Sullivan, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sullivan, Maine
Town
Sullivan, Maine Location in Maine Show map of Maine Sullivan, Maine Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Hancock
Villages	Sullivan Harbour Ashville Alderville East Sullivan North Sullivan West Sullivan Tunk Station Punkinville Morancy
Area
• Total	29.62 sq mi (76.72 km2)
• Land	26.67 sq mi (69.07 km2)
• Water	2.95 sq mi (7.64 km2)
Elevation	479 ft (146 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,219
• Density	46/sq mi (17.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	04664
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-74965
GNIS feature ID	0582754

Sullivan is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,219 at the 2020 census. The town was named for Daniel Sullivan, an early settler. Colloquially referred to as "Sully" or "the Sullivans"—like many Maine municipalities composed of villages with geographic designations of the town proper—the municipality was incorporated in 1789. Located in the Upper Schoodic Peninsula sub-region of Maine's Downeast Acadia region, the municipality has been known as "Waukeag", "New Bristol", and later Sullivan; and once included the nearby communities of Hancock, Sorrento, and what would later be (parts of Gouldsboro Point TWP, Tunk Lake TWP, the Schoodic Foothills, Hog Bay, and various other districts over time divided off) Township 7, South & Middle Districts. Once home to abundant granite quarries, the town of Sullivan is now a residential community for nearby Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island. Located along U.S. Route 1, the Taunton River, and Hog Bay, Sullivan is home to a reversing tidal falls and many scenic turnouts that dot the Schoodic National Scenic Byway along the Upper Schoodic Peninsula.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.62 square miles (76.72 km²), of which 26.67 square miles (69.07 km²) is land and 2.95 square miles (7.64 km²) is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,236 people, 528 households, and 332 families residing in the town. The population density was 46.3 inhabitants per square mile (17.9/km²). There were 806 housing units at an average density of 30.2 per square mile (11.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.6% White, 0.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 528 households, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median age in the town was 44.7 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 35.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

General overview

The Town of Sullivan's offices are located on U.S. 1.

Sullivan, Maine, the gateway to the Schoodic Peninsula and the Downeast Acadia region, is composed of several villages and settlements – similar to other New England municipalities such as:

• West Sullivan — also reflected on the map as "Sullivan" (proper) is the village located on Taunton Bay where the US Rte 1 Bridge – part of the Downeast Acadia Highway, often referred to as the 'Silent Bridge' a homage to the former 'Singing Bridge' that was replaced by the current structure – connects Sullivan to the town of Hancock. Within the area are several homes dating back a century or more, as well as a park (Sumner Memorial Park / the Village Green) and business. Adjacent to the Park is Greeley Hall, home to the Frenchman's Bay Library, Sullivan-Sorrento Rec Centre and a playground complete with a skate park. Sullivan Municipal Building & Townhall, located in the former Sullivan High School (turn of the century) is on US Rte 1 in West Sullivan, houses both the Town's Administration, historical society and a joint RSU24/University College (UMaine) center for CCTV courses.

•North Sullivan — along on Taunton Trail/Drive, northwest of Gordon's Wharf & Track Road is a mainly residential area also on Taunton Bay. North Sullivan also includes a few art galleries, municipal services and the USPS. Once known for its granite quarrying shipped to cities such as Portland, Boston, and New York,even London & Hong Kong, North Sullivan is now a bedroom community for Ellsworth, Mount Desert Island and points Downeast.

•East Sullivan — spread along Frenchman's Bay and reaching northeast into the Schoodic Foothills, East Sullivan multiple lakes and access to inland multipurpose recreation trails. Located primarily along US Route 1 (Downeast-Acadia Highway and Schoodic Peninsula Scenic Byway), the village also boasts farm plantations, Oceanhouse housing development, the Town Landing, a sub-regional high school of Maine's Regional School Union #24 (Downeast Acadian Schools, administrated from Ellsworth), Sumner Memorial High School, along with a village fire department, and Scenic Stops along US Rte 1. East Sullivan is also home to a seasonal-art center housed in an old farmhouse barn, in addition to blueberry fields, piney forests, a grange hall, campground, and additional businesses. Tunk Lake, Donnell's Pond, Flander's Pond and Little Tunk Lake are recreational and nature preserve areas within East Sullivan.

