Wales Presbyterian Church - Community
Wales is in central Maine located between Lewiston/Auburn, and Augusta, Maine. It is a town of over 1,300 almost all (who work outside of their home) work outside the town. Wales is a bedroom community with its workers traveling (primarily) to Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, and Augusta, Maine to work, returning home at the end of each workday. There are still a few working farms in town to help remind us of our rural heritage, but there are also several housing developments under construction.
Wales provides a peaceful and quiet location where one can enjoy the wonders of nature and experience a variety of outdoor activities. Varied recreational opportunities present themselves during our four seasons. A short drive to the West and you can enjoy excellent downhill skiing during the winter months. The ocean is only an hours drive to the east where one can enjoy the scenic rocky Maine shoreline year around. The many lakes, streams, and ponds provide almost unlimited boating, and fishing opportunities. The area hosts many golf courses, snowmobile trails, hiking trails, and other seasonal recreational facilities. Portland, Maine's largest city, offers many shopping and dining opportunities, is home to professional baseball and hockey teams, has a facility to host many concerts and other entertainment events, and direct train service to Boston. Boston can also be reached by car with a 2-hour drive down Interstate 95 South and offers all the advantages of big city cultural, sports, and shopping venues.
Wales' school age children are served by a single grade school, Wales Central School, (K - 8) and Oak Hill High School (9 - 12). Oak Hill High School is located in the town of Wales but also serves the towns of Litchfield (to our East) and Sabattus (to our South) in a Consolidated School District arrangement. The University of Southern Maine is located in Portland (about 50 minutes South of town), the University of Maine at Augusta is located in Augusta (about 35 minutes North of town), both also share Lewiston/Auburn College's campus in Lewiston (about 25 minutes South). Nationally known Bates College is located in Lewiston, Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine (about 45 minutes North of town), and Bowdoin College is located in Brunswick, Maine (45 minutes East of town). Our area has a higher than average (national) number of high school graduates, but has less than average number of college graduates.