Brunswick (town), Maine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Town of Brunswick
Coordinates: 43°54′39″N, 69°57′47″W
County	Cumberland
Settled	1628
Incorporated (town)	1738
Area
- City	140.4 km²  (54.2 sq mi)
- Land	121.2 km² (46.8 sq mi)
Population (2000)
- City	21,172
- Density	174.7/km² (452.6/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04011
Website: http://www.brunswickme.org/

Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,172 at the 2000 census.

Contents 1 Name and history 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Notable residents 5 References

[edit] Name and history

The town of Brunswick was originally settled in 1628 along the falls of the Androscoggin River. It was incorporated in 1738 and named to honor the House of Brunswick. As the home of Bowdoin College (chartered in 1794) and the Naval Air Station Brunswick (external link), Brunswick has a diverse population. A number National Historic Districts contain large sea captains' mansions built in the Greek Revival and Federal style of architecture. The grassy tree-lined mall links Bowdoin College with the downtown district. Major employers with facilities in Brunswick include L.L. Bean, Bath Iron Works, credit card issuer MBNA, as well as companies that produce items such as fiberglass construction material and electrical switches. A number of health services providers that serve Maine's Mid-Coast area are also located in Brunswick.

The famous book Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe while she was living in Brunswick. She got a key vision for the book in First Parish Church, in Brunswick.

Brunswick was the home of Civil War General Joshua Chamberlain, who later served as the 32^nd Governor of Maine and as President of Bowdoin College. His home, located on the corner of Maine and Potter Streets, is now a museum open to the public from May to October.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 140.4 km² (54.2 mi²). 121.2 km² (46.8 mi²) of it is land and 19.3 km² (7.4 mi²) of it (13.72%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 21,172 people, 8,150 households, and 5,150 families residing in the town. The population density was 174.7/km² (452.6/mi²). There were 8,720 housing units at an average density of 72.0/km² (186.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.35% White, 1.71% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population.

There were 8,150 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,402, and the median income for a family was $49,088. Males had a median income of $32,141 versus $24,927 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,322. About 5.0% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Notable residents

• Gorham Dummer Abbot, (1807-1874), born in Brunswick, noted clergyman and teacher^[1]
• John Stevens Cabot Abbott, (1805-1877), born in Brunswick, noted author and Congregational Church clergyman ^[1]
• Martin Brewer Anderson, (1815-1890), born in Brunswick, noted Baptist clergyman, professor at Colby College, editor and proprieter of newspaper New York Recorder, and first president of the University of Rochester ^[1]
• Joshua Chamberlain, (1828-1914) Civil War General and 32^nd Governor of Maine ^[2]
• Robert P.T. Coffin (1892-1955) won the 1936 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry ^[2]
• Robert Pinckney Dunlap (1794-1859), the 9^th Governor of Maine was a life long resident and prominent Mason. His father John Dunlap, also a Brunsiwck resident was described in 1803 as the richest man in Maine.^[2]
• John Gould (1908-2003), reporter for the Brunswick Record and columnist for the Christian Science Monitor
• Harriett Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), abolitionist, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin and other books ^[2]
• Corey Beaulieu, the lead guitarist of Trivium.

Many other people of note have been Brunswick residents while attending or teaching at Bowdoin college; see this list.

See also: Brunswick (CDP), Maine

[edit] References

• Brunswick travel guide from Wikitravel

• 1. ^ ^{a b c} (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 

• ^ ^{a b c d} Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). in Doris A. Isaacson: Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc., 172-177. 

Coordinates: 43°54′39″N, 69°57′47″W Bridget