Westbrook is a city in
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, the population was 303,069, making it the most populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Portland. Cumberland County was founded in 1760 from a portion of Y ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and a suburb of
Portland. The population was 20,400 at the
2020 census, making it the fastest-growing city in Maine between 2010 and 2020. It is part of the
Portland–
South Portland–
Biddeford, Maine
metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
.
History
Originally known as Saccarappa after Saccarappa Falls on the
Presumpscot River
The Presumpscot River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river located in Cumberland County, Maine. It is the main outlet of Sebago Lake. The rive ...
, it was a part of Falmouth until February 14, 1814, when it was set off and incorporated as Stroudwater. It soon changed its name to Westbrook after
Colonel Thomas Westbrook
Colonel Thomas Westbrook (1675–1743/44) was a senior New England militia officer in Maine during Father Rale's War. In addition to this senior militia role he was a scout, a colonial councillor, an innkeeper, a mill owner, a land specul ...
, a commander during
Father Rale's War
Dummer's War (1722–1725) is also known as Father Rale's War, Lovewell's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the Wabanaki-New England War, or the Fourth Anglo-Abenaki War. It was a series of battles between the New England Colonies and the ...
and King's mast agent who was an early settler and mill operator.
In 1871, the town of Westbrook amicably split into two municipalities; the current Westbrook and
Deering, which was then annexed by Portland in 1898. In 1891, Westbrook was incorporated as a city.
Saccarappa Falls and Congin Falls provided
water power for early
mills
Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to:
As a name
* Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin
* Mills (given name)
*Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine
Places Uni ...
within the city. In 1829, a
sawmill was built at the former which made the
mill town noted for its
lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
. Other industries followed, manufacturing grain bags, machinery and
water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or bucket ...
s,
carriage and
harness,
boots,
shoes
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...
and
moccasins,
tinware, leather board,
bricks
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
, wooden boxes, box shook, meal and flour. The Portland Manufacturing Company built a cotton textile mill at Saccarappa Falls for making "sheetings, stripes and ducks." A
paper mill was built at Cumberland Mills, once an
Indian planting ground known as Ammoncongin. By 1859, it produced 1,000 tons of paper annually. In 1867, the factory's name would change to the
S. D. Warren Paper Mill
The S. D. Warren Paper Mill is a paper mill on the Presumpscot River in Westbrook, Maine. It is now owned by SAPPI Limited, a South African paper concern. It is one of Westbrook's major employers. The mill complex and former worker and managem ...
.
The
Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened in 1832, connecting Portland to
Harrison
Harrison may refer to:
People
* Harrison (name)
* Harrison family of Virginia, United States
Places
In Australia:
* Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin
In Canada:
* Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...
by way of Westbrook and
Sebago Lake. It was the primary commercial shipping route for goods until 1871, when it was rendered obsolete by the
Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad
The Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad was a railroad planned to connect Portland, Maine to Ogdensburg, New York. The plan failed, and in 1880 the Vermont section was reorganized and leased by the Boston & Lowell Railroad. In 1886, the Maine and N ...
.
Remnants of the
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
can still be seen throughout the city, including Beaver Pond, along Stroudwater Street near the
Maine Turnpike
Interstate 95 (I-95) in the US state of Maine is a highway running from the New Hampshire state line in Kittery, to the Canadian border in Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine. In 2004, the highway's route between P ...
overpass, and in the woods between
Westbrook High School and Oxford-Cumberland Canal Elementary School. In 1885, the city opened
Woodlawn Cemetery, the largest cemetery and newest burial grounds in the municipality.
Gallery
File:Old Warren House, Westbrook, ME.jpg, Old Warren House
File:Bridge Street, Westbrook, ME.jpg, Bridge Street
File:View of Cumberland Mills, Westbrook, ME.jpg, Cumberland Mills
Geography
Westbrook is located at (43.685348, −70.357116).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Bodies of water
Westbrook is drained primarily by two rivers. The
Presumpscot River
The Presumpscot River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river located in Cumberland County, Maine. It is the main outlet of Sebago Lake. The rive ...
flows through the center of the city, with two prominent falls (the aforementioned Saccarappa Falls and Congin Falls). The smaller
Stroudwater River flows through the southwestern part of the city. The city also contains part of Highland Lake.
