Collinsport | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Geographical region | New England |
State | Maine |
County | Hancock County |
Collinsport is the fictional setting of Dark Shadows , the 1960s Dan Curtis Productions Gothic horror soap opera.
In the series, Collinsport is a small, coastal fishing village located in Hancock County in the U.S. state of Maine, on the coast about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Bangor which would be Bar Harbor area, Mt. Desert Island are where the mansions are. Characters on the show sometimes visit or refer to Bangor or Portland, Maine. The village is, according to the TV documentation, north of Frenchman Bay which would be Mt. Desert Island and near Bucksport, Maine about 40 miles north west. However, this location can not be reconciled with the location of 50 miles southeast of Bangor, Mt. Desert Island is about 50 miles South East of Bangor. Also, the location of the Collinwood Estate is mentioned numerous times as being located on the ocean, not on a river or bay. Bucksport's history and reputation for witchcraft tourism appears to have most directly inspired the fictional Collinsport. The train makes regular runs from Boston, and brought Victoria Winters to Collinsport, one stormy night. The local newspaper, The Collinsport Star, is published daily. Population has never been confirmed but is enough to support a cannery and keep the Collins family living in high style. Others speculate that it is Stonington/ Deer Isle, Bar Harbor, or Winter Harbor.
Isaac Collins crossed the ocean in a small sailing ship in 1690 and landed in Frenchman Bay. He eventually found a small harbor nearby and started building what would become the town of Collinsport. The town prospered throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, but suffered greatly during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Only the influx of summer visitors and artists during the 1950s and 1960s kept the town from going under completely. Recently the local fishing fleet has been hurt badly by the over-fishing of the Grand Banks.
The Collinsport Inn is a three-story inn located on the main street in downtown Collinsport. It is well liked and used by both tourists and locals alike. There is also a small café downstairs off the lobby. It is probably based on the Jed Prouty Tavern and Inn in Bucksport, Maine, but exterior footage was filmed at The Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut.
The Blue Whale is a tavern in Collinsport. It was a very popular hang-out for most of the town's citizens. It also has a reputation for some of the very best seafood in the area, and is located right on the water. It is based on the Black Pearl Restaurant in downtown Newport, Rhode Island.
Braithwaite & Sons are the local jewelers and silversmiths. They have been in business for well over 100 years, and have filled many custom orders for the Collins family during that time. One of the more notable family members was Ezra Braithwaite. Ezra began working in the family business as a young man sometime shortly before 1897. Ezra actually died in the Collinwood drawing room in 1969 on a business visit.
Brewster's is a local department store. Another long-standing name in the community, the Brewster surname has been mentioned as long ago as the 1840s, no doubt an ancestor of the current family.
Nestled in the heart of the village, the cool, high-ceilinged store is recessed from the street with an office on one end, and adjoining warehouses.[ citation needed ] The Collins General Store is known for its wide variety of wares — notably its bulk supply of pickles and cheeses.[ citation needed ]
While not as large as a major New York City hospital, Collinsport can certainly hold its own as far as patient care and medical technology with the generous donations of the Collins family and, progressive doctors, such as David Woodard and Eric Lang (or Cyrus Longworth in Parallel Time).
This was a large, Gothic estate built upon the beach near Widow's Hill. It is located a very short distance away from the equally impressive Collinwood estate and a small footpath existed connecting the two properties together. A mariner named Captain Cranshaw built the house some time in the 1800s. (Note: This relates to continuity established by the Marilyn Ross novels.)
A tavern in the village of Collinsport in the late 18th century.
The Eagle is a tavern in Collinsport, but in parallel time, which runs concurrent to our own. In our time line it is known as The Blue Whale (see above). This alternate reality Blue Whale appears exactly as our own, only the name has changed.
