Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Encyclopedia
Old Orchard Beach is a town
and census-designated place
(CDP) in York County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland
–South Portland
–Biddeford
, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
Located on the inner side of Saco Bay
on the Atlantic Ocean
, the town is a popular summer beach destination. The downtown contains many tourist-oriented businesses, including clam
shacks and t-shirt shops. A wooden pier on the beach contains many other tourist businesses, including a variety of souvenir
shops. The seven mile (11 km) long beach stretching away from the downtown is lined with many beach residential properties, condominium
s, motels and bed and breakfast
s.
, who dubbed it "The Garden By The Sea". The town takes its name from Rogers' abandoned apple orchard. Rogers' family left the area and relocated in Kittery, Maine
after an Indian attack destroyed the Rogers' homestead. The namesake orchard survived for approximately 150 years as a beacon of land to sailors in the Atlantic Ocean. The historic Free Will Baptist revival camp at [Ocean Park, Maine], just down the beach from central Old Orchard, was built in 1881 by Bates College
President Oren B. Cheney
. The mission of the Association, as declared to the State of Maine on January 24, 1881 was "to establish a place of summer resort for holding religious, educational and other meetings at Old Orchard, in Saco, Maine
, in the County of York.". The community still thrives today.
is located in Old Orchard Beach. The amusement park dates back to 1902 and sits on four acres of beachfront property. Palace Playland is one of the last old-timey oceanside amusement parks in New England
.
In the past, two carousel
s were constructed with hand-carved horses and other animals. Old Orchard Beach was home to the first carousel in the United States Noah's Ark, a kid-friendly, boat-shaped funhouse with hand-carved figures of Noah and his family, was designed to provide an exciting but not frightening experience for a 5-year-old. The entire structure would rock back and forth while guests meandered through dark passages. Colored lights would flash, loud klaxons would sound, and compressed air would shoot from the floor. On the Jack and Jill slide, two people would be placed on a large hemp mat in a wooden bucket, which would take them to the top of a 50 feet (15.2 m) tall tower and dump them onto a metal slide for a quick ride down.
The current 2011 version of Palace Playland
consists of a newly built Ferris Wheel
, a 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m²) arcade,and 25 rides for both children and adults. The new Ferris Wheel replaces the 70 feet (21.3 m) high, decades old Sunwheel with one that is environmentally sound and technologically superior.
The current incarnation of the pier was built in 1980 after being destroyed by a blizzard in 1978. The current structure stretches 500 feet (152.4 m) into the Atlantic Ocean
. The wooden walk way is lined with souvenir shops, fair style foods, and a night club at the end of the pier.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.6 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.32%) is water.
, as a reminder of Oiseau Canari, the pioneer aircraft crossing of the Atlantic by Assollant, Lefèvre and Lotti in 1929 to Oyambre (Cantabria, Spain).
n, Latvia
n, Turkish
and many foreign exchange students from places as far as Russia
looking for summer work. Many Canadians
, especially from the province of Quebec
, come down for summer vacations, and it is common to hear conversations in French
.
of 2000, there were 9,745 people, 4,294 households, and 2,254 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,188.8 people per square mile (459.0/km²). There were 6,222 housing units at an average density of 835.3 per square mile (322.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.54 percent White, 0.56 percent Black or African American
, 0.28 percent Native American, 0.46 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 0.23 percent from other races
, and 0.89 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02 percent of the population.
There were 4,294 households out of which 22.7 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7 percent were married couples
living together, 10.1 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.5 percent were non-families. Fully 38.6 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.1 percent under the age of 18, 6.5 percent from 18 to 24, 33.2 percent from 25 to 44, 26.2 percent from 45 to 64, and 14.9 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,568, and the median income for a family was $47,952. Males had a median income of $36,089 versus $26,429 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,929. About 7.7 percent of families and 11.0 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7 percent of those under age 18 and 15.1 percent of those age 65 or over.
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...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in York County
York County, Maine
York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred.Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States....
, 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...
. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. 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...
.
Located on the inner side of Saco Bay
Saco Bay (Maine)
Saco Bay is a small arcuate embayment of the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic coast of Maine in the United States. The name derives "from a map of the coastline made in 1525 by the Spanish explorer Esteban Gómez...
on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, the town is a popular summer beach destination. The downtown contains many tourist-oriented businesses, including clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
shacks and t-shirt shops. A wooden pier on the beach contains many other tourist businesses, including a variety of souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
shops. The seven mile (11 km) long beach stretching away from the downtown is lined with many beach residential properties, condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s, motels and bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s.
Early history
The Old Orchard Beach area began appearing in historical records around the time of 1653. The area was first officially settled in 1657 by Thomas RogersThomas Rogers
Thomas Rogers may refer to:* Tom Rogers , President and CEO of TiVo* Thomas Rogers , passenger on the Mayflower* Thomas Jones Rogers , US congressman from Pennsylvania...
, who dubbed it "The Garden By The Sea". The town takes its name from Rogers' abandoned apple orchard. Rogers' family left the area and relocated in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
after an Indian attack destroyed the Rogers' homestead. The namesake orchard survived for approximately 150 years as a beacon of land to sailors in the Atlantic Ocean. The historic Free Will Baptist revival camp at [Ocean Park, Maine], just down the beach from central Old Orchard, was built in 1881 by Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
President Oren B. Cheney
Oren B. Cheney
Oren Burbank Cheney was the founder of Bates College, an abolitionist, and a Free Will Baptist clergyman.-Early life:...
