Frye Island, Maine
Encyclopedia
Frye Island is a town
in Cumberland County
, Maine
, United States
. Located in Sebago Lake
, the island is accessed via a public car ferry from Raymond
Neck, or by private boat. All residents of the resort town are seasonal. The majority of property owners hail from New England area states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire) however there are many other states also represented on the island. Frye Island is vacant from November through April, and the ferry does not operate during that time due to the formation of thick ice during cold winter months. It is part of the Portland
–South Portland
–Biddeford
, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The town had a population of five at the 2010 census
.
to Captain Moses Pearson, Captain Humphrey Hobbs and their respective companies of soldiers for services during the French and Indian Wars
. Pearsontown Plantation was first settled in the 1750s, then incorporated as the town of Standish
on November 30, 1785. Frye Island, named for Captain Joseph Frye
, seceded to become a separate town on July 1, 1998.
A popular legend on Frye Island tells of Captain Frye and his escape from a tribe of Native Americans
in Portland
. While being chased, Captain Frye came upon a large rock, now known as Frye's Leap, and had no way of going around it. Captain Frye made the decision to jump and swim across the channel to Frye Island. Today, many people go to Frye's Leap to reenact the famous jump, though this is dangerous and illegal.
Frye Island is composed of approximately 1,000 mostly wooded acres interlaced with 22 miles (35.4 km) of dirt roads. The speed limit is 20 mi/h. Many of the homes are built on waterfront property overlooking Sebago Lake
. Real estate on Frye Island has skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and many of the waterfront homes assess at extremely high values. On the island, there are two marinas, various athletic and recreational facilities, several public beaches, a convenience store, an ice cream stand, a restaurant with a bar, known as the Frye's Leap Cafe, and a golf club with a lounge that is open to the public.
The island is accessed by twin 65 feet (19.8 m) single-deck car ferries that are owned and operated by the town. They run every half hour from early in the morning until late in the evening during July and August, reduced somewhat in off-season. The trip takes about 7 minutes. Walk-on passengers are permitted, but there is no passenger parking at the ferry landings.
is the most celebrated holiday on the island. Each year a walk and run is held among many other festivities. Particularly of note is the town's yearly 4th of July fireworks display. People from all around Sebago gather to view the fireworks, either by boat or from the beach.
, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it is water
. The total area is 16.88% water. Frye Island is situated in Sebago Lake
.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of , covers about in surface area, has a length of and a shoreline length of . The surface is around above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present...
, the island is accessed via a public car ferry from Raymond
Raymond, Maine
Raymond is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,299 at the 2000 census. It is a summer recreation area and is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
Neck, or by private boat. All residents of the resort town are seasonal. The majority of property owners hail from New England area states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire) however there are many other states also represented on the island. Frye Island is vacant from November through April, and the ferry does not operate during that time due to the formation of thick ice during cold winter months. It is part of the Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
–South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
–Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
. The town had a population of five at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
History
It was included in the 1750 grant made by the Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
to Captain Moses Pearson, Captain Humphrey Hobbs and their respective companies of soldiers for services during the French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
. Pearsontown Plantation was first settled in the 1750s, then incorporated as the town of Standish
Standish, Maine
Standish is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of Standish Corner, Sebago Lake Village and Steep Falls, and the localities known as Richville, Standish Neck and Two Trails...
on November 30, 1785. Frye Island, named for Captain Joseph Frye
Joseph Frye
Joseph Frye was a renowned military leader from colonial Maine.Born in Andover, Massachusetts, he obtained the rank of general in the Massachusetts militia after serving in King George's War and the French and Indian War...
, seceded to become a separate town on July 1, 1998.
A popular legend on Frye Island tells of Captain Frye and his escape from a tribe of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. While being chased, Captain Frye came upon a large rock, now known as Frye's Leap, and had no way of going around it. Captain Frye made the decision to jump and swim across the channel to Frye Island. Today, many people go to Frye's Leap to reenact the famous jump, though this is dangerous and illegal.
Frye Island is composed of approximately 1,000 mostly wooded acres interlaced with 22 miles (35.4 km) of dirt roads. The speed limit is 20 mi/h. Many of the homes are built on waterfront property overlooking Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of , covers about in surface area, has a length of and a shoreline length of . The surface is around above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present...
. Real estate on Frye Island has skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and many of the waterfront homes assess at extremely high values. On the island, there are two marinas, various athletic and recreational facilities, several public beaches, a convenience store, an ice cream stand, a restaurant with a bar, known as the Frye's Leap Cafe, and a golf club with a lounge that is open to the public.
The island is accessed by twin 65 feet (19.8 m) single-deck car ferries that are owned and operated by the town. They run every half hour from early in the morning until late in the evening during July and August, reduced somewhat in off-season. The trip takes about 7 minutes. Walk-on passengers are permitted, but there is no passenger parking at the ferry landings.
Traditions
Independence DayIndependence Day
An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...
is the most celebrated holiday on the island. Each year a walk and run is held among many other festivities. Particularly of note is the town's yearly 4th of July fireworks display. People from all around Sebago gather to view the fireworks, either by boat or from the beach.
Geography
Frye Island is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide (at the widest point) and 2.5 miles (4 km) long. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it is water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The total area is 16.88% water. Frye Island is situated in Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of , covers about in surface area, has a length of and a shoreline length of . The surface is around above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present...
.