•Sullivan Harbour — at the heart of the municipality, Sullivan Harbor is home to some of the oldest homes in the town; Directly across Frenchman's Bay from Bar Harbour and Mount Desert Island, Sullivan Harbor has long been home to many bed & breakfasts, seasonal summer 'cottages', and businesses. Formerly the home of Sullivan Harbor Farm Smokehouse - now housed in a newer, larger facility in neighboring Hancock, Maine, and other local businesses such as Edgewater Estate's B&B and Seasonal Cabins, has seen over the century and decades a resurgence of interest as tourists begin expanding beyond the well-known resort towns towards other niches. Sullivan Harbor's Frenchman's Bay Scenic Overlook provides travellers a pit stop panoramic view of Mount Desert Island and the Atlantic. The village boasts the aforementioned along with tennis courts, a general store (Dunbar's) and the Municipal Boat Launch. Sullivan Harbour's Old Granite Store building, an historic edifice that straddles the head of the harbour at the corner of US Rte 1 and Harbourview, is constructed of locally quarried granite dating back to the 1800s; the building was once a salt-storage facility, later part of a shipyard, a customs building or market house, and in the later 1900s home to a variety of ventures ranging from bed-and-breakfasts to artisan galleries or private residences.

•Alderville Township & Taunton Shores - along Franklin's Hog Bay on South Bay Road are the communities of Alderville and the North Sullivan subdivision of Taunton Shores; residential areas located between Sullivan and Franklin have long been considered part of Sullivan though they tend to fall within the Town of Franklin's limits. Home to the University of Maine Aquaculture Co-operative, Alderville Towbship is also home to an artisan gallery that has been a family owned business for roughly two decades.

• Ashville & Morancy - off US Rte 1 (East) is the enclave of Ashville and further the Morancy Pond Settlements; primarily rural these villages are adjacent to the Sunrise Road Recreational Trail that runs from Machias, Maine (Washington County) through in-land Hancock County.

The Town's inland area along Rte 200 (Bert Grey Road) in to the Schoodic Foothills is a mainly wooded area that boasts commercial and residential value, in addition to being the location of the municipal grade school, Mountain View School (K-8) which - as part of Schoodic Community Schools and RSU24 - provides education (primary, middle, and junior high) to the Towns of Sullivan, Sorrento, and Franklin.

Sullivan, Maine, as part of the Upper Schoodic Peninsula sub-region is a member of the Schoodic Peninsula Chamber of Commerce; Sullivan is located roughly 11 miles to nearby Winter Harbor, ME, and the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park. The Town is roughly 17 miles from the heart of Downtown Ellsworth, ME - the shire town of Hancock County - and approximately 35 miles by land from the Village Green in Bar Harbor, ME on Mount Desert Island, though from various points along its' shoreline the Island can be easily seen and is, nautically and geographically, closer by sea than by land. Ferry Service is available to and from the Schoodic region and may be accessed semi-seasonally (on a schedule) or by appointment (by change) in nearby Winter Harbor; some resources available to visitors can be found by contacting local Harbor Masters or business. The Island Explorer Transit Service serves the Schoodic Peninsula with hubs in Winter Harbor, Ellsworth, and Bar Harbor, for more information contact the Island Explorer service directly.

In art, culture, and society

The Town of Sullivan, Maine's villages were featured in the novel Seven Steeples, which focused on the communities that grew surrounding the Chapels and Churches that served them.

Sullivan Harbor was the scene of the novel The Tinker of Salt Cove.

West Sullivan was the scene of author Jack Havey's memoir West Sullivan Days.

As with many semi-rural communities, Sullivan's Villages were once semi-autonomous communities that became more integrated after the turn of the 19th century; some former stores, customs houses, post offices and chapels have been converted into residential or commercial properties.

The area, encompassing mostly nearby Hancock and Hancock Point, was featured as the filming location for part(s) of the film adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary.

Notable people

• Alice Turner Curtis (1860–1958), an author of juvenile historical fiction, was born in Sullivan (and lived there for an indeterminate period of time)

See also

In Spanish: Sullivan (Maine) para niños