Our Town, Our Story

Rich in tradition, history, and natural beauty, Brunswick is a community of talented, innovative and involved citizens. Brunswick’s residents are fortunate to have access to beautiful recreational areas, high quality educational and medical resources, and growing employment opportunities.

Bordered by the Androscoggin River and Atlantic Ocean with its 67 miles of coastline, Brunswick is a coastal community, offering residents and visitors an array of recreational opportunities. With convenient access to I-295 and Route 1, Brunswick is located 30 miles north of Portland and the Portland International Jetport (PWM), and adjacent to Freeport. Brunswick’s strategic location is enhanced by the Brunswick Executive Airport and the Amtrak Downeaster, connecting Brunswick to Boston (130 miles) and beyond by passenger rail service.

Settled in 1628 and incorporated in 1738, Brunswick is a historic and picturesque New England town in the heart of the Midcoast Region of Maine. The town, designated as a Main Street Community in 2012, offers a balanced mix of retail, professional and arts-related businesses, along with light to medium industry and traditional farming, foresting, and commercial fishing. Downtown Brunswick’s distinctive broad Maine Street combines village flavor and city flair. Dotted with specialty shops, open spaces, and restaurants to satisfy every mood and palate, Brunswick’s pedestrian-friendly downtown attracts shoppers, sightseers, and foodies alike.

Brunswick is a college town offering rich and diverse arts and cultural resources, anchored by Bowdoin College’s noted museums, theater, and concert hall. Established in 1794, Bowdoin was the first college in the state of Maine, and it remains an important influence in Brunswick’s continued development. Other colleges include Southern New Hampshire University and Southern Maine Community College, and opportunities for lifelong learning at Midcoast Senior College and Merrymeeting Adult Education.

Brunswick is home to world-class businesses, including L.L. Bean manufacturing, Bath Iron Works (design/engineering) and Owens Corning (composite fabrics). With its proximity to boat builders and to her marine trades along the Maine coast, advanced technology training resources and innovative businesses, Brunswick has positioned itself as the epicenter of the state’s emerging composites manufacturing cluster. Home to Mid Coast Hospital and the Mid Coast Hospital Walk-In Clinic  as well as numerous banks, downtown Brunswick is a service center for neighboring communities.

In Brunswick, community means friendly neighborhoods and markets; inspiring art and culture in world-class venues; unique shopping and great food; healthy outdoor activities in a beautiful environment; a diversity of churches and denominations; and learning opportunities that never end. Whether raising a family or looking for a place to spend an active retirement with others from all walks of life—or anything in between—Brunswick offers a place to experience a rewarding and happy life.

Notables

The book Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe while she was living in Brunswick; she received a key vision for the book while sitting in a pew in the First Parish Church. Other distinguished residents have included Governors Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Bowdoin College graduate (who received General Lee’s sword of surrender at Appomattox), Robert P. Dunlap and Angus King; Congressmen Joshua Herrick and Benjamin Orr; poet Robert P.T. Coffin; columnist John Thomas Gould; publisher George Palmer Putnam; sportscaster Dale Arnold; football player Will Montgomery, musician-producer Graeme K. and Senator George Mitchell and Joan Benoit Samuelson, graduates of Bowdoin College.