Renys Dexter

Renys Dexter external photo

Welcome to the Heart of Maine! Renys opened in Dexter, a charming old mill town on the Moosehead Trail, in 1958.

This Penobscot county town is part of the vibrant Maine Highlands, built on the East Branch of the Sebasticook River. Named for Samuel Dexter, a gubernatorial candidate when the town was incorporated in 1816, Dexter’s riverside location provided power for mills and helped the town grow into an important regional hub. Although Samuel Dexter didn’t win his election, the town itself began to flourish. Dexter was home to Amos Abbott & Company, a textile mill that operated under family ownership from 1836 to 1975. In 1958, Harold Alfond put Dexter back on the map by founding Dexter Shoe Company in a vacant Dexter woolen mill. Notable Mainers like the Alfond family, 54th Maine Governor Ralph Owen Brewster, and more.

Today, Dexter’s small but vibrant community has historic sites to enjoy, a beautiful lake ready for year-round recreation, lakeside dining if you want to stop for a bite, five buildings on the Historic Register – there’s even a municipal airport!