Houlton
Welcome To Historic, Friendly Houlton Maine!
The Story
The early Houlton settlers carved out a new beginning.
Houlton, the oldest town in Maine’s largest county of Aroostook! Houlton Maine is the “shiretown” capital seat for the biggest county east of the Mississippi. Known as the “Crown of Maine”, at one time Houlton was one of the richest towns of its size in the east half of the nation. 
The exquisite, abundant local Victorian housing stock and stately downtown Market Square / Main Street brick buildings illustrate the fine design character features.
The 28 turn-of-the-20th-century commerce town center buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places are a rare find in a small Maine community.
Farming the fertile soil and lumbering the vast forest resources catapulted Houlton Maine off the ground in the early years of settlement around 1807. Those migrating to what was to become Houlton came looking for good land in Maine.
Houlton Maine is 390′ above sea level, located at compass coordinates 46.1256°N 67.8398°W.
The terrain level to rolling and was founded March 8, 1831. Maine did not become a state until 1820 and was part of Masschusetts prior to statehood. In 1799 a resolve had been enacted by the Legislature of Massachusetts granting to New Salem Academy one half-township of land in some of the unappropriated lands in what was called the District of Maine.
This tract of land, the southern half of the present town of Houlton was purchased by a company of thirteen men from the trustees of the New Salem Academy.
Measures were taken to have it lotted for settlement. on June 1, 1810, these proprietors voted that Joseph Houlton be agent to survey the half-township into square lots of 160 acres each, reserving two lots for public use. Only three of the original thirteen ended up starting the Houlton Maine Settlement.
After the War of 1812, many new settlers came over from the Canadian provinces. The settlement was organized as a plantation in 1826. Besides the New Salem grant, the town of Houlton included the grant to Williams College given in 1815 with this part of the town known for a long time as Foxcroft.
An unclear international boundary line slowed progress in development of Houlton and Northern Maine.
It also delayed a much needed railroad from opening up Aroostook County that could not happen until the several treaties led to a final boundary resolution of where Maine ended and Canada began.
Located on the Canadian border with an International Port of Entry to the Canadian Atlantic Maritime provinces.
Houlton Maine is the gateway to the Atlantic Canada. One more geographic feature that just broadens the lifestyle appeal of 
Houlton Maine for travelers and natives alike. There are many perks to being a Maine border town.
Interstate 95 starts here. US RT 1, 2, 2A all cross to connect Maine with the rest of the World at this transportation hub.
(Pictured below) The “Boy with the leaking boot” is Clancy, the ambassador to Houlton Maine.
The Bangor & Aroostook Railroad has a rich history in Houlton Maine.
So did Ricker College that closed in 1978 but University College took up the higher educational slack.
Dr Joseph Ricker, a Baptist missionary, convinced locals that the financially ailing Houlton Academy might avoid distinction by partnering up with Colby College. The 1887 plan worked and Houlton Academy got a name change to Ricker Classical Institure.
Now offering degree options at the University of Maine college Houlton campus for higher education happens for those educationally motivated.
The Houlton Shiretowners with black and white school colors have three buildings to shape our youth. The Houlton Elementary, South Side and Houlton Junior / Senior / Middle school system serves the greater Houlton area as part of RSU 29. Greater Houlton Christian Academy with its “Eagles” green and white school colors is located here on School Street in “The Shiretown”.
The population of Houlton Maine is 6123 people.
The Meduxnkeag River, crossed by two vehicle bridges, and an arced walking one meanders through the downtown community of this Southern Aroostook / Northern Maine township. Pearce Brook, lB Stream, it’s not just the Meduxnekeag River winding in and around Houlton Maine.
The forests and highlands of Maine give way to the level to rolling high test agricultural fields of “The County” here.
Aroostook County’s WAGM channel 8 television station has call letters to remind us all Aroostook is “The Garden Of Maine”. More about Houlton ME weather, climate, topography.
Houlton ME is the birthplace of Samantha Smith, a goodwill ambassador as a child during the Cold War.
The town plays host to the annual Houlton Agricultural State Fair. and state of Maine soap box derby race on its own specially engineered man made hill. Both events and more held at Community Park year round.
There is a modern Houlton Regional Hospital, elderly nursing home care facilities for assisted living on all the levels.
Learn more about Houlton Maine, Cary Library, where to search for a job, anything in the links below. The Rotary Club meets Monday at noon at Watson Hall in the Episcopal church.
