Your Guide to Buying a Home in Hampden, ME

Buying a Home in Hampden, Maine

(The Edythe L. Dyer Community Library)

Hampden is located in Penobscot County

Named after the 17th-century English parliamentarian John Hampden, the town of Hampden is only one of several towns throughout the world named after this man (nicknamed "The Patriot"). Hampden has been the stomping ground of a few of the country's earliest influential people. For instance, Hannibal Hamlin, once Abraham Lincoln's vice president (1860-1864), first studied law in Hampden. Unfortunately, his law office was torn down in 1988. Another former resident of Hampden was Dorothea Dix, best known as a social and political activist whose work on behalf of the mentally ill helped push major prison reform in the 1840's.

Hampden is located along US Alt 1 and sits along the banks of the Penobscot River. Just 5 miles down the road is Bangor, the third-largest city in the state and an important commercial center in the region. However, Hampden is looking to its "big brother" as a model to follow, for Bangor owes much of its early prosperity to the river. A master-planned business park opened in Summer 2001 in Hampden, which includes 135 acres and 37 lots. Much like other, smaller towns around Bangor, the available land in Hampden is becoming more noticeable and businesses are beginning to show an interest in the area.

Quality of life in Hampden is highlighted by its quiet, natural setting. This area is a blaze of color during the fall season and several area parks and lakes provide numerous vantage points from which to enjoy the display. The Penobscot River is a popular site for canoeing and fishing and provides nearly direct access to Penobscot Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.