Searsport, Maine
Encyclopedia
Searsport is a town
in Waldo County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 2,641 at the 2000 census
. Searsport includes the village of North Searsport. The town is known as "the home of the famous sea captains" and the "Antique Capital of Maine." http://clickbrochure.com/mainebb/brochure.html
and Belfast
. In 1747, when fire destroyed the Province House
in Boston
, General Samuel Waldo advocated, unsuccessfully, that the capital of Massachusetts
be moved to Searsport, which was part of the Waldo Patent
he purchased about 1720. It was named after David Sears of Boston after he agreed to grant a large sum of money towards the town's founding. Searsport is noted for its rich maritime history
. During the 19th-century the port had 17 shipyard
s and built 200 ship
s, while supplying fully one-tenth of the nation's merchant marine deep water captains. The Penobscot Marine Museum
faithfully recalls this heritage.
Searsport is Maine's second largest deep water port and is ideally located from the point of view of railroad, wood products and other development interests.http://www.maine.gov/local/waldo/searsport Indeed, the town became the Penobscot Bay
shipping
terminus for the Northern Maine Seaport Railroad, a line opened in 1905 by the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
, which sent potato
es, timber
and other products from here by boat, and loaded coal
for use by its locomotive
s, without having to arrange rates with the Maine Central Railroad
.
, the town has a total area of 42.9 square miles (111.2 km²), of which, 28.6 square miles (74.1 km²) of it is land and 14.4 square miles (37.2 km²) of it (33.42%) is water. Situated on Penobscot Bay
, Searport is drained by Long Cove Brook and Mill Brook. It includes Sears Island
, which is 940 acres (3.8 km²) in area.
The town is crossed by U. S. Route 1
and Maine State Route 3
. It borders the towns of Prospect
and Stockton
to the northeast, Belfast
to the southwest, Swanville
to the northwest, and Frankfort
to the north.
of 2000, there were 2,641 people, 1,130 households, and 732 families residing in the town. The population density
was 92.4 people per square mile (35.7/km²). There were 1,370 housing units at an average density of 47.9 per square mile (18.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.07% White, 0.27% Black or African American
, 0.72% Native American, 0.08% from other races
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.19% of the population.
There were 1,130 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% 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 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,288, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $31,629 versus $23,221 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,883. About 11.3% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
system and is characteristic of a New England town
, with an annual town meeting held every March and special town meetings held at various times during the year. A five member Board of Selectmen
(with its members serving three-year terms) is elected on the Tuesday before the annual meeting and it, along with the Town Manager, run the town's daily affairs, including overseeing town water, sewage treatment, police patrol, fire protection, emergency medical service, recreational programs and a library. They cannot pass a budget or most ordinances without town approval at the annual or a special town meeting. The town has no mayor
, but the Board of Selectmen does choose a Chair who is responsible for running the Board's meetings. http://www.searsport.maine.gov
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Waldo County
Waldo County, Maine
Waldo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 38,786. Its county seat is Belfast.Waldo County was founded on 7 February 1827 from a portion of Hancock County...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,641 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Searsport includes the village of North Searsport. The town is known as "the home of the famous sea captains" and the "Antique Capital of Maine." http://clickbrochure.com/mainebb/brochure.html
History
Searsport was settled in the 1670s and incorporated on February 13, 1845 from portions of ProspectProspect, Maine
Prospect is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 642 at the 2000 census.The most prominent landmark in Prospect is Fort Knox, a large 19th-century fort...
and Belfast
Belfast, Maine
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County...
. In 1747, when fire destroyed the Province House
Province House
Province House may refer to:* Province House in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which houses the Nova Scotia House of Assembly* Province House in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, which houses the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island* Province House , residence of colonial governors of the...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, General Samuel Waldo advocated, unsuccessfully, that the capital of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
be moved to Searsport, which was part of the Waldo Patent
Waldo Patent
The Waldo Patent, a letters patent also known as the Muscongus Patent or the Lincolnshire Patent, was an area of land 36 miles square in what is now the U.S...
he purchased about 1720. It was named after David Sears of Boston after he agreed to grant a large sum of money towards the town's founding. Searsport is noted for its rich maritime history
Maritime history
Maritime history is the study of human activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant...
. During the 19th-century the port had 17 shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s and built 200 ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s, while supplying fully one-tenth of the nation's merchant marine deep water captains. The Penobscot Marine Museum
Penobscot Marine Museum
The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine, United States, is Maine's oldest maritime museum and is designed to preserve and educate people regarding Maine's and Searsport's rich and unique maritime and shipbuilding history....
faithfully recalls this heritage.
Searsport is Maine's second largest deep water port and is ideally located from the point of view of railroad, wood products and other development interests.http://www.maine.gov/local/waldo/searsport Indeed, the town became the Penobscot Bay
Penobscot Bay
Penobscot Bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River. There are many islands in this bay, and on them, some of the country's most well-known summer colonies. The bay served as portal for the one time "lumber capital of the world," namely; the city of Bangor...
shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
terminus for the Northern Maine Seaport Railroad, a line opened in 1905 by the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad is a defunct United States railroad company, that brought rail service to Aroostook County, Maine. Brightly painted BAR box cars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives operated on BAR until they were museum pieces...