Roads and bordering
Westbrook is served by
Interstate 95,
U.S. Route 302 and State Routes
22 and
25. State Route 25 has a business route,
Route 25 business, which is concurrent with Main Street. It is bordered by
Portland to the east,
South Portland and
Scarborough to the south,
Gorham and
Windham to the west, and
Falmouth to the north.
Ice disk
In January 2019, a naturally-occurring
ice disk measuring about 100 yards across formed on the
Presumpscot River
The Presumpscot River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river located in Cumberland County, Maine. It is the main outlet of Sebago Lake. The rive ...
. The unusual formation briefly drew international social media and press attention, and boosted tourism to Westbrook.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 17,494 people, 7,568 households, and 4,456 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 7,989 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.3%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 2.3%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 1.9%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.6% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 7,568 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 16,142 people, 6,863 households, and 4,261 families living in the city. The population density was 956.9 people per square mile (369.4/km). There were 7,089 housing units at an average density of 420.3 per square mile (162.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 96.69%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.88%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.27%
Native American, 0.82%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.28% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.03% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.
There were 6,863 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,873, and the median income for a family was $47,120. Males had a median income of $32,412 versus $25,769 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,501. About 6.7% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Now primarily a suburb of the larger city of
Portland, Westbrook itself has a growing business base and developing core downtown district.
IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., a major multi-national corporation, is headquartered in Westbrook. In addition to the downtown area, many of the city's businesses are located within two industrial parks (the Col. Westbrook Industrial Park and Five Star Industrial Park), as well as in the area surrounding
Maine Turnpike
Interstate 95 (I-95) in the US state of Maine is a highway running from the New Hampshire state line in Kittery, to the Canadian border in Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine. In 2004, the highway's route between P ...
Exit 48.
The city is home to
Sappi Ltd.'s Westbrook Paper Mill and R&D Center. The mill, formerly the
S. D. Warren Paper Mill
The S. D. Warren Paper Mill is a paper mill on the Presumpscot River in Westbrook, Maine. It is now owned by SAPPI Limited, a South African paper concern. It is one of Westbrook's major employers. The mill complex and former worker and managem ...
, was once the city's largest employer and taxpayer, employing over 3,000 people and representing over 50% of the city's tax base. However, foreign competition and the age of the mill have drastically reduced its workforce and production. Today the mill has found a niche in the marketplace, becoming one of the nation's top manufacturers of release papers and employing about 300 people. Idexx Laboratories has since surpassed the mill as the city's largest taxpayer. Westbrook was also the home of the first
Sebago-Moc shoe factory.
Westbrook is home to the TV station
WMTW, southern Maine's
ABC affiliate. The station has its studios off County Road.
The faith-based
Mercy Hospital of Portland operates Mercy Westbrook, a small community hospital with a minor emergency room and inpatient treatment facilities.
Spring Harbor Hospital, southern Maine's only private psychiatric treatment and recovery center, is also located within the city.
Education
Westbrook's public schools are part of the Westbrook School Department.
*
Westbrook High School – Blue Blazes
* Westbrook Middle School, (grades 5–8) (formerly Fred C. Wescott Junior High School) – Falcons
* Congin Elementary School, (grades K–4) – Cougars
* Canal School Elementary School, (grades K–4) – Coyotes
* Saccarappa Elementary School, (grades K–4) – Shining Stars
The Wescott Junior High School building is now the Westbrook Community Center, with Westbrook Middle School occupying a newly constructed and subsequently expanded facility on a different site down the road from Westbrook High School. Other former schools in the city include Prides Corner Elementary School, which was closed in 2012 and subsequently demolished, with apartments and houses built on the property.