The Elk, American Legion and Mason groups are active too! All have their own historic lodge buildings.
Located on the US-Canadian border, Houlton Maine is served by two runways, one over 5,000′ long at KHUL at Houlton International Airport.
Own a private plane and are a pilot? Fly in to Houlton International Airport parked smack dab on the border with Canada. The Houlton airfield was a large facility base housing World War Two German POW’s back in the 1940’s. The soldiers help get area farm crops planted and harvested. They worked in the woods too!
Smith & Wesson has a plant making hand cuffs and gun parts. Zabian packages the cymbals out at the airport. Duty free items get bought at the border as traffic back and forth into Canada happens. Ward Log Homes has its manufacturing mill at the Houlton International Airport.
Ward Log Homes, the oldest cedar house and cabin builder in the country is located in Houlton Maine.
The Ward cedar log home plant location off I-95 exit 305 as well. Beals Aircraft repairs planes. Louisana Pacfic OSB wafer board in New Limerick, the Tate & Lyle starch production facilities in Cary Mills are two more important local industries helping the Southern Aroostook County economy.
Free trade has opened up the US – Canadian border for Houlton Maine residents.
Cross border commerce and vacations are common from both directions. It is hard to find Americans and Canadians that are not somehow related by blood with Houlton Maine and Woodstock New Brunswick Canada this close together. Believe it or not we get asked “is it dangerous being that close to the Canadian border?” (Smile) No, heck no. We take several trips into Canada being so handy and easy to border hop!
The sector headquarters for the US Border Patrol entire northeast region is located in the Houlton Maine area.
Yes, Houlton Maine has a Walmart. The local newspaper is the Houllton Pioneer Times. The local radio station WHOU 100.1 FM. More on the history of Houlton Maine. 
We are well protected even though living in the 4th lowest crime state. The area because of county seat status has the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department, the State Police’s Troop “F” barracks and local Houlton Town public safety crews.
Working together to keep things under control in Houlton Maine.
There is ambulance service and the fire department is full time in the same municipal building as the Houlton police department.
A new area ambulance service formed to provide better cost efficient coverage to outlying areas around greater Houlton Maine.
The Houlton Chamber of Commerce and Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum. Mrs Stella King donated the “White building” to the town of Houlton.
The White building is painted yellow and features dramatic pillars on the high open front porch. She and her husband operated White’s Drug Store for many years. The building well preserved that still looks today like it did in yesteryear.
At the time of this real estate community flavor blog, the building at 60 to 62 Main Street in Houlton Maine that was S.L. White’s Rexall drug store is for sale.
Looking for an investment property with Maine home, store front and finished walk out cellar? We need to talk. What is Houlton Maine known for? Potato farms, large rolling tracts of forest land, crystal clear area lakes, rivers, streams and ponds.
Houlton Maine is the County Seat or Shireotown and the oldest community in Aroostook County.
Houlton Maine, is it safe? Maine is the fourth lowest crime state, Houlton Maine in Aroostook County is half that crime statistic. Is Houlton Maine a good place to live, work, play, raise a family? Absolutely.
Low crime, no traffic, low cost Maine real estate and a friendly pitch in and help out your neighbor attitude never goes out of demand. Is it like that where you live now?
Our Houlton Water Company utility provider supplies low cost electrical power to save residents money and to entice industry to locate and stay here.
Internet, WiFi, cell phone and cable providers in Houlton Maine are plentiful. Every single home and business located in Houlton Maine is able to tap into fiber optics high speed Internet broad band thanks to Pioneer Wireless and the Fairpoint telephone company.
Telecomute to work, bring your online job out of state with you to Houlton Maine!
You can and many do leave the hustle bustle of high cost city living for the peace and quiet of small town simpler living without the high crime, noise, fast pace way of life.
That kind of bright lights, big city living makes you old before your time. Dealing with all the stress that takes all the fun out of life right?
Houlton Maine, home of the total solar eclipse April 8th, 2024 and smack dab in the center of the blackout caused by the Moon, Sun and position of planet Earth.
Houlton Maine is simple living, friendly down to Earth people who pitch in and volunteer.
Family is everything in small Maine communities. Home town proud and hardworking local folks are grateful to live in four seasons outdoor Maine, Aroostook County.
Check out the greater Houlton Maine area community videos to showcase this unique area of “Vacationland.
