Mast Landing

Mast Landing. . , Mast Landing is one of the four original villages in Freeport, including Porter’s Landing, South Freeport, and the village center (or "Freeport Corner," as it was originally known). The name refers to the area's use in the eighteenth century as a shipping point for timbers to be made into masts for the British Royal Navy. Some early maps refer to the neighborhood as "Harraseeket Landing.", Most of the houses date from 1800-1850, when the settlement had its greatest significance in Freeport's early history. The flow of water created a valuable location for mills. Abner and David Dennison constructed a grist mill by the time of the American Revolution. The water also provided power for sawing wood and processing wool, and there was also a brickyard in the neighborhood., Mast Landing Neighborhood is part of the Harraseeket Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to Mast Landing, the district encompasses South Freeport, Porter's Landing, and Wolfe's Neck. The District preserves the story of two related but separate ways of life in Maine: the maritime pursuits of shipbuilders and seamen, and the farmers and tradesmen who stayed on shore., [Insets:] , Upstream the remains of the original stone dam can still be seen. The dam originally supported a saw mill, but later, Mr. J. P. Weeman erected a textile mill, two grist mills and a wood working shop. The mill complex burned in 1861 and was never rebuilt., In addition to owning the mills, Mr. J.P. Weeman also owned a share of the steamer Tyco, which ran from Mast Landing to Portland with output of the mills. The Tyco had a hinged smokestack to allow it to run under the nearby road bridge.