Churches
Westbrook is home to many churches including
Catholic
* St. Anthony of Padua (St. Hyacinth)
* St. Edmund's
Evangelical Free
* First Evangelical Free Church
Lutheran
* Trinity Lutheran Church
Methodist-United
* Westbrook United Methodist
Nondenominational or Interdenominational
* New Life Fellowship
Not Indicated
* Covenant Family Fellowship
Pentecostal
* Acceleration Church
* Vineyard Christian Fellowship
United Church of Christ
* Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church
Baptist
* First Baptist Church
* Westbrook Baptist Church
Government and elections
The Westbrook City Council consists of five councilors each representing one of the five
city wards and two
at-large councilors. The current mayor is Michael Foley.
Colleen Hilton was mayor of Westbrook from November 2009 – 2016.
Voter registration
Libraries
*
Walker Memorial Library
* Warren Memorial Library (closed in 2009)
Neighborhoods
Similar to neighboring Portland and South Portland, Westbrook contains several distinct neighborhoods that are generally recognized by residents but have no legal or political significance. Unlike Portland, however, there is no official signage recognizing these neighborhoods. Some of the notable neighborhoods include:
* Birdland
*
Cumberland Mills
* Deer Hill
* Frenchtown
* The Hamlet
* Prides Corner
* Old Millbrook
* Westbrook Pointe
* Woodland
* Colonial Village
* Highland Lake
Recreation
In addition to the sports complexes located at Westbrook High School and other schools, the city offers several public recreational areas and facilities, including:
* Bicentennial Park & Skate Park
* Riverbank Park
* Westbrook River Walk – along Presumpscot River in downtown area
* Cornelia Warren Memorial Trail – along Presumpscot River between Ash St. and Cumberland St.
* Westbrook River Trail – along Presumpscot River north and east of the Sappi paper mill
* Rocky Hill – network of trails behind Wescott Community Centre
* Warren Little League Complex
* Lincoln Street skating rink – ice hockey in colder months, roller hockey in warmer months
* East Bridge Street skating rink – winter use only
* Stroudwater Street skating rink – winter use only
* East Bridge Street ballfields
* Warren League Grounds
* Warren Pool – outdoor public pool, summer use only
* Davan Pool – indoor pool, open year-round
Sites of interest
* Acorn Productions Performing Arts Center
* Westbrook Historical Society & Museum
* Warren Memorial Fountain
Notable people
*
Benjamin Paul Akers
Benjamin Paul Akers (July 10, 1825 – May 21, 1861) was an American sculptor from Maine.
Early life
He was born in 1825 in rural Saccarappa, Maine, into a large and indigent family. When his father, Deacon Akers, moved the family from Saccara ...
, sculptor
*
John Cumberland, professional baseball player
*
Philip E. Curran, banker and state legislator
*
Robert W. Duplessie, state legislator
*
Kevin Eastman
Kevin Brooks Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and writer best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine '' Heavy Meta ...
,
cartoonist, co-creator of the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (named after It ...
*
James Deering Fessenden, Civil War general
*
Ginger Fraser, American football player and coach
*
Scott Garland (a.k.a. Scotty 2 Hotty), professional wrestler
*
George Gore, professional baseball player
*
Al Hawkes, musician
*
Nancy A. Henry, poet
*
Curtis Jonathan Hussey (a.k.a. Fandango), professional wrestler
*
Edmund Needham Morrill
Edmund Needham Morrill (February 12, 1834 – March 14, 1909) was a U.S. Congressman from Kansas and the 13th Governor of Kansas.
Biography
Edmund Needham Morrill was born in Westbrook, Maine, to Rufus and Mary (Webb) Morrill. He attended the ...
, U.S. Congressman and
governor of Kansas
*
Eliza Happy Morton, author and educator
*
Ann Peoples, state legislator
*
Alexander Speirs, state legislator
*
Avadis Tevanian, venture capitalist
*
Ronald Usher, state legislator
*
Rudy Vallée
Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type.
Early life
Hubert Prior Vall ...
, musician, band leader, actor and entertainer
*
Thomas Westbrook, namesake of Westbrook
References
External links
City of Westbrook, MaineWalker Memorial LibraryWestbrook Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1814
Portland metropolitan area, Maine
Cities in Maine
Company towns in Maine
Cities in Cumberland County, Maine