North Haven is 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 ...

and island in Knox 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, in

Penobscot Bay Penobscot Bay () is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean in south central Maine, a stretch known as Midcoast Maine, in a broader Atlantic region known as Down East. The bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River, ...

. The town is both a year-round island community and a prominent

summer colony Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

. The population was 417 at the 2020 census. North Haven is accessible by thrice-daily state ferry service from Rockland, or by

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. History The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...

from

Knox County Regional Airport Knox County Regional Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport in the town of Owls Head, Knox County, Maine, United States. It is located three nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of Rockland, Maine ...

History

As early as 3300 BCE, the island was visited by the Red Paint People. Later it became part of the territory of the

Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic p ...

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 ...

Indians, who hunted and fished in canoes along the coast. Captain Martin Pring, an explorer from

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, 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

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

Boatbuilding Boat building is the design and construction of boats (instead of the larger ships) — and their on-board systems. This includes at minimum the construction of a hull, with any necessary propulsion, mechanical, navigation, safety and other ser ...

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

Summer colony

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

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. North Haven is best known today for its sizable

of prominent northeasterners, particularly

Boston Brahmins The Boston Brahmins are members of Boston's historic upper class. From the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, they were often associated with a cultivated New England accent, Harvard University, Anglicanism, and traditional Britis ...

, drawn to the island for over a century to savor its simple way of life. Among the more notable summer residents was the impressionist painter

Frank Weston Benson Frank Weston Benson, frequently referred to as Frank W. Benson, (March 24, 1862 – November 15, 1951) was an American artist from Salem, Massachusetts, known for his Realism (arts), Realistic portraits, American Impressionism, American Impressi ...

, who rented the Wooster Farm as a summer home and painted several notable canvases set on the island. 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.Borst, Alan
Community Wind: Maine island community lowering energy costs with wind-power project.
''

Rural Cooperatives ''Rural Cooperatives'' was a bimonthly trade journal for rural cooperatives in the United States. It was published by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service in Washington, D.C., and focused on rura ...

.'' March/April 2010. 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

Mouflon The mouflon (''Ovis gmelini'') is a wild sheep native to Cyprus, and the Caspian region, including eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran. It is also found in parts of Europe. It is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domest ...

sheep (native to Europe and western Asia) escaped from an animal enclosure owned by Thomas Watson, Jr. on the island in the 1990s and some of the original population survives today.

North Haven Dinghy

In 1885,

William Weld William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

challenged the

yachtsmen Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on mar ...

of North Haven to a race. He used the 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 Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...

. 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

spritsail The spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail that is supported at its highest points by the mast and a diagonally running spar known as the sprit. The foot of the sail can be stretched by a boom or held loose-footed just by its sheets. A ...

s, but this soon gave way to

gaff rig Gaff rig is a sailing rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the ''gaff''. Because of the size and sh ...

s. 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.

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 an area of , of which is land and is water. At its widest points, the island is roughly long and wide. It is in

and 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 ...

, 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 ...

Demographics

2000 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 2000, there were 381 people, 162 households, and 109 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 488 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.28%

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 ...

, 1.05%

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 ...

, 3.15% from other races, and 0.52% 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 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 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 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

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 ...

was $17,112. About 4.4% of families and 7.2% 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 2.8% of those under 18 and 6.3% of those 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 355 people, 165 households, and 105 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 515 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.9%

, 0.3%

, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.

or 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

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 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 ...

, Deer isle 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.

Notable people

* Angela Adams, designer *

, artist with summer home on North Haven *

Harold Beverage Harold Henry "Bev" Beverage (October 14, 1893 – January 27, 1993) was an American inventor and researcher in electrical engineering. He is known for his invention and development of the wave antenna, which came to be known as the Beverage ante ...

, electrical engineer and inventor *

Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American poet and short-story writer. She was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1949 to 1950, the Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry in 1956, the National Book Awar ...

, poet * Jonathan Bush, banker * Henry N. Cobb, architect * Pierre S. du Pont IV, politician * J. Christopher Flowers, banker * Eric Hopkins, painter *

Ned Lamont Edward Miner Lamont Jr. ( ; born January 3, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving since 2019 as the 89th governor of Connecticut. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as a Greenwich, Con ...

, Governor of Connecticut since 2019 *

Burke Marshall Burke Marshall (October 1, 1922 – June 2, 2003) was an American lawyer who served as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division during the Civil Rights Movement. He was a confidante of the Kennedy family. Ea ...

, lawyer, professor * Susan Minot, writer * Robert Montgomery, actor and father of

Elizabeth Montgomery Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch List of Bewitched characters#Samantha Stephens, Samantha Step ...

Dwight Morrow Dwight Whitney Morrow (January 11, 1873October 5, 1931) was an American businessman, diplomat, and politician, best known as the U.S. ambassador who improved U.S.–Mexico relations, mediating the religious conflict in Mexico known as the Crister ...

, ambassador *

Chellie Pingree Chellie Marie Pingree ( ; born Rochelle Marie Johnson; April 2, 1955) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2009. Her district includes most of the southern part of the state, centered around the Portland area ...

, U.S. representative, Maine Senate majority leader * Hannah Pingree, former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives *

Nicholas Platt Nicholas Platt (born March 10, 1936) is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan, Philippines, Zambia, and as a high level diplomat in Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. He is the former ...

, US ambassador *

Oliver Platt Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is an American actor known for his work on stage and screen. He has been nominated for five Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Tony Award. Following his acting deb ...

, actor *

Matthew Simmons Matthew Roy Simmons (April 7, 1943 – August 8, 2010) was founder and chairman emeritus of Simmons & Company International, and was a prominent figure in the field of peak oil. Simmons was motivated by the 1973 energy crisis to create an inves ...

, investment banker *

John Sirica John Joseph Sirica (March 19, 1904 – August 14, 1992) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, where he became famous for his role in the trials stemming from the Watergate scandal. ...

, U.S. District Court Judge, Watergate figure *

Herbert Eustis Winlock Herbert Eustis Winlock (February 1, 1884 – January 27, 1950)Note: ''Who Was Who'' notes death on January 27, Spring 1998 ''Kmt'' magazine article states January 25. was an American Egyptologist and archaeologist, employed by the Metropolitan Mu ...

, Egyptologist *

Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff Sr. (March 1, 1807September 2, 1898) was an American religious leader who served as the fourth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1889 until his death. He ended the public practice of ...

, 4th president of the LDS Church, spent August 1837 to May 1838 on North Haven and in 1838 led 53 new members to Missouri but continued to Nauvoo, Illinois, after the 1838 Missouri Mormon War

References

External links

Town of North Haven, Maine

North Haven Library

North Haven Conservation Partners
{{authority control Islands of Knox County, Maine Towns in Knox County, Maine Towns in Maine Populated coastal places in Maine Islands of Maine Coastal islands of Maine