. The mission of the Association, as declared to the State of Maine on January 24, 1881 was "to establish a place of summer resort for holding religious, educational and other meetings at Old Orchard, in Saco, Maine
Saco, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems , a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics...
, in the County of York.". The community still thrives today.
Tourist resort
Old Orchard Beach has been promoted as a tourist destination since 1631, when its first settler established a "Garden By the Sea." In 1829 the first Public House opened, and in 1837 tourists paid $1.50 each to stay at a local farm. Railroad service between Boston and Portland opened in 1842. Over the years Old Orchard developed into a major resort. Airplanes took off from the beach and auto races were held on the sand. Most of the large hotels were destroyed in the fire of 1907. The oldest hotel still standing on the beachfront in Old Orchard at this time, is The Ocean House Hotel & Motel, circa 1895, located at 71 West Grand Avenue. It retains its original parlors and character.Attractions
The seaside amusement park Palace PlaylandPalace Playland
Palace Playland is a seasonal amusement park located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It has operated on the same site since 1902.-History:In the 1900s, Palace Playland's startup decade, the then-small amusement park centered on a roller skating rink and adjacent merry-go-round...
is located in Old Orchard Beach. The amusement park dates back to 1902 and sits on four acres of beachfront property. Palace Playland is one of the last old-timey oceanside amusement parks in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
In the past, two carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
s were constructed with hand-carved horses and other animals. Old Orchard Beach was home to the first carousel in the United States Noah's Ark, a kid-friendly, boat-shaped funhouse with hand-carved figures of Noah and his family, was designed to provide an exciting but not frightening experience for a 5-year-old. The entire structure would rock back and forth while guests meandered through dark passages. Colored lights would flash, loud klaxons would sound, and compressed air would shoot from the floor. On the Jack and Jill slide, two people would be placed on a large hemp mat in a wooden bucket, which would take them to the top of a 50 feet (15.2 m) tall tower and dump them onto a metal slide for a quick ride down.
The current 2011 version of Palace Playland
Palace Playland
Palace Playland is a seasonal amusement park located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It has operated on the same site since 1902.-History:In the 1900s, Palace Playland's startup decade, the then-small amusement park centered on a roller skating rink and adjacent merry-go-round...
consists of a newly built Ferris Wheel
Ferris Wheel
The original Ferris Wheel, sometimes also referred to as the Chicago Wheel, was the centerpiece of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois....
, a 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m²) arcade,and 25 rides for both children and adults. The new Ferris Wheel replaces the 70 feet (21.3 m) high, decades old Sunwheel with one that is environmentally sound and technologically superior.
The Pier
Three versions of the Pier were constructed by man and modified by nature. The first, 1770 feet (539.5 m) long, was built of steel in 1898. At its end was the Pier Casino, a ballroom with room for 5,000 dancers. Shortly after its completion a storm reduced its length by 150 feet (45.7 m). It was rebuilt, but 10 years later, after another storm, the pier was shortened to 700 feet (213.4 m) and the Casino was moved. In the interwar period, the Casino hosted such acts as Guy Lombardo, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Xavier Cugat and Frank Sinatra. After the war Old Orchard became somewhat downscale, becoming known as a destination for blue-collar partygoers. A fire in 1969 destroyed Noah's Ark, the two carousels, and the Jack and Jill slide. The Casino was demolished in 1970.The current incarnation of the pier was built in 1980 after being destroyed by a blizzard in 1978. The current structure stretches 500 feet (152.4 m) into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The wooden walk way is lined with souvenir shops, fair style foods, and a night club at the end of the pier.
Geography
Old Orchard Beach is located at 43°30′49"N 70°23′7"W (43.513714, -70.385363).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 7.6 square miles (19.6 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.32%) is water.
Twin cities
Old Orchard Beach is the twin city of the French seaside resort of MimizanMimizan
Mimizan is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France. There are two separate districts of the town: Mimizan-Bourg and Mimizan-Plage .-History:...
, as a reminder of Oiseau Canari, the pioneer aircraft crossing of the Atlantic by Assollant, Lefèvre and Lotti in 1929 to Oyambre (Cantabria, Spain).
Immigration and foreign affairs
Old Orchard Beach, during tourist season, is home to LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n, Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and many foreign exchange students from places as far as Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
looking for summer work. Many Canadians
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, especially from the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, come down for summer vacations, and it is common to hear conversations in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,745 people, 4,294 households, and 2,254 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,188.8 people per square mile (459.0/km²). There were 6,222 housing units at an average density of 835.3 per square mile (322.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.54 percent White, 0.56 percent Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.28 percent Native American, 0.46 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 0.23 percent from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.89 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02 percent of the population.
There were 4,294 households out of which 22.7 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7 percent were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.1 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.5 percent were non-families. Fully 38.6 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.1 percent under the age of 18, 6.5 percent from 18 to 24, 33.2 percent from 25 to 44, 26.2 percent from 45 to 64, and 14.9 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,568, and the median income for a family was $47,952. Males had a median income of $36,089 versus $26,429 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $20,929. About 7.7 percent of families and 11.0 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7 percent of those under age 18 and 15.1 percent of those age 65 or over.
See also
- Old Orchard Beach (Amtrak station)Old Orchard Beach (Amtrak station)Old Orchard Beach is a train station in Old Orchard Beach, Maine served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. It features a covered platform, and is served by Amtrak's Downeaster service from April to October....
- The Ball ParkThe Ball ParkThe Ball Park is a baseball stadium, located in and owned by the Town of Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The stadium has a seating capacity of 6,000 and was a former Triple-A baseball facility, that was almost destroyed by years of neglect until a community organized volunteer effort revived the...