Cornish is a charming New England town without the tourist crowds
Almost all New Englanders would recognize Cornish because it’s the perfect portrait of a small-town northeastern village come to life. This is where people shop for antiques downtown, where they dine on fresh seafood and drink colorful mimosas at the local Inn’s restaurant, where they pick organic apples in the fall and bake them into pies. This is the small-town Maine that sits halfway between the city of Portland and the majestic White Mountains, where city dwellers can stop on their way to a climb and where mountaineers can stop on their way to the Atlantic coast. It’s where you can pick your own blueberries, where you can camp along the Saco River, where you can have acres upon acres of your very own land. And it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, so there’s none of the busy tourist traffic that comes with idyllic coastal towns like Kennebunkport or Old Orchard Beach.
Common New England housing styles available
Houses in Cornish represent several different architectural styles that are common in rustic New England. There are clapboard farmhouses on five acres from the 1980s for $300,000, 1,200-square-foot New Englanders from 1900 for $200,000 and ranch-style houses built in 2019 for $477,000.
Cornish has many local dining and shopping options
One of the staples of the community is the Cornish Inn, a small lodging facility inside a house originally built in the 1820s. Inside the Inn is Lindsay’s at the Cornish Inn, a breakfast, lunch and brunch restaurant serving local coffee, farm fresh food and maple syrup from Maine. For a meal that’s a bit more casual, check out Sacopee Valley House of Pizza, which in addition to pizza also serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Inside a huge, cozy, barn-like structure is Fairgrounds Pizza & Pub, a sports bar with 11 flat screen televisions and a 110-inch television wall. Make sure to check out their food and let the kids peruse options like chicken fingers and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Cornish’s downtown district has plenty of cute, locally owned shops to keep you entertained. You can go antiquing at Libby’s Antiques, buy necklaces and rings at Village Jewelers and take the kids to look through toys, puzzles and games at At Once All Agog. At Amolette Herbal Apothecary, you can buy herbs, essential oils and facial scrubs and even take herbalist and massage classes. For more practical matters, grocery store Call’s Shop ‘n Save is also in town.
Near the Ossipee Valley Music Festival
Right next door in the town of Hiram is the Ossipee Valley Music Festival, which brings thousands of people to the area for a weekend every July. On top of the live music performances, the festival features workshops, yoga and food trucks.
Kids in Cornish attend Sacopee Valley schools
Cornish is part of Maine School Administrative District No. 55, a public school system serving Parsonsfield, Baldwin, Cornish, Hiram and Porter. The district has three schools – Sacopee Valley Elementary School, Sacopee Valley Middle School and Sacopee Valley High School, and all three of them are most revered for the quality of their teachers, according to Niche.
Routes to New Hampshire or Portland
Both Route 5 and Route 25 run through Cornish. Route 25 will take you west to New Hampshire and east part of the way to Portland, which is 35 miles away. With its antique stores, country location and fresh food, this is little town has all the best of what New England has to offer.
Photography Contributed By
Jeff Tippett
