Do You Remember the “Fifth Avenue of Maine”?

Decades before the Macy's brand landed in Maine, the state had its own version of the iconic department store.

For the better part of a century, Freese's Department Store occupied a massive building on Main Street in Bangor.

The History of Freese's Department Store in Bangor, Maine

Called the "Fifth Avenue of Maine", Freese's was opened in 1892 by A Langdon Freese as a men's clothing store.  For the first few years, it was just one small storefront.  However, over the years, it expanded into multiple storefronts.

Based on the information we have been able to dig up, it appears the store suffered a fire in early 1920s.  The current building was constructed following that fire.

If you caught Freese’s in its prime, it was enormous. We’re talking 140,000 square feet of everything under one roof. Wedding dresses. Appliances. Furniture. You could grab popcorn or peanuts on the ground floor, or sit down for a full meal at the lunch counter.

The Bangor Daily News archives note that in 1957, Freese’s installed escalators, which were a big deal at the time.  Kids from around the area lined up to ride the moving stairs over and over, just because they could.

But as big retailers shifted to malls and downtowns everywhere started to struggle in the late 1970s, Freese’s got caught in that wave. The store closed its doors in 1985.

What Happened to the Freese's Department Store Building?

The building was turned into retail space, a spot for the Children's Museum, and housing for older residents.

This video gives a pretty good idea of the process involved in turning the store's building into a children's museum.

Do you remember Freese's?  Share your memories with us on social media or message us using our app.