At the count of the last census in 2020, just about 8,000 people called beautiful Berwick, Maine their home. Berwick residents share a border—the Salmon Falls river—with the sales-tax free state of New Hampshire. Kayaking and boating on the Salmon Falls is a popular activity for many who live in the area.
Originally part of the town of Kittery, Berwick was settled in 1631. It was known then as Kittery Commons or Kittery North Parish. Lumbering was an early industry for the town, and the first wood products exported from the American colonies in 1634 was from the mill on the nearby Great Works River.
The settlement’s name later changed to Unity for the ship transporting Scottish prisoners of war to the American colonies after the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. These men were indentured servants, forced to work at the sawmill on the Great Works sawmill. A 1690 raid during King Williams' War saw Unity razed and abandoned by its surviving inhabitants.
Resettlement occurred in 1703, and the new community was called Newichawannock, the Abenaki name meaning “river with many falls.” The name changed for the final (promise!) time when the town was incorporated in 1713, calling the settlement Berwick, after Berwick-upon-Tweed in England. The first schoolhouse in Maine was built here in 1719. In 1814, the town of South Berwick separated from Berwick, followed by North Berwick in 1831.
Berwick is still connected to North Berwick by their shared school district, which was awarded a National Bronze medal by US News.
On the border with tax-free New Hampshire, Berwick is located near several transportation hubs that make commuting North or South easy, either by highway or the Amtrak Downeaster. Berwick is also near several major hospitals, and is easily accessible to the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire and the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.
Browse homes for sale in this great small town!
Williams Realty Partners of Keller Williams Coastal and Lakes & Mountains is the #1 Keller Williams team in Maine. We strive to provide an exceptional experience to all our clients, whether they are buying, selling, or investing in New Hampshire or Maine real estate. The team can be reached at 1-207-351-8188.