North Haven, Maine

Coordinates: 44°9′15″N 68°52′41″W / 44.15417°N 68.87806°W / 44.15417; -68.87806

44°07′41″N 68°52′27″W / 44.12806°N 68.87417°W / 44.12806; -68.87417

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

North Haven, Maine
Town
Harborfront and ferry terminal, 2005
Harborfront and ferry terminal, 2005
Location in Knox County and the state of Maine
Location in Knox County and the state of Maine
Coordinates: 44°9′15″N 68°52′41″W / 44.15417°N 68.87806°W / 44.15417; -68.87806 44°07′41″N 68°52′27″W / 44.12806°N 68.87417°W / 44.12806; -68.87417
FIPS code
23-51620
GNIS feature ID0582633

North Haven is a

state ferry service from Rockland, or by air taxi from Knox County Regional Airport
.

History

As early as 3300

Bristol, England, "discovered" North Haven and Vinalhaven in 1603. He called them the Fox Islands, a name that survives on the Fox Islands Thoroughfare, a strait separating the towns that provides passage for boats crossing Penobscot Bay.[3]

Settled in the 1760s, North Haven was originally the North Island of Vinalhaven, from which it was set off and incorporated on June 30, 1846, as Fox Isle. It was changed to North Haven on July 13, 1847. In 1850, the state legislature passed an act that gave the majority of island inhabitants "the right to have such roads as they deemed fit." The majority thereupon decided to have no roads at all, or else roads obstructed with gates or bars at the discretion of landowners. Not surprisingly, the minority of inhabitants petitioned to amend the act.[4]

Fishing and farming became chief occupations. The town's surface is even, and farmers produced hay as a staple crop.

Boatbuilding became an important industry, and the community still has two boatyards. But many inhabitants were fishermen who caught lobsters, scallops and oysters.[4]

Summer colony

In the 1880s, the island was discovered by "rusticators", seasonal residents first from Boston, then a decade or two later from

Boston Brahmins, drawn to the island for over a century to savor its simple way of life.[3] Among the more notable summer residents was the impressionist painter Frank Weston Benson, who rented the Wooster Farm as a summer home and painted several notable canvases set on the island.[5]

The southern side of the Fox Islands Thoroughfare is often informally considered part of North Haven, since Vinalhaven's north shore is nearly a dozen miles from that community's town center. In contrast to Vinalhaven, North Haven's economy relies less on the lobster industry and more on sustaining its summer resort community. Energy for the community is partially provided by the wind project in Vinalhaven through the

Fox Island Electric Cooperative.[6]
Although the island is a popular destination, it actually provides few tourist amenities—two inns, a grocery store, two seasonal restaurants, a pizza shop, and two gift shops—and is instead geared toward those with vacation homes on the island.

A small population of

Thomas Watson, Jr. on the island in the 1990s and some of the original population survives today.[7]

North Haven Dinghy

In 1885,

tender from his yacht Gitana and unsuccessfully raced against a variety of sprit-sailed boats. That winter he went home and had a better dinghy designed and built in Salem, Massachusetts. The next year he beat all contenders. The boat was hauled out at North Haven, and two copies were made by Henry Calderwood. The subsequent race was between Mrs. Cobb, Miss Spencer and Miss Hayward. The first boats had spritsails, but this soon gave way to gaff rigs. In 1888, James Osman Brown built four more dinghies. This was at the beginning of J. O. Brown & Sons boatyard. The racing fleet grew over the years. They are still raced out of North Haven's sailing club, the North Haven Casino, making them the oldest continuously raced class in the United States.[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 82.49 square miles (213.65 km2), of which 11.62 square miles (30.10 km2) is land and 70.87 square miles (183.55 km2) is water.[1] At its widest points, the island is roughly 7.9 miles (12.7 km) long and 2.9 miles (4.7 km) wide. It is in Penobscot Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850806—
186095118.0%
1870806−15.2%
1880755−6.3%
1890552−26.9%
1900551−0.2%
1910535−2.9%
1920510−4.7%
1930476−6.7%
1940460−3.4%
1950410−10.9%
1960384−6.3%
19703993.9%
1980373−6.5%
1990332−11.0%
200038114.8%
2010355−6.8%
202041717.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

2000 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 2.36% of the population.

There were 162 households, of which 29.0% had children under 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 112.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,446, and the median income for a family was $42,361. Males had a median income of $31,071 versus $16,000 for females. The

poverty line
, including 2.8% of those under 18 and 6.3% of those 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 2.3% of the population.

There were 165 households, of which 23.0% had children under 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.62.

The median age in the town was 44.5. 20% of residents were under 18; 5.6% were between 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.

Education

North Haven is unusual among Maine island communities in offering a K–12 school; most islands have only elementary schools and send their high school students to schools on the mainland (Vinalhaven, Mount Desert Island, and Islesboro are the only other islands to offer K–12 education). North Haven Community School is one of Maine's smallest public schools. Its motto is "Competence, Compassion, Challenge and Community." Notable alumni include Hannah Pingree, who served as Maine's Speaker of the House of Representatives for two terms.[12]

Notable people

North Haven and the Fox Islands Thoroughfare viewed from Rockland

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: North Haven town, Knox County, Maine". Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "History". northhavenmaine.org. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. p. 236. coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
  5. ^ "Calm Morning". Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  6. ^ Borst, Alan. Community Wind: Maine island community lowering energy costs with wind-power project. Archived April 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Rural Cooperatives. March/April 2010.
  7. ^ "Thomas J. Watson, Jr Facts". Encyclopedia of World Biography. The Gale Group, Inc. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  8. ^ "North Haven Dingy Half-Hull Model". worldvoyagers.com. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  12. ^ "About".
  13. ^ Chris Flowers: Checkmate for a Wall Street wizard? - Aug. 31, 2009 Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  14. ^ When Political Paths Diverge but Old Loyalties Endure, New York Times, By SAM ROBERTS, NOV. 5, 2006 Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  15. ^ MS. MARSHALL PLANS TO WED - NYTimes.com Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  16. ^ A Family History in Rewrite - The New York Times Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  17. ^ "The Golden Age of Radio" (As originally broadcast on WTIC, Hartford, CT) Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  18. ^ Deacon Brown's Point, the Morrows' summer home at North Haven, Maine Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  19. ^ Star Map of North Haven Island | Portland Magazine Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  20. ^ "1. Images of Wilford Woodruff's Life: A Photographic Journey". byu.edu. Retrieved March 4, 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Haven, Maine.
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