Small-town living in southwest Maine along the New Hampshire border
Porter is a small town in Oxford County bordered by the Ossipee River to the south and by the New Hampshire-Maine state line to the west. With a population of about 1,500, Porter is very rural and deeply forested. The town center is actually Kezar Falls, an unincorporated community within Porter, where the Porter Town Office, a dentist and fire department are located, alongside single-family homes. The overall CAP Index Crime Score is 1 out of 10, the lowest possible score. “It’s a small town—something you go by and you don’t even know you went through it, but that’s why we love the area,” says Monica LaVerdiere, the owner of Bearfoot Realty who sells across Oxford County. “It’s a really good place to raise a family.”
Most homes are owner-occupied and clustered in Kezar Falls
Homes in Porter are often renovated 19th and 20th-century buildings with the occasional newer build. Cape Cod and ranch-style homes with gabled roofs are also common. Prices range from about $110,000 to $660,000. Country roads cutting through the forest lead to homes with the most privacy and tree cover; these properties tend to be at the top of the price range, especially if they overlook a pond. However, most homes are clustered along the gridded streets of Kezar Falls, sitting on smaller lots and typically selling at lower and midrange prices. Porter does not have a renter-heavy population: about 81% of residents own their homes. Properties along the Ossipee River face an increased flood risk.
Fishing, hiking and camping in Porter and the surrounding area
Porter’s landscape is characterized by rugged, hilly terrain with several large ponds. Colcord Pond and Bickford Pond are some of the main bodies of water where people can canoe, kayak and fish for trout. Spectacle Pond welcomes swimmers in the summer, and summer campers at Maine Teen Camp come together for outdoor recreation and community at Stanley Pond. More recreation lies directly across the Maine-New Hampshire state line, like hiking up Green Mountain, camping by Ossipee Lake and playing 18 holes at the public Indian Mound Golf Club. A few miles east is the Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds, which has hosted local agricultural fairs since 1980. Attendees at the annual fair can watch livestock shows, wrestling matches and the parade that begins in Kezar Falls and concludes at the fairgrounds.
Students are zoned for MSAD 55
The Maine School Administrative District 55 (MSAD 55), rated C-plus on Niche, serves the town. Sacopee Valley Elementary, Middle and High Schools are rated C-plus, B-minus and C, respectively. These public schools are located next to one another in the neighboring town of Hiram. High schoolers can get leadership experience in the student council and enroll in the U.S. Army JROTC program.
Driving outside Porter for restaurants and stores
There are no restaurants or retailers in Porter, but folks can get sweet treats to-go at nearby Route 160 Ice Cream. The town of Cornish has more options, like Bay Haven Lobster Pound, a laid-back, family-friendly spot serving hearty portions of New England clam chowder, lobster and fried seafood. Shoppers can get groceries at Dollar General and Call’s Shop’n Save. Porter is about 30 miles from Renys, a family-owned, Maine-based department store which sells a wide range of items, from clothing to kitchen supplies.
Covered bridge and country roads highlight Porter’s charm
Ossipee Trail, paralleling the Ossipee River, is the town’s main road, and it heads west into New Hampshire. The Historic Parsonsfield-Porter covered bridge crosses the Ossipee River. Dog walkers can cross this pedestrian-only bridge, which was built in 1876 and restored in 1999. As Porter is a rural, car-dependent community, the town plows snow off the roads in the winter. Several of Porter’s country roads are unmarked with no streetlamps, so high beams come in handy when driving at night. Emergency care is available at Bridgton Hospital, about 30 miles northeast. The city of Portland and Portland International Jetport are both about 40 miles southeast.
