Bridgton, Maine
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bridgton is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
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 ...
, United States. The population was 5,418 at the 2020 census. A resort area in Maine's Lakes Region, Bridgton is home to Bridgton Academy, a private preparatory school, and the Four on the Fourth Road Race. Bridgton is part of the
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area The city of Portland, Maine, is the hub city of a metropolitan area in southern Maine. The region is commonly known as Greater Portland or the Portland metropolitan area. For statistical purposes, the U.S. federal government defines three differ ...
.


History

The undeveloped land was first called ''Pondicherry''. It was granted in 1768 by the
Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...
to Moody Bridges and a group of proprietors. Settlement began in 1770 at what is now North Bridgton, where a tavern was built. The community was organized in 1779 as Bridgetown Plantation, named after Moody Bridges, and then incorporated on February 7, 1794, as Bridgton. Stevens Brook is only a mile and a half long, but it provided
water power Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kin ...
for 12 mill sites. It developed as an industrial center, with
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
s,
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
s,
woolen Woolen (American English) or woollen (Commonwealth English) is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn. Woolen yarn is in contrast t ...
textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
mills, a tannery, shoe factory and brick manufacturer. Later, a
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
and
vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...
packing plant was built, in addition to a
foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
,
machine shop A machine shop or engineering workshop is a room, building, or company where machining, a form of subtractive manufacturing, is done. In a machine shop, machinists use machine tools and cutting tool (machining), cutting tools to make parts, usua ...
, shovel handle factory, sash and blind factory, and a
coffin A coffin or casket is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, for burial, entombment or cremation. Coffins are sometimes referred to as caskets, particularly in American English. A distinction is commonly drawn between "coffins" a ...
shop. Population increased when goods manufactured by water power could be transported to outside markets on the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, which opened to Portland in 1832. By the mid-19th century, the town contained about 3,000 inhabitants. When the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway bypassed Bridgton, the town built the Bridgton and Saco River Railroad link to the national rail network in 1883. Summer vacationers arrived by rail and steamboat until automobile tourists began arriving after designation of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1919 (identified as U.S. Route 302 since 1935). The convenience of highway travel caused abandonment of the canal steamboats in 1932 and the narrow-gauge railroad in 1941. Bridgton remains a popular resort area, with many children's
summer camp A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...
s located along the shores of the beautiful lakes and Pleasant Mountain Ski Area (formerly Shawnee Peak), a ski resort, located in the western part of town. Image:Scene on Highland Lake, Bridgton, ME.jpg, Highland Lake in 1908 Image:Bridgton House, Bridgton, ME.jpg, Bridgton House in 1906 Image:Dam & Falls, Bridgton, ME.jpg, Dam and falls


Villages and neighborhoods

Bridgton has several villages and areas that can be classified as neighborhoods. They are: * Bridgton is the main, central area of town. It begins on Route 302, near Meadow Road, and continues up towards Main Street, passing Highland Lake and the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
monument at the top of Main Hill. This is the central, downtown of Bridgton, featuring shops, offices and a movie theater. Also located in this area is Stevens Brook Elementary School, Bridgton Memorial School, the Bridgton Community Center, and Pondicherry Park. It is bordered to the west by South High Street.Pondicherry Park is a 62+acre tract of land that includes forest, wetlands pastures and brooks. Hiking trails throughout allow visitors to step from downtown Bridgton into quiet woodlands in an instant. Dogs are not allowed in the entire park, but a Dog Trail is opening in summer 2012. * North Bridgton is located just south of the towns of
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
and Harrison. The main focal point here is Bridgton Academy. It has a separate post office and ZIP code (04057) from the rest of Bridgton, although this ZIP code serves only mail delivered to post office boxes in the North Bridgton Post Office; street delivery in North Bridgton carries the Bridgton address and ZIP code (04009). The area has magnificent views of Long Lake. * South Bridgton is, as the name describes, to the south of Bridgton. It is located mainly off Route 107, near Sebago. The most central portion of the area is near Adams Pond and features the South Bridgton Congregational Church. * Sandy Creek is a sub-area of South Bridgton. It is based around Denmark Road, near Woods Pond Beach. There are multiple summer camps in this area, and it is primarily residential. * West Bridgton is bordered to the south by
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
and to the west by Fryeburg. The main area of development here is on Route 302, from the West Bridgton Fire Station near Cedar Drive, across the Moose Pond causeway to Shawnee Peak. In addition, West Bridgton is home to Camp Winona, which has been in operation for a century.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. To the east of Bridgton is Long Lake, which eventually flows into Sebago Lake and the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. Long Lake is partly fed by Stevens Brook. The source of Stevens Brook is Highland Lake, which is located just west of the downtown. In West Bridgton, a portion of Pleasant Mountain, including the Shawnee Peak Ski Area, rises. At the base of Pleasant Mountain is Moose Pond, a man-made lake which makes up portions of Bridgton, Denmark, and Sweden. Moose Pond eventually drains into the Saco River.


