Editing Frye Island, Maine

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Frye Island, Maine
| settlement_type          = Town
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = "A Community Managed By Its Owners"<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fryeisland.com/|title= Frye Island, Maine|publisher= Frye Island, Maine |access-date=August 26, 2012}}</ref>

<!-- Images -->| image_skyline            = 
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Cumberland County Maine incorporated and unincorporated areas Frye Island highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 260px
| map_caption              = Location in [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland County]] and the state of [[Maine]].

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Maine]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Maine|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = Incorporated
| established_date         = July 1, 1998

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name ="Gazetteer files"/>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 4.14
| area_land_km2            = 3.47
| area_water_km2           = 0.67
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.60
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.34
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.26

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 32
| population_density_km2   = 9.2
| population_density_sq_mi = <!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = −5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = −4
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 82
| elevation_ft             = 269
| coordinates              = {{coord|43|50|24|N|70|31|35|W|type:city_region:US-ME|display=title,inline}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code              = 04071
| area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 23-27025
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1802735
| website                  = {{URL|www.fryeisland.com}}
| footnotes                = 
| named_for                = [[Joseph Frye]]
}}

'''Frye Island''' is an island town in [[Cumberland County, Maine]], United States. Located in [[Sebago Lake]], the island is accessed via a public car ferry from [[Raymond, Maine|Raymond]] Neck, or by private boat. All residents of the resort town are seasonal.  The majority of property owners hail from New England area states (Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire) however there are many other states also represented on the island. Frye Island is vacant from November through April, and the ferry does not operate during that time due to thick ice blocking its route during the winter. It is part of the [[Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area]].  The town had a population of 32 at the [[United States Census, 2020|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2300527025|title=Census - Geography Profile: Frye Island town, Cumberland County, Maine|access-date=March 14, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:Frye's Leap, Raymond, ME.jpg|thumb|left|Frye's Leap c. 1905]]

It was included in the 1750 grant made by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to Captain Moses Pearson, Captain Humphrey Hobbs and their respective companies of soldiers for services during the [[French and Indian Wars]]. Pearsontown Plantation was first settled in the 1750s, then incorporated as the town of [[Standish, Maine|Standish]] on November 30, 1785. Frye Island, named for Captain [[Joseph Frye]], seceded to become a separate town on July 1, 1998.<ref name="Town of Frye Island">[http://www.fryeisland.com/#general_info Town of Frye Island]</ref>

A popular legend on Frye Island tells of Captain Frye and his escape from a tribe of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in [[Portland, Maine|Portland]]. While being chased, Captain Frye came upon a large rock, now known as Frye's Leap, and had no way of going around it. Captain Frye made the decision to jump and swim across the channel to Frye Island. Long afterwards, Frye's Leap became a popular spot for people to recreate the famous jump. At one point, the sharp and dangerous cliffs became so popular for jumping that numerous, often serious injuries were being reported each summer. And in 2012, a man even died while attempting to dive off the rockface. This in turn caused local law enforcement and the leap's landowners to take action, and multiple No Trespassing signs were placed along the cliff edge. On hot summer days, the area is often patrolled by the [[Maine Warden Service]], in order to ward off potential jumpers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Concerns Linger Over Unsafe Swimming Holes |date=21 June 2012 |url=https://www.wmtw.com/article/concerns-linger-over-unsafe-swimming-holes-1/1990511 |publisher=[[WMTW (TV)|WMTW]] |location=Poland Spring, Maine |access-date=1 July 2022}}</ref><ref>George J. Varney (1886), [http://history.rays-place.com/me/standish-me.htm "History of Standish (and Frye Island), Maine"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205152725/http://history.rays-place.com/me/standish-me.htm |date=2015-02-05 }}</ref>

Frye Island is composed of approximately 1,000 mostly wooded acres interlaced with {{convert|22|mi|km}} of dirt roads. The speed limit is {{convert|20|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} and the most popular way of transportation on the island is by golf cart rather than car. Many of the homes are built on waterfront property overlooking [[Sebago Lake]]. Real estate on Frye Island has skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and many of the waterfront homes assess at extremely high values. On the island, there are two marinas, various athletic and recreational facilities, several public beaches, a convenience store, an ice cream stand, a restaurant with a bar, and a golf club with a lounge that is open to the public.<ref name="Town of Frye Island"/>

The island is accessed by twin {{convert|65|ft|m|adj=on}} single-deck car ferries that are owned and operated by the town. They run every half-hour from early in the morning until late in the evening during July and August, reduced somewhat in off-season. The trip takes about 7 minutes. Walk-on passengers are permitted, but there is no passenger parking at the ferry landings.<ref>{{Cite magazine | last = Wright | first = Virginia | title = Frye Island: Part-time Town | magazine = Down East: The Magazine of Maine | issue = July 2009 }}</ref> From 2018 to 2020 there was an attempt from Frye island to cecede from [[Maine School Administrative District 6]] which was overruled by the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Megan |date=2020-04-15 |title=Maine's high court sides with school district in Frye Island withdrawal dispute |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/04/15/maines-high-court-sides-with-school-district-in-frye-island-withdrawal-dispute/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

==Traditions==
[[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] is the most celebrated holiday on the island, signified by its well known golf cart parade and fireworks display. People from all around Sebago gather to view the fireworks, either by boat or from the beach. Each year a walk and run is held among many other festivities as well.

==Geography==
Frye Island is approximately {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} wide (at the widest point) and {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} long.  According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.60|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|1.34|sqmi|sqkm|2}}  is land and {{convert|0.26|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name ="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer2010.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-12-16}}</ref> Frye Island is situated in [[Sebago Lake]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2010= 5
|2020= 32
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-12-16}}</ref> of 2010, there were five people, two households, and two families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|3.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 481 housing units at an average density of {{convert|359.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 100.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]].

There were two households, of which 50.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 100.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together. Of all households 0.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.50.

The median age in the town was 30.8 years. Of residents, 20% were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 40% were from 25 to 44; 0.0% were from 45 to 64; and 40% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 60.0% male and 40.0% female.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.fryeisland.com Town of Frye Island official website]
* [http://www.mainegenealogy.net/individual_place_record.asp?place=frye_island Maine Genealogy: Frye Island, Cumberland County, Maine]
* [http://www.fryeisland.com/race Official website for the July 4th Walk/Run]

{{Cumberland County, Maine}}
{{Casco Bay}}
{{Maine Islands}}
{{Presumpscot River}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Islands of Cumberland County, Maine]]
[[Category:Islands of Maine]]
[[Category:Portland metropolitan area, Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Cumberland County, Maine]]