Friendship, Maine

Official name	Friendship, Maine
Settlement type	Town
|pushpin map	Maine
Pushpin label position	left
Pushpin map caption	Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates region	US-ME
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Maine
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Knox
Established title	Incorporated
Established date	1807
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2	80.4
Area land km2	36.3
Area water km2	44.1
Area total sq mi	31.0
Area land sq mi	14.0
Area water sq mi	17.0
Population as of	2000
Population total	1204
Population density km2	33.2
Population density sq mi	85.9
Timezone	Eastern (EST)
Utc offset	-5
Timezone dst	EDT
Utc offset dst	-4
Elevation m	6
Elevation ft	20
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	04547
Area code	207
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	23-26805
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0582484

Friendship is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census.

History

Abenaki Indians called it Meduncook, meaning "bay at the end of the sandbar." Part of the Waldo Patent, it was first settled in 1750. A garrison was built on Garrison Island, which connects to the mainland at low tide. By 1754, 22 families lived in Meduncook, most taking shelter within the garrison when the French and Indian War broke out. A party of Indians attacked just after sunrise on May 22, 1758, killing and scalping Joshua and Hannah Bradford and their infant son Winslow. An original settler from Kingston, Massachusetts and great-grandson of Governor William Bradford, he had remained in his house, believing it close enough to the garrison that his family could flee there when necessary. But while pounding corn, the Bradfords missed hearing the garrison's alarm gun. Five of their children managed to escape their pursuers into the fort, but two of their sons Cornelius (21)and Joshua (12) were captured and carried to Canada.

On February 25, 1807, Meduncook Plantation was incorporated as Friendship. By 1859, when the population was 691, the village had two shipbuilders, two gristmills, one shingle mill and three sawmills. By 1880, when the population was 938, other manufactures included sails, carriages, boots and shoes. But boatbuilding remained the dominant industry in town, which became famous for producing the Friendship Sloop, a gaff-rigged sailboat designed for lobstering and fishing. Each summer the town hosts the Friendship Sloop Races.

Author John Cheever wrote his 1957 novel, The Wapshot Chronicle, while vacationing here. The majority of the 1995 film Casper was set in Friendship, though the production crew chose the nearby resort town of Rockport for filming, citing it to be "more authentic". In the film, Friendship is home to a fictional Art Nouveau mansion called Whipstaff Manor, which is haunted by four ghosts. The mansion—and therefore the town—also appear in the 1996-1998 animated series The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper.

Notable people

Allen Alexander Bradford, congressman.

Jayne Loader, director, writer.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.0 square miles (80.4 km²), of which, 14.0 square miles (36.3 km²) of it is land and 17.0 square miles (44.1 km²) of it (54.82%) is water. Located on a peninsula that projects into the Gulf of Maine, Friendship lies between Muscongus Bay and the Friendship River. It includes several islands, the largest of which is Friendship Long Island (or Meduncook Island).

The town is crossed by state routes 97 and 220. It borders the towns of Waldoboro to the northwest, and Cushing to the east.

The town is the site of Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,204 people, 508 households, and 354 families residing in the town. The population density was 85.9 people per square mile (33.2/km²). There were 849 housing units at an average density of 60.5/sq mi (23.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.34% White, 0.25% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.

There were 508 =living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,348, and the median income for a family was $41,648. Males had a median income of $29,605 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,409. About 8.3% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

In popular culture

Friendship is the setting for the film Casper.

References

History of Friendship, Maine (1886)

A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England, Boston, Massachusetts 1859

External links

Maine.gov -- Friendship, Maine

The Friendship Museum

The Friendship Sloop Society

Maine Genealogy: Friendship, Knox County, Maine

Category:Towns in Knox County, Maine