Highland Lake

Highland Lake extends north from downtown Bridgton to the border with
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. The north end of the lake receives drainage from Stearns Pond and Black Pond in eastern Sweden, and from Duck Pond in western
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
. The south end of the lake overflows into Stevens Brook through downtown Bridgton, and the lake was a water power reservoir for early mills. The shoreline of the lake is heavily developed with residences and seasonal cabins. Trailered boats may be launched and recovered at a town-owned ramp at the southern end of the lake.
White perch The white perch (''Morone americana'') is not a true Percidae, perch but is a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America. In some places it is referred to as "Silver Bass". The common ...
thrive in the lake despite dissolved
oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
deficiency in deep water below the summer
thermocline A thermocline (also known as the thermal layer or the metalimnion in lakes) is a distinct layer based on temperature within a large body of fluid (e.g. water, as in an ocean or lake; or air, e.g. an atmosphere) with a high gradient of distinct te ...
.
Smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass (''Micropterus dolomieu'') is a species of freshwater fish in the Centrarchidae, sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of the order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Micropterus ...
in the lake are infested with bass tapeworm. Summer water temperatures are unfavorable for native trout, but the lake has been stocked with
brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...
.


Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Bridgton has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. In the town of North Bridgton, Maine's record high temperature was recorded, which was 105 degrees Fahrenheit.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 5,210 people, 2,240 households, and 1,431 families living in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 4,051 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.6%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.7%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 2,240 households, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% 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 2.71. The median age in the town was 46.8 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 4,883 people, 1,924 households, and 1,296 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 3,063 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.36%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.47%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.27% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population. There were 1,924 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.85. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,722, and the median income for a family was $42,392. Males had a median income of $29,614 versus $21,548 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $17,352. About 9.3% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.


In popular culture

Bridgton is the setting for '' The Mist'', a
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...
by
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
and was the inspiration for Chester's Mill, the town from King's '' Under The Dome''.


Sites of interest

* Benjamin Cleaves House * Dalton Holmes Davis Memorial Library * Lt. Robert Andrews House * Narramissic (Peabody-Fitch Farm) & Bridgton Historical Society Museum * Rufus Porter Museum * Pleasant Mountain Ski Area * South Bridgton Congregational Church * Spratt-Mead Museum * Stone House * Wales and Hamblen Store * Walker Memorial Hall * William F. Perry House * Bridgton Hospital * Pondicherry Park


Notable people

* William Pitt Fessenden, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of Treasury *
John Ripley Freeman John Ripley Freeman (July 27, 1855 – October 6, 1932) was an American civil and hydraulic engineer. He is known for the design of several waterworks and served as president of both the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Socie ...
, civil and hydraulic engineer * Olive Fremstad, mezzo-soprano and soprano opera singer * Marsden Hartley, artist * Ian Harvie, comedian and actor on television *
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
, author * George D. Libby, soldier * Nathaniel Littlefield, congressman *
Lois Lowry Lois Ann Lowry (; née Hammersberg; born March 20, 1937) is an American writer. She is the author of many books for children and young adults, including '' The Giver Quartet'', '' Number the Stars'', the Anastasia series, and '' Rabble Starkey''. ...
, author * Jim Mains, pitcher in Major League Baseball"Jim Mains Statistics and History"
''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
* Willard Mains, baseball player * Luther F. McKinney, minister, congressman, ambassador, orator and soldier * David Nolan, author and historian * Rufus Porter, artist and founder of ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Pri ...
'' magazine * Karl L. Rankin, ambassador to China and Yugoslavia * William P. Rounds, Wisconsin politician * Seba Smith, author and humorist * Sarah Katherine Taylor, evangelist, temperance activist, newspaper editor


References


External links


Town of Bridgton official website

Bridgton Public Library

Bridgton Historical Society

Greater Bridgton-Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Towns in Cumberland County, Maine Portland metropolitan area, Maine Towns in Maine