-coast region of Maine. Freeport has 8,500 residents and is the home of L.L. Bean, Inc., a major retailer of clothing and outdoor recreation equipment. The town also has numerous outlet shops and hosts 3.5 million visitors each year. Three of Maine’s largest employers are within 25 minutes of Freeport: Bath Iron Works (BIW), which builds ships for the U. S. Navy; MaineHealth, the largest hospital in Maine; and L. L. Bean.

CHURCHES

In addition to the First Baptist Church, there are five other churches in Freeport: St. Jude Catholic Church, South Freeport Church (UCC), First Parish Congregational Church (UCC), Freeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints).

A 2016 Pew Research survey determined Maine to be tied for 49th place (with NH) for worship attendance. The religious distribution of the population is 14% Catholic, 7% Protestant, 4% Evangelical Protestant.

SCHOOLS

Freeport is part of Regional School Unit 5 (with neighboring towns of Pownal and Durham). Schools include Morse St. School (pre-K-grade 2), Mast Landing School (grades 3-5), Freeport Middle School (grades 6-8), Freeport High School (grades 9-12), and elementary schools in Pownal and Durham.

Private schools include Maine Coast Waldorf School (K-12), Pine Tree Academy (Seventh-day Adventist K-12), L’Ecole Francaise du Maine (French immersion K-6), and a number of preschools, including the Freeport Montessori School which meets in our Christian Education building.

TRANSPORTATION

Both Interstate 295 and Route One run directly through Freeport. The Concord Trailways bus service connects Portland and New York with stops along the way. The Amtrak Downeaster train travels from Brunswick, Maine, to Boston’s North Station and includes stops in Freeport and Portland. The Portland International Jetport (PWM) is located in Portland (about 25 minutes away). METRO BREEZ buses link Freeport, Yarmouth, Portland, and Brunswick.

WEATHER

Freeport’s coastal location moderates both the winter and summer temperatures. The average high in August is 79 degrees. January, the coldest month, averages 20 degrees. Annual snowfall averages 50-70 inches and rainfall average is 46 inches.

HEALTHCARE

Freeport hosts a number of physicians and therapists with many more in Brunswick, Yarmouth, and Portland. Portland has two hospitals (Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital), and Brunswick has one hospital (Mid Coast Hospital).

RECREATION

Freeport is home to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Camping, Winslow Park and Campground, Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary, and the Desert of Maine. L.L. Bean offers many Outdoor Discovery programs, and Freeport Conservation Trust maintains numerous hiking trails. Mountain biking plus more hiking and camping opportunities are available at Bradbury Mountain State Park in the next town of Pownal.

CULTURE

Freeport Community Players puts on three productions a year, and the Greater Freeport Community Chorus performs concerts. L.L. Bean sponsors a summer concert series that brings a variety of artists to its Discovery Park.

Portland offers various museums, theaters, and sporting events. Portland Museum of Art, Children’s Museum of Maine, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Portland Stage Company, Portland Sea Dogs (AA baseball), Maine Mariners (hockey), and Maine Red Claws (basketball) are popular attractions. The Cross Insurance Arena is a multi-purpose entertainment and sporting facility that hosts family shows, concerts, sporting events, and trade shows. The Bowdoin College campus in Brunswick offers the Bowdoin College of Art, Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Maine State Music Theatre and Bowdoin International Music Festival.

MAINE

Maine is one of six New England states and the easternmost state in the U.S., bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south; New Hampshire to the west; and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick to the north and east.

It is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi—1.3 million with over one third of the population living in the greater Portland area. Maine is 93% non-Hispanic white. There is a growing population of refugees from African countries, and some of the more urban areas are more racially diverse.

Maine is known for its beautiful rocky coastline, expansive forests, fishing industry (especially lobsters, clams, and oysters), moose, potatoes, and  blueberries. Maine has some premiere recreational destinations. Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park are two favorites. Outdoor recreation in Maine includes skiing, boating, snowmobiling, cycling, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.

Maine has several outstanding liberal arts colleges, including Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby. The University of Maine is located in Orono and has five other campuses around the state. Other schools include University of Southern Maine in Portland and Gorham, the University of New England in Biddeford, Southern Maine Community College in South Portland and Brunswick, and the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.