Welcome to Freeport, Maine

Kittery – 73 miles <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>Fort Kent - 428 miles

Freeport, Maine: Today, a shoppers' dream, the town has always been rich in commerce and manufacturing.

The Town of Freeport separated from North Yarmouth in 1789. The waters of Casco Bay and the peninsulas along the Harraseeket River allowed shipbuilding and fishing to flourish.

As fishing and shipbuilding continued to grow, so did the opportunities for canning, packaging, mercantiles, farming and other businesses.

The coming of the railroad moved the commerce inland to Freeport Corner, the current site of the town center of Freeport.

Brothers Guy and L. L. Bean put the town on today's map. They ran the Walkover Shoe Store (across from the current LL Bean Store). L. L. then developed his famous hunting boot which launched the LL Bean flagship store.

As L. L. marketed his boot, he saw the need to offer other hunting and fishing supplies. In 1951, he realized sportsman wanted access to supplies 24 hours a day, and since then, the doors of the LL Bean store have not been locked.

It took several years for other retailers to realize that Freeport would be a mecca for shoppers, but the boon hit and Freeport is now the second largest retail outlet shopping center in the state.