Eagle Hill Cemetery is one of the larger graveyards to be found in the town. For the past two centuries, the esteemed Collins family had virtually all of their loved ones laid to rest at Eagle Hill. The cemetery’s most infamous landmark was the Collins family mausoleum. It is here that the vampire Barnabas Collins was entombed in a secret room at the rear of the mausoleum. The room is accessible by pulling the ring in the lion's mouth over the center grave plaque, which opens the panel to enter the room. This room was originally used to covertly store weapons and ammunition during the Revolutionary War. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery just outside Tarrytown, New York was used in the movies.
The Beach Road is a small highway that passes through the village. It is thought to be the local part of U.S. 1, or Maine state highway 33.
A beach located between Collinwood and the Collinsport Cannery. A little too rocky for sunbathing, it is usually used for a relaxing stroll along the water's edge, or a short-cut on foot to the cannery. In 1966, tragedy struck when the body of Bill Malloy, the well-liked manager of the Collins' fishing fleet, was found in the water, up the coast a short distance from here. The sheriff later determined that he had been killed at Lookout Point.
The Loomis House is what the Old House (see below) is called in the alternate reality world of Parallel Time (P/T). In P/T, writer William H. Loomis is married to Carolyn Stoddard. They were given the Old House on the Collins estate, and the residence has since become known as "Loomis House".
Rose Cottage was a house near the Collinwood estate. It was the home of Flora Collins, Desmond Collins, Gerard Stiles, and Leticia Faye in 1840.
Saint Eustace Island is a small, fog-enshrouded island located off of the North cove near Widows' Hill. Upon the island was an ancient castle, which contained the ruins of an abandoned chapel. The land surrounding the castle is difficult to traverse and consists of dense thickets, slippery embankments and heavy marshlands. (Note: This factoid only relates to the House of Dark Shadows movie version locale.) This is the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion in South Norwalk, Connecticut.
It was the dream of Philip and Megan Todd to one day open their own antique shop. In December 1969 they did just that and opened their business here in Collinsport. Carolyn Stoddard discovered the store and took an interest in it early on and voluntarily worked part-time at the shop for a while. Finding and buying their treasures from area estates and auctions was a short-lived endeavor for the Todds however. The antique shop burned to the ground in mid-February 1970, one in a string of "unfortunate events" that also took the lives of Philip and Megan shortly thereafter.
A property bordering the Collinwood estate to the south, owned by Mordecai Grimes in the early 19th century (circa 1840). The Collins' had been trying to acquire this property for quite some time, but Mordecai always declined to sell. He didn't want to give up the land his father had left to him. One day his cattle broke through the fences between the farm and the Collins property. A week later, all his cattle were dead. Mordecai accused Quentin Collins of killing them with witchcraft.
Widows' Hill is a high elevation point outside of the village and the location of the Collinwood estate. It was one 100 feet (30 m) from the edge of the cliff to the water below, and on a cloudless day, one could see 20 miles (32 km) out to sea from the cliff along the water. Widows' Hill acquired its name because women used to wait on the cliff and look out to sea, watching for their ill-fated husbands' ships to return. When Jeremiah Collins decided to build Collinwood on the hill in the 1796, he turned the widows away and told them to go home and keep their grief to themselves.
Some people in Collinsport claimed that the widows still walked the hill 150 years later as ghosts. The wailing sounds coming from the hill were believed to be the sobbing widows, rather than the wind, and some old-timers in town claimed to have seen them walking the hill from a distance.
By 1967, three people had thrown themselves off the cliff. Josette Collins jumped to her death because she was being pursued by her "lover" and would rather die than welcome his attentions, and the two others were Collinwood governesses. Legend told of a third governess who would one day be found dead at the bottom of the cliff. Some have speculated that this is Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, just outside Bar Harbor, Maine. Others believe this is nearby Thunder Hole.
Although not located in Collinsport, the Windcliff Sanitarium should be mentioned here due to its ties to the community. Windcliff is actually located about 100 miles (160 km) away. Dr. Julia Hoffman, a psychiatrist and blood specialist, is Chief of Staff. Several of the Collins' family and friends have spent some time here after experiencing various "traumatic events".
