Monhegan () is an island in the

Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America. It is bounded by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and by Cape Sable Island at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northea ...

. A

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

, a minor civil division in the state of Maine falling between

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

, it is located approximately off the mainland and is part of Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 64 at the 2020 census. The plantation comprises its namesake island and the neighboring island of Manana. The island is accessible by scheduled boat service from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor and Port Clyde. Visitors' cars are not allowed on the island. It was designated a United States

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best e ...

for its coastal and island flora in 1966.

History

The name Monhegan is a corruption of ''Monchiggon'', the

Abenaki language Abenaki (Eastern: ', Western: ), also known as Wôbanakiak, is an endangered Eastern Algonquian language of Quebec and the northern states of New England. The language has Eastern and Western forms which differ in vocabulary and phonology an ...

term for "out-to-sea island" used by Samoset, an

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

sagamore and the first Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims of

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...

, in his early contacts with the English. European explorers Martin Pring visited in 1603,

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; 13 August 1574#Fichier]For a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see #Ritch, RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December ...

in 1604, George Weymouth in 1605 and

Captain John Smith John Smith ( – 21 June 1631) was an English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, admiral of New England, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, and his friend Mózes Székely. Followin ...

in 1614. The island got its start as a British fishing camp prior to settlement of the Plymouth Colony.

Cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

was harvested from the rich fishing grounds of the

, then dried on fish flakes before shipment to Europe. A

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

was built to conduct business with the Indians, particularly in the lucrative

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

. It was Monhegan traders who taught English to Samoset, the chieftain who in 1621 startled the Pilgrims by boldly walking into their new village at Plymouth and saying: "Welcome, Englishmen." On 28 January 1623 the Council for New England issued a commission for seizing the "Island of Mannahigan". Settlement by William Vengham and William Pomfret in 1623 caused William Bradford to include Monhegan among places that experienced "scattered beginnings" that year. On April 29, 1717, Monhegan was visited by the ''Anne'', a small square-rigged

snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

crewed by

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

s. She had originally been captured off the Virginia Capes in April by the pirate Samuel Bellamy in the '' Whydah'', which wrecked in a storm on the night of April 26, 1717, off Cape Cod. The ''Anne'' made it through the storm with another captured vessel, the ''Fisher'' (which was soon abandoned and the pirates aboard her transferred to the ''Anne''). The pirates, led by

Richard Noland Richard Noland (floruit, fl. 1717-1724, last name occasionally Holland or Nowland) was an Ireland, Irish Piracy, pirate active in the Caribbean. He was best known for sailing with Samuel Bellamy before working for the Spanish Empire, Spanish as ...

, arrived at Monhegan on April 29, and waited for the ''Whydah'', for the pirates had not seen or heard about the ''Whydah'' wrecking in the storm of the night of April 26. The pirates eventually realized the ''Whydah'' was lost, and proceeded to attack vessels at Matinicus Island and Pemaquid (now Bristol). They outfitted for their own uses a small 25-ton sloop belonging to Colonel Stephen Minot they had captured off Matinicus. They abandoned all the other captured vessels (including the ''Anne'') and most of their prisoners at Matinicus on or about May 9, 1717, on Minot's sloop. Despite success as a fishing and trade center, Monhegan would be caught in the conflict between

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

and

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

for control of the region. During

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

(1675-1678), dispossessed English settlers from the mainland sought refuge on the island before being relocated elsewhere along the coast. During King William's War (1688-1697), the island was captured for the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

in 1689 by Baron de Saint-Castin. He destroyed the fishing fleet and burned the buildings, with many inhabitants escaping to

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. But even during periods when Monhegan was abandoned, its convenient offshore harbor remained a stopover destination for ships. The end of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

in 1763 brought peace to the area, and on September 4, 1839, Mohegan—again under English Colonial control—was incorporated as an island plantation. In 1824, a conical stone

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

was built on the island by order of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

and President James Monroe. Damaged by storms, it was replaced in 1850 by the present 48 foot (14.6 m)

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

tower, with a fog bell station built in 1855 on nearby Manana Island. The island's of good land encouraged

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, with

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es the chief crop. But fishing was always the most important industry, whether locally or at the

Grand Banks The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a series of underwater plateaus south-east of the island of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. The Grand Banks are one of the world's richest fishing grounds, supporting Atlantic cod, swordfi ...

. Today, it still dominates Monhegan's economy. From October 1 through June, fishermen harvest lobsters from the only lobster conservation area in the state of Maine. Henry Trefethen was one of the original purchasers of Monhegan Island. The Trefethen House, the oldest house on Monhegan Island, served as a hotel for island visitors, and remains standing today.