, which sent potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and other products from here by boat, and loaded coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
for use by its locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, without having to arrange rates with the Maine Central Railroad
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 42.9 square miles (111.2 km²), of which, 28.6 square miles (74.1 km²) of it is land and 14.4 square miles (37.2 km²) of it (33.42%) is water. Situated on Penobscot Bay
Penobscot Bay
Penobscot Bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River. There are many islands in this bay, and on them, some of the country's most well-known summer colonies. The bay served as portal for the one time "lumber capital of the world," namely; the city of Bangor...
, Searport is drained by Long Cove Brook and Mill Brook. It includes Sears Island
Sears Island
Sears Island, known as Wassumkeag or shining beach by the indigenous Wabanaki tribes of northern New England, is located off the coast of Searsport in Waldo County, Maine at the top of Penobscot Bay....
, which is 940 acres (3.8 km²) in area.
The town is crossed by U. S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maine
In the U.S. state of Maine, U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south state highway serving the eastern part of the state. It parallels the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire north through Portland, Brunswick, and Belfast to Calais, and then the St. Croix River and the rest of the Canadian border...
and Maine State Route 3
Maine State Route 3
State Route 3 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from Interstate 95 exit 113 in Augusta to an intersection with Route 102 in the village of Somesville in the town of Mount Desert, on Mount Desert Island...
. It borders the towns of Prospect
Prospect, Maine
Prospect is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 642 at the 2000 census.The most prominent landmark in Prospect is Fort Knox, a large 19th-century fort...
and Stockton
Stockton Springs, Maine
Stockton Springs is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,481 at the 2000 census. Stockton Springs is home to Fort Point State Park and Fort Point Light, both located on Fort Point, a peninsula on Cape Jellison.-History:...
to the northeast, Belfast
Belfast, Maine
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County...
to the southwest, Swanville
Swanville, Maine
Swanville is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,357 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
to the northwest, and Frankfort
Frankfort, Maine
Frankfort is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2000 census.-History:Frankfort is the oldest town on the Penobscot River, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall...
to the north.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,641 people, 1,130 households, and 732 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 92.4 people per square mile (35.7/km²). There were 1,370 housing units at an average density of 47.9 per square mile (18.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.07% White, 0.27% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.72% Native American, 0.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.19% of the population.
There were 1,130 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% 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 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,288, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $31,629 versus $23,221 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $18,883. About 11.3% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Searsport's government is organized around a town meetingTown meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
system and is characteristic of a New England town
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
, with an annual town meeting held every March and special town meetings held at various times during the year. A five member Board of Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
(with its members serving three-year terms) is elected on the Tuesday before the annual meeting and it, along with the Town Manager, run the town's daily affairs, including overseeing town water, sewage treatment, police patrol, fire protection, emergency medical service, recreational programs and a library. They cannot pass a budget or most ordinances without town approval at the annual or a special town meeting. The town has no mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, but the Board of Selectmen does choose a Chair who is responsible for running the Board's meetings. http://www.searsport.maine.gov
Sites of interest
- Moose Point State Park
- Mack Point Marine Intermodal Cargo Terminal/Railroad Yard
- Sears IslandSears IslandSears Island, known as Wassumkeag or shining beach by the indigenous Wabanaki tribes of northern New England, is located off the coast of Searsport in Waldo County, Maine at the top of Penobscot Bay....
- Carver Memorial Library
- College Club Inn
- East Main Street Historic District
- Capt. John McGilvery House
- Capt. William McGilvery House
- Mortland Family Farm
- Capt. John P. Nichols House
- James G. Pendleton House
- Penobscot Marine Museum
- Searsport Historic District
- Union Hall
- Union SchoolUnion School (Searsport, Maine)The Union School is an historic school in Searsport, Maine. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993....
- Searsport Historical Society & Museum
Notable people
- Henry ChadwickHenry Chadwick (Seattle)Henry Alexander Chadwick was an American journalist; from 1894 until his death, he was the editor, owner and publisher of The Argus, a weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington....
, journalist - Roswell K. ColcordRoswell K. ColcordRoswell Keyes Colcord was an American politician. He served as the 7th Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada from 1891 to 1895. He was a member of the Republican Party.-Biography:...
, 7th governor of Nevada - Peter A. GarlandPeter A. GarlandPeter Adams Garland was a U.S. Representative from Maine.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Garland attended Saco public schools, Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Connecticut....
, congressman, town manager - Sam HoustonSam Houston (Maine)Sam Houston was a bodyguard to Gen. George Washington and was one of the first residents of Searsport, Maine. He is depicted in the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, and his cutlass and chest are on display at the Penobscot Marine Museum....
, bodyguard for George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of... - Freeman McGilveryFreeman McGilveryFreeman McGilvery was a United States Army artillery officer during the American Civil War. He gained fame at the Battle of Gettysburg for taking the initiative to piece together a line of guns that greatly contributed to the Union victory.-Biography:McGilvery was born in Prospect, Maine...
, army officer - Marlboro PackardMarlboro PackardMarlboro Packard was a master shipbuilder who lived in Searsport, Maine. He managed several economically important shipyards in Searsport. He built several ships including the ship Oneida in 1877 at the McGilvery Yard. In 1877 he built the ship William H. Conner, which was the last and largest...
, master shipbuilder - Ephraim K. SmartEphraim K. SmartEphriam Knight Smart was a United States Representative from Maine. He was born in Prospect on September 3, 1813. He attended the common schools, completed preparatory studies under private tutors and attended Maine Wesleyan Seminary...
, congressman - Frederick Stevens, congressman