Harpswell is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. The population was 5,031 at the 2020 census. Harpswell is composed of land contiguous with the rest of Cumberland County, called Harpswell Neck, as well as three large islands connected by bridges:

Sebascodegan Island Sebascodegan Island or Great Island is an island at the eastern edge of Casco Bay on the Gulf of Maine. It is a part of the town of Harpswell with the mainland portion of Harpswell to its west and Orr's Island and Bailey Island to its south. The ...

(locally known as Great Island),

Orr's Island Orr's Island is an island in Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is within the town of Harpswell, Maine, U.S., and forms an archipelago with Sebascodegan Island (also known as Great Island) to its north and B ...

, and Bailey Island and over 200 smaller islands. Harpswell is part of the

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

–

South Portland South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state, incorporated in 1898. At the 2020 census, the city population was 26,498. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is si ...

– Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Native Americans who originally inhabited Harpswell were part of the Abenaki. The Abenaki name for Harpswell Neck, then called West Harpswell, was ''Merriconeag'' or "quick carrying place", a reference to the narrow

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

's easy

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

. The Abenaki name for Great Island was Erascohegan or Sebascodiggin, which became by the late 1800s

. About 1659 Major Nicholas Shapleigh of Kittery, Maine, bought Merriconeag and Sebascodegan Island from the Abenaki, but because of Indian defense, attempts to settle the area were abandoned until after Dummer's War. The Treaty of 1725 brought a truce, and by 1731 many settlers had returned. Formerly a part of

North Yarmouth North Yarmouth, officially the Town of North Yarmouth, is a town in Cumberland County, Maine. The population was 4,072 at the 2020 United States Census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, in 1758 the town was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court and named for

Harpswell Harpswell is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. The population was 5,031 at the 2020 census. Harpswell is composed of land contiguous with the rest of Cumberland County, called Harpswell Ne ...

in Lincolnshire, England. Industries included farming and some shipbuilding, but fishing brought considerable profit, and lobstering is still a thriving part of the economy. Because of its scenic beauty, Harpswell is today a favorite with artists and tourists. The Bailey Island Bridge is an National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. The town is situated on Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. Harpswell has about of coastline. The town is crossed by state routes 24 and 123. It is bordered by the town of Brunswick to the north, and is separated by the

New Meadows River The New Meadows River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 tidal embayment in Maine at the northern end of Casco Bay. It serves as the boundary between Cumbe ...

from West Bath to the northeast and

Phippsburg Phippsburg is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States, on the west side of the mouth of the Kennebec River. The population was 2,155 at the 2020 census. It is within the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, Biddefo ...

to the east.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,740 people, 2,218 households, and 1,450 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 4,208 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 2,218 households, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.53. The median age in the town was 52.9 years. 15% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.9% were from 25 to 44; 37.5% were from 45 to 64; and 25.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,239 people, 2,340 households, and 1,532 families living in the town. The population density was 216.7 people per square mile (83.7/km²). There were 3,701 housing units at an average density of 153.1 per square mile (59.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.94% White, 0.25% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population. There were 2,340 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.69. In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,611, and the median income for a family was $45,119. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $30,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,433. About 3.3% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Fire, EMS, police

Fire protection services are provided in Harpswell by three unique and nonrelated volunteer fire departments. All three departments provide EMS services and operate ambulances. A town contracted paramedic is stationed 24/7 at the town hall. * Harpswell Neck Fire Department * Orr's and Bailey Island Fire Department * Cundy's Harbor Fire Department Law enforcement services are provided by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.

Notable people

* John Chryssavgis, author, theologian * Patrick Dempsey, actor *

Stephen M. Etnier Stephen Morgan Etnier (September 11, 1903 – November 7, 1984) was an American realist painter, painting for six decades. His work is distinguished by a mixture of realism and luminism, favoring industrial and working scenes, but always ...

, artist *

Richard Jacques (military officer) Capt Richard Jacques (1704, Newbury, Massachusetts – 1745, Louisbourg, Cape Breton); an American colonial officer who served during Father Rale's War. He was responsible for the death of Father Sébastien Rale in the Battle of Norridgewock. Ja ...

Elijah Kellogg Elijah Kellogg, Jr. (May 20, 1813 – March 17, 1901) was an American Congregationalist minister, lecturer and author of popular boy's adventure books. Professional life Born in Portland, Maine, Kellogg was the son of a minister and mi ...

, minister, lecturer, author * Samuel Merritt, physician, businessman, mayor, regent * Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet *

James L. Nelson James L. Nelson (born 1962) is an American historical novel, historical nautical novelist. Early life Nelson was born in Lewiston, Maine in 1962. He expressed an interest in boats from a young age, building a skipjack (boat), skipjack in ninth ...

, novelist *

Robert Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for, in Apri ...

, explorer * Alexander Petrunkevitch, Yale professor and arachnologist

Education

Public schools in the area are operated by

Maine School Administrative District 75 Maine School Administrative District 75 operates six Primary education, elementary schools (K–5), one middle school (6–8) and one high school (9–12) in Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland and Sagadahoc County, Maine, Sagadahoc Counties i ...

. During the 2010–2011 school year, Harpswell residents voted to close the West Harpswell School, one of the town's two K–5 elementary schools. Beginning in 2011–2012, West Harpswell students began being bused to the Harpswell Islands School. It was due to save approximately $200,000 a year. In September 2013,

Harpswell Coastal Academy Harpswell Coastal Academy was a charter school serving grades 5–12 with a campus located in Harpswell, Maine. The school was funded by the State of Maine. It was one of nine school districts in the state to receive federal funding under the Rethi ...

, a charter school serving grades 6–12 opened in the old West Harpswell School.

In popular culture

The fictional murder mystery ''

Blow the Man Down "Blow the Man Down" is an English sea shanty, listed as 2624 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The lyric "Blow the man down" can be interpreted in a number of ways. Some see it as a reference to a sailor being struck with a fist. Given the shanty's t ...

'' was filmed in Harpswell in 2018. The name of the town in the film is changed to Easter Cove, Maine. The Marvel Comics superhero Carol Danvers has a family home in Harpswell.not only is aquaman from maine captain marvel is too
''bangordailynews.com''

Sites of interest

Eagle Island State Historic Site
summer home of Admiral Robert Peary
Harpswell Historical Society Museum

Ragged Island – Summer home of Edna St. Vincent Millay