Artist colony

The beginnings of the art colony on Monhegan date to the mid-19th century; by 1890, it was firmly established. Two of the early artists in residence from the 1890s, William Henry Singer (1868–1943) and Martin Borgord (1869–1935), left Monhegan to study at the

Académie Julian The () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907). The school was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number and qual ...

in 1901. Among many early members who found inspiration on the island were summer visitors from the New York School of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, such as Robert Henri, Frederick Judd Waugh, George Bellows,

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realism painter and printmaker. He is one of America's most renowned artists and known for his skill in depicting modern American life and landscapes. Born in Nyack, New York, to a ...

and Rockwell Kent. Later members of the artist colony have included Jay Hall Connaway, Abraham Bogdanove, Andrew Winter, Reuben Tam, Frances Kornbluth, Elena Jahn, Lynne Drexler, Edward Betts, and Jamie Wyeth. The 150-foot (50 m) northside cliffs at Blackhead have drawn the interest of Monhegan artists, including Kent, Hopper, and Kornbluth. The Monhegan Museum celebrated more the continuing draw of the island for artists in a 2014 exhibit entitled, "The Famous and the Forgotten: Revisiting Monhegan's Celebrated 1914 Art Exhibition." File:Gallagher (in white hat) painting on Monhegan Island, Maine.jpg, Artist painting fisherman ''

en plein air ''En plein air'' (; French language, French for 'outdoors'), or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein ai ...

'' at Fish Beach. Photo by Warner Taylor. File:George Bellows - The Gulls, Monhegan.jpg, ''The Gulls, Monhegan'' by George Bellows File:Broadway, Monhegan.jpg, 1940s view of the main track in town by Sears Gallagher File:N. Roerich - Monhegan. Maine - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Monhegan. Maine'' (1922) by Nicholas Roerich ( Google Art Project)

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 island has a total area of , of which is land and (80.97%) is water. Monhegan is an island long and .75 of a mile (1.2 kilometers) wide, located in the

, part of 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 ...

. Adjacent Manana Island helps form Monhegan Harbor.

Demographics

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 2000, there were 75 people, 46 households, and 21 families residing in the plantation. The population density was . There were 177 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the plantation was 97.33%

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 ...

and 2.67% Asian. There were 46 households, out of which 13.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% 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, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.3% were non-families. Of all households 47.8% were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63 and the average family size was 2.24. In the plantation the population was spread out, with 10.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 37.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 127.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.1 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

for a household in the plantation was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $53,125. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $13,333 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 plantation was $20,568. There were 10.5% of families and 3.8% of the population living 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 10.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Sites of interest and outdoor activities

Summer months bring artists and tourists on several daily ferries. Visitors arrive at the ferry landing or on a beach in the village precinct. The village includes a church, private homes, hotels, art studios, private homes for rent and a few small stores, including one that sells fresh fish/lobster. Much of Monhegan is uninhabited and open for exploration on of hiking trails, which lead to high cliffs overlooking the sea. Inland paths lead through woods, including the Cathedral Woods. A tradition of building miniature " fairy houses" from found materials in Cathedral Woods and other areas has brought controversy, guidance and even destruction of non-compliant constructions. The hill above the village is the site of the Monhegan Island Light, which offers a view of the village, the harbor, Manana Island, and across the sea to the west. Adjacent to the lighthouse is the Monhegan Museum, which is open middays from late June through September; the museum houses artifacts, reflecting the island's history. The island is on the Atlantic flyway and is a stopover for migrating birds and the birdwatchers who come seasonally to observe them. Monhegan's library was founded as the ''Jackie and Edward Library'', named after two children who were lost to high waves on the island's shoreline, and specialized in children's literature. It became the ''Monhegan Memorial Library'' and broadened its literary selection.

Education

In 2005, the Monhegan Island School had seven students, ages five through 12 (kindergarten through eighth grade), all taught by a single teacher; high-school students must attend school on the mainland. The schoolhouse reportedly also serves as a community center, which is site of the annual Christmas play and community dinner.

Notable people

The following are people who have either resided on Monhegan or regularly visited the island: * George Bellows, artist * Abraham Bogdanove, artist * Jon Bogdanove, comic book artist * Kate Chappell, artist, entrepreneur * Tom Chappell, entrepreneur * Jay Hall Connaway, artist * Edward L. Deci, professor * Lynne Drexler, artist * Theodore Miller Edison, businessman * Ernest Fiene, artist * Sears Gallagher, artist * Robert Henri, artist *

, artist * Wilson Irvine, artist * Elena Jahn, artist * Rockwell Kent, artist * Frances Kornbluth, artist * Josh Mostel, actor * Zero Mostel, actor * Robert Mrazek, congressman from New York * Remak Ramsay, actor * Edward Redfield, artist * Samoset, Abenaki sagamore * Sonya Sklaroff, artist * Frederick Judd Waugh, artist * Andrew Winter, artist * Andrew Wyeth, artist * Jamie Wyeth, artist *

N.C. Wyeth Newell Convers Wyeth (October 22, 1882 – October 19, 1945), known as N. C. Wyeth, was an American painter and illustrator. He was a student of Howard Pyle and became one of America's most well-known illustrators. Wyeth created more than 3,000 ...

, artist

Gallery

File:View from Monhegan Island 4.jpg , The village File:View from Monhegan Island 3.jpg , The harbor File:View from Monhegan Island 2.jpg , The Inn

References

External links

Visitors' Guide

WCVB profile, "Main Streets and Back Roads: Monhegan Island"
*

The Influence (Monhegan, Maine) The Influence is a historic house on Main Street in Monhegan, Maine. Built in 1826, it is one of the largest and oldest houses in the small island community, built by the son of the last person to own the entire island. The house was listed o ...

{{authority control Artist colonies Plantations in Maine Plantations in Lincoln County, Maine Islands of Lincoln County, Maine Car-free islands of the United States National Natural Landmarks in Maine Populated coastal places in Maine Islands of Maine Coastal islands of Maine