Collinwood Mansion is a gloomy forty-room mansion located near Widows' Hill. The house was built in 1795 by Joshua Collins. By 1897 it was connected to the electricity grid. The east wing of Collinwood was closed off around 1916 and most of the house fell into disuse. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard successfully petitioned to have the property tax reduced due to most of the house being closed. The house was more of a liability than an asset and by 1967 it was only Collins-owned property without a mortgage. The road leading up to Collinwood from town is steep, with many turns. Several people have died going down the hill in bad weather. Collinwood is reputed to be haunted by Josette Collins as well as several other members of the ancient Collins Family.
Several actual mansions were used for Collinwood. The Carey Mansion (Seaview Terrace) in Newport, Rhode Island, now part of the Salve Regina University campus, was used for the original series. The Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York was for both films. In the 1991 NBC version, Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills was utilized, with nearby Griffith Park as the forest surrounding Collinwood.
The Old House was once the provincial mansion of the Collins family up until 1796. Located on the Collins estate near Widows' Hill, it was formerly known as Collinwood. Joshua Collins was the patriarch of the last generation of Collins family members to be raised there. In 1796, construction was completed on a larger family home on the same property and this first known as the Great House. Later, it would come to be known as Collinwood. When it was first built, the original family mansion began to be referred to as the Old House. With the passing of generations, this off-hand phrase became the official nomenclature for the regal estate.
The filming location was the former Spratt Mansion on the Lyndhurst estate, destroyed by fire in 1969. Originally built in the 1850s, it was acquired by Russell Hopkins in 1907. Called "Veruselle", it was better known as The Colonnades.
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the north of Tarrytown is the village of Sleepy Hollow, to the south the village of Irvington and to the east unincorporated parts of Greenburgh. The Tappan Zee Bridge crosses the Hudson at Tarrytown, carrying the New York State Thruway to South Nyack, Rockland County and points in Upstate New York. The population was 11,860 at the 2020 census.
Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place.
Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, a featured role in the ABC daytime serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971. Barnabas is a 175-year-old vampire in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette. The character, originally played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, was introduced in an attempt to resurrect the show's flagging ratings, and was originally to have only a brief 13-week run. He was retained due to his popularity and the program's quick spike in ratings, and virtually became the star of the show.
Victoria "Vicki" Winters is a fictional character from the television Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and its remakes of the same name. The role was originated by Alexandra Moltke on the ABC series from 1966 to 1968. After Moltke left to raise a family in 1968, actresses Betsy Durkin and Carolyn Groves briefly replaced her for only a handful of episodes, before Victoria was written out completely. Jaclyn Smith, who was married to Dark Shadows actor Roger Davis at the time, was offered the role when Moltke left the show, but she declined.
Josette du Pres is a character played primarily by Kathryn Leigh Scott during the 1795 flashback on the TV serial Dark Shadows.
House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 American feature-length horror film produced and directed by Dan Curtis, based on his Dark Shadows television series. In this film expansion, vampire Barnabas Collins searches for a cure for vampirism so he can marry a woman who resembles his long-lost fiancée Josette.
Lyndhurst, also known as the Jay Gould estate, is a Gothic Revival country house that sits in its own 67-acre (27 ha) park beside the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, about a half mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge on US 9. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
The Greystone Mansion, also known as the Doheny Mansion, is a Tudor Revival mansion on a landscaped estate with distinctive formal English gardens, located in Trousdale Estates of Beverly Hills, California, United States. Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed the residence and ancillary structures, and construction was completed in 1928. It was a gift from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny to his son, Edward "Ned" Doheny Jr. and his family. Following the purchase of the estate by the City of Beverly Hills in 1965, it became a city park in 1971, and was subsequently added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as Doheny Estate/Greystone. The house and grounds are often used as locations for film and television shows. The house's descending staircase is one of the most famous sets in Hollywood.
