Tremont is a town in Hancock County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. It is located on the southwestern side of

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; ) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the List of islands of the United States by area, 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in th ...

, known to locals as "the quiet side." Tremont includes the villages of Bass Harbor (or McKinley), Bernard, Gotts Island, Seal Cove and West Tremont. Part of

Acadia National Park Acadia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor, Maine, Bar Harbor. The park includes about half of Mount Desert ...

lies within the town. Bass Harbor is the terminus for the Swan's Island ferry and the Frenchboro ferry. The population was 1,544 at the 2020 census.

History

Settled in 1762, it was incorporated on June 3, 1848, as Mansel, the name given the island by Isaac Young Ellis company of emigrants to the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...

in 1630. Two months later, on August 8 it was renamed Tremont, which means "three mountains" in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

. By 1880, when the population was 2,011, the town had a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

shingle mill Shingle(s) may refer to: Construction *Roof shingles or wall shingles, including: **Wood shingle ***Shake (shingle), a wooden shingle that is split from a bolt, with a more rustic appearance than a sawed shingle ***Quercus imbricaria, or shingle ...

and

brickyard A brickyard or brickfield is a place or Yard (land), yard where bricks are made, pottery firing, fired, and stored, or sometimes Commerce, sold or otherwise distributed from. Brick makers work in a brick yard. A brick yard may be constructed ...

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

fish curing Fish preservation is the method of increasing the shelf life of fish and other fish products by applying the principles of different branches of science in order to keep the fish, after it has landed, in a condition wholesome and fit for human ...

were the principal industries. Today, tourism is important to the economy.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Located on southwestern

, Tremont is beside Blue Hill Bay and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. The town is crossed by state routes

102 102 may refer to: *102 (number), the number * AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD * 102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medical transport service in Uttar Pradesh, India * 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron, Royal E ...

and 102A. It borders the towns of Mount Desert to the north and Southwest Harbor to the east.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 1,563 people, 723 households, and 440 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,260 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 723 households, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. Of all households, 28.5% were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.63. The median age in the town was 48.5 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 to 44; 38.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,529 people, 662 households, and 436 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 1,075 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.04%

, 0.33%

, 0.65% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population. There were 662 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. Of all households, 25.4% were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.76. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,750, and the median income for a family was $43,472. Males had a median income of $28,026 versus $21,835 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $19,420. About 5.0% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The villages in Tremont are served by various

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

post offices. They include Bass Harbor, Bernard, and Seal Cove.

Education

Tremont has one school, Tremont Consolidated School, located in Bass Harbor. The school educates students in kindergarten through eighth grade. High school students attend Mount Desert Island High School in the town of Mount Desert.

Sites of interest

Bass Harbor Head Light Bass Harbor Head Light is a lighthouse located within Acadia National Park in the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island, Maine, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay. History The history of Bass Harbor Head Light dates to 18 ...

Bass Harbor Memorial Library The Bass Harbor Memorial Library is the public library of Tremont, Maine. It is located at 89 Bernard Road in the village of Bernard, in an historically significant Colonial Revival building built in 1922 with funds donated by Tremont native Rho ...

* Ketterlinus Nature Preserve * Seal Cove Auto Museum * Ship Island Group Preserve * Tremont Historical Society & Museum

Notable people

John F. Bickford John F. Bickford (March 12, 1843 – April 28, 1927) received the Medal of Honor in the American Civil War. Biography Bickford was born in Tremont, Maine, and joined the Navy from Boston, Massachusetts in January 1862. He rose to the rank of ...

, Civil War–era Medal of Honor recipient *

Muriel Davisson Muriel Davisson is an American geneticist who developed the Down syndrome mouse model Ts65Dn. In 1959 she graduated from Pemetic High School in Southwest Harbor, Maine. She holds Ph.D. from Penn State University (1969). She was director of Geneti ...

, geneticist * Elaine Guthrie Lorillard, musician *

Eleanor Mayo Eleanor Mayo (1920–1981) was an American novelist of the mid twentieth century. She lived most of her life on Mount Desert Island, Maine. She was raised in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Mayo and well known Maine novelist Ruth Moore were lovers and l ...

, writer, politician *

Ruth Moore Ruth Moore (1903–1989) was an important Maine writer of the twentieth century. She is best known for her honest portrayals of Maine people and evocative descriptions of the state. Now primarily thought of as a regional writer, Moore was a sign ...

, author

Gallery

File:BernardMEPostOffice0.JPG, Bernard Post Office File:Bass Harbor, McKinley, ME.jpg, Bass Harbor (1908) File:Bass Harbor.JPG, Bass Harbor (2008) File:Boats at Tremont, ME IMG 2219.JPG, Boats docked at Tremont (2014) File:TremontMEFire.JPG, Tremont Volunteer Fire Department File:TremontMECommunityCenter.JPG, Tremont Community Center File:Sea Memorial, Tremont, ME IMG 2215.JPG, Sea Memorial in Tremont honors the memory of all who perished at sea. File:Thurston's Lobster Pond, Tremont, ME IMG 2218.JPG, Thurston's Lobster Pound File:Buoys at thurston.jpg, Colorful buoys at Thurston's

References

External links

Town of Tremont, Maine

Tremont School

Southwest Harbor / Tremont Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Mount Desert Island Towns in Hancock County, Maine Towns in Maine Populated coastal places in Maine