Brooklin, Maine

Last updated

Brooklin, Maine
View at Brooklin, ME.jpg
Center Harbor in 1909
BrooklinMEseal.png
USA Maine location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Brooklin
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Brooklin
Coordinates: 44°16′31″N68°33′34″W / 44.27528°N 68.55944°W / 44.27528; -68.55944
Country United States
State Maine
County Hancock
Incorporated 1849
VillagesBrooklin
Haven
Naskeag
North Brooklin
West Brooklin
Area
[1]
  Total
41.18 sq mi (106.66 km2)
  Land17.92 sq mi (46.41 km2)
  Water23.26 sq mi (60.24 km2)
Elevation
33 ft (10 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
827
  Density46/sq mi (17.8/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
04616
Area code 207
FIPS code 23-07800
GNIS feature ID0582370
Website www.brooklinmaine.com

Brooklin is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 827 at the 2020 census. [2]

Contents

History

Brooklin was originally part the larger town of Sedgwick. Brooklin broke off and formed its own town in 1849. A few weeks later, the name was changed to Brooklin, after the brook line which separated it from Sedgwick. Using pogie oil as a fertilizer, the difficult soil was made productive, and hay became the principal crop. With excellent harbors, however, the main occupations were fishing and seafaring. By 1859, when the population was 1,002, it also had five boot and shoemaking factories, as well as two barrel manufacturers. [3] By 1886, the town was noted for producing smoked herring in considerable quantities. Canning lobster had also become an important business. [4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.18 square miles (106.66 km2), of which 17.92 square miles (46.41 km2) is land and 23.26 square miles (60.24 km2) is water. [1] Brooklin is situated on the Eggemoggin Reach, Blue Hill Bay and the Benjamin River, which are part of Penobscot Bay.

The town is crossed by Maine State Route 175.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850 1,002
1860 1,0434.1%
1870 966−7.4%
1880 9771.1%
1890 1,0467.1%
1900 936−10.5%
1910 9360.0%
1920 856−8.5%
1930 782−8.6%
1940 656−16.1%
1950 546−16.8%
1960 525−3.8%
1970 59813.9%
1980 6193.5%
1990 78526.8%
2000 8417.1%
2010 824−2.0%
2020 8270.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

2010 census

As of the census [6] of 2010, there were 824 people, 397 households, and 238 families living in the town. The population density was 46.0 inhabitants per square mile (17.8/km2). There were 874 housing units at an average density of 48.8 per square mile (18.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% White, 1.0% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 397 households, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.63.

The median age in the town was 52.9 years. 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.4% were from 25 to 44; 35.4% were from 45 to 64; and 26.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census [7] of 2000, there were 841 people, 371 households, and 244 families living in the town. The population density was 46.8 inhabitants per square mile (18.1/km2). There were 697 housing units at an average density of 38.8 per square mile (15.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.45% White, 0.12% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.

There were 371 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 33.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,786, and the median income for a family was $46,591. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,704. About 6.9% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Archaeology

An 11th-century Norse coin was (allegedly [8] ) found in Brooklin at the site of an excavation of a Native American trading center. If true this would be the only physical evidence of Nordic settlers having entered the area of what is now the United States. If not an outright hoax, it is also possible that the coin was brought to the site not directly by Vikings, but rather through trading.

National Historic Sites

Education

It is in the Brooklin School District. [9] The Brooklin School is a K-8 school. [10]

Brooklin pays George Stevens Academy, a private school, to educate its students at the high school level. [11]

The number of school districts in Stonington, involving one room schoolhouses, went from 10 to 9 and then 6 as of circa 1849, 1876, and then 1909. Brooklin High School closed in 1969, with ts facility becoming a junior high school. High school-aged students as of 2008 attend GSA, or they go to Deer Isle-Stonington High School. [12]

Notable people

Rockbound Chapel, completed in 1902 Rockbound Chapel.jpg
Rockbound Chapel, completed in 1902

References

  1. 1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  2. "Census - Geography Profile: Brooklin town, Hancock County, Maine" . Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  3. Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. pp.  72–73. coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
  4. Varney, George J. (1886), Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Brooklin, Boston: Russell, archived from the original on March 3, 2016, retrieved March 4, 2010
  5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  8. Norse Penny Archived February 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine - Carpenter, Edmund.
  9. Geography Division (January 14, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hancock County, ME (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2025. - Text list
  10. "Home". Brooklin School. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  11. Genter, Ethan (February 1, 2022). "Tuition hike prompts calls for more town involvement with George Stevens Academy budget". Bangor Daily News . Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  12. Shaw, Richard R. (2008). Around Blue Hill and Ellsworth. Arcadia Publishing. p.  40. ISBN   9780738557182.
  13. Aton, James (1994). John Wesley Powell. Boise State University. p. 30. ISBN   9780884301134.

Further reading

44°15′58″N68°34′09″W / 44.26611°N 68.56917°W / 44.26611; -68.56917