Quentin Collins is the name of several characters featured in the 1966–1971 ABC cult TV Gothic horror-soap opera Dark Shadows. Variations of the character have been played by actor David Selby.
Collinwood Mansion is a fictional house featured in the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows (1966–1971), built in 1795 by Joshua Collins. Collinwood has been home to the Collins family and other sometimes unwelcome supernatural visitors since its inception. The house is located near the town of Collinsport, Maine, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Almost every resident of the town is scared to drive by the house due to rumors and legends. The house has more than 40 rooms, most of which are closed off due to lack of inhabitants and financial reasons, and more than a few secret passageways, including a room that is a gateway to a parallel timeline, a stairway through time, and one room that appears to be a playroom to some and nothing more than a linen closet to others. Most of the household activity revolves around the drawing room and foyer, and occasionally extends to the kitchen, dining room, and study. Collinwood is notorious for causing unrest and frustration among both the residents and visitors, likely due to its ominous atmosphere and mysterious past. Despite its unsettling reputation, the allure of the grand estate continues to draw intrigue and curiosity from those brave enough to explore its halls. It has been the scene of deaths, random acts of violence, and other misfortunes. In many episodes of the series, most local characters find it easier to just avoid it and the Collins family altogether.
Daniel Collins is fictional character that appeared on the 1960s ABC daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. Initially the character was played by child actor David Henesy during a storyline that has become informally known as the "1795 Flashback". In 1970, the character returned for the "1840 Flashback" storyline, this time played by stage actor Louis Edmonds.
Dark Shadows is a one-hour television pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 gothic soap opera television series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB and produced in 2004, but not picked up for a series.
Dark Shadows is a 2012 dark fantasy film based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. Directed by Tim Burton, the film stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Bella Heathcote in a dual role. Christopher Lee has a small role in the film, his 200th film appearance and his fifth and final appearance in a Burton film. Jonathan Frid, star of the original Dark Shadows series, makes a cameo appearance. He died shortly before the film was released. One of the film's producers, Richard D. Zanuck, died two months after its release.
Julia Hoffman is a fictional character played by Grayson Hall in the 1966 ABC soap opera Dark Shadows. A self-serving and conniving doctor in the fields of psychology and rare blood disorders. She is also head of the Windcliff Sanitarium, who moved into Collinwood and discovered the vampire Barnabas Collins. Initially, Julia represented a threat to Barnabas' undead existence, but eventually she became one of his most staunch allies. Together, Julia and Barnabas worked to assist the Collins family in the past, present, future, and in Parallel Time.
James Gibson was a merchant in the British colonies of Jamaica and the Province of Massachusetts Bay. During King George's War (1744–1748), William Shirley, the Governor of Massachusetts, debated whether to siege and capture the French fortress of Louisburg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. According to Gibson's journal, he convinced Governor Shirley that the siege would be successful and used his personal wealth to provide 300 soldiers for the campaign. Gibson wrote an account of the Siege of Louisburg, and it was published in London in late 1745.
Bucksport is a historical town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,944 at the 2020 census. Bucksport is across the Penobscot River estuary from Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which replaced the Waldo–Hancock Bridge.
There are numerous nationally and locally designated historic sites and attractions in Westchester County. These include architecturally significant manors and estates, churches, cemeteries, farmhouses, African-American heritage sites, and underground railroad depots and waystations. There are sites from pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary times, as well as battlegrounds. Westchester County also played an important role in the development of the modern suburb, and there are many associated heritage sites and museums.
The West Street Historic District is a residential historic district just adjacent to the main village of Bar Harbor, Maine. Extending from Eden Street to Billings Avenue, it encompasses a well-preserved concentration of summer "cottages" built during Bar Harbor's heyday as a resort for the wealthy in the early 20th century. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.