Westbrook dates to 1814, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns · #58 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
8 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 24 buildings. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Westbrook’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Westbrook is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #58 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Westbrook’s overall grade.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Westbrook’s 16.4 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1814.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.3 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Westbrook’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Originally known as Saccarappa after Saccarappa Falls on the Presumpscot River, it was a part of Falmouth, Maine until February 14, 1814, when it was set off and incorporated as Stroudwater. It soon changed its name to Westbrook after Colonel Thomas Westbrook, a commander during Father Rale's War and King's mast agent who was an early settler and mill operator. In 1871, the town of Westbrook amicably split into two municipalities; present-day Westbrook and Deering, which was annexed by Portland in 1898. In 1891, Westbrook was incorporated as a city.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1814, according to Wikidata. Westbrook’s post office opened in 1797, and the census of 1820 counted 2,502 people here.
How does Westbrook rank for history?
Westbrook is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #58 of 143 in Maine. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Westbrook?
8 listings: 6 buildings, 1 historic district, the Cumberland Mills Historic District, with 24 contributing buildings, and 1 object. 34 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Westbrook?
25% of Westbrook’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1975.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (16), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
c. 1869
c. 1902
1912
c. 1930
c. 1930
c. 1930
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c. 1930
c. 1930
1930–1945
