About Falmouth

Land Acknowledgement.  The Falmouth Historical Society acknowledges that our town lies within the lands and waters where the independent band of Wabanaki we know as the Aucocisco farmed, fished, hunted, and thrived before the arrival of English settlers.

Falmouth is located on the coast north of Portland. The town of Cumberland is to the north, and the town of Windham is to the west. On the south are Westbrook and Portland. The Maine Turnpike, Interstate 295, U.S. Route 1, and U.S. Route 100-26 are the north-south transportation corridors. The area of the town is approximately 32 square miles. It has a population of just over 11,000 persons. Two rail lines run through Falmouth, but there is no passenger service. 

Falmouth has no heavy industries or manufacturing plants. Health care facilities, retail stores, automobile sales and service, small business firms, and professional offices are the major employers of the community. In addition, the town government, the school system, and the senior residential facilities employ many people. Many Falmouth residents are employed throughout the greater Portland area. 

Gilsland Farm is a nature preserve on the banks of the Presumpscot estuary and is the headquarters of the Audubon Society of Maine.  In 1911, David Moulton bought the property and named it Gilsland Farm in honor of Sir Thomas de Moulton of the Gils, a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Talisman. He imported Jersey cattle. The land was deeded to the Audubon Society of Maine in the 1970s. (Courtesy FHS.)