Brooklin, Maine
Encyclopedia
Brooklin is a town
in Hancock County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. It is home to WoodenBoat Magazine
Brooklin Boat Yard, and numerous boatbuilders, artists, writers, musicians and potters.
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. By 1886, the town was noted for producing smoked herring
in considerable quantities. Canning
lobster
had also become an important business.
, the town has a total area of 41.2 square miles (106.7 km²), of which, 18 square miles (46.6 km²) of it is land and 23.2 square miles (60.1 km²) of it (56.40%) is water. Brooklin is situated on the Benjamin River
overlooking Jericho Bay.
The town is crossed by Maine State Route 175.
of 2000, there were 841 people, 371 households, and 244 families residing in the town. The population density
was 46.8 people 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.
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.
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 Hancock County
Hancock County, Maine
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 54,418. Its county seat is Ellsworth. It was incorporated on June 25, 1789...
, 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 841 at the 2000 census. It is home to WoodenBoat Magazine
WoodenBoat
WoodenBoat is an American magazine that has been published since 1974. It is written for owners, admirers, builders, and designers of wooden boats. Its publication marked the start of a trend — a growing interest in traditional boats and boat building techniques and the development thereof...
Brooklin Boat Yard, and numerous boatbuilders, artists, writers, musicians and potters.
History
Brooklin was originally part of a larger town, then Sedgwick broke off and formed its own town. A few weeks later, the name was changed to Brooklin, after the brook line which separated it from Sedgwick. Using porgySparidae
The Sparidae is a family of fish, included in the order Perciformes. The fish of the family are commonly called sea breams and porgies . The sheepshead, scup, and red sea bream are species in this family. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters and are bottom-dwelling carnivores....
oil
Fish oil
Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid , and docosahexaenoic acid , precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation throughout the body, and are thought to have many health benefits.Fish do not...
as a fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
, the difficult soil was made productive, and hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
became the principal crop. With excellent harbors, however, the main occupations were fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and seafaring. By 1859, when the population was 1,002, it also had five boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
and shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
factories, as well as two barrel
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
manufacturers. By 1886, the town was noted for producing smoked herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
in considerable quantities. Canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
had also become an important business.
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 41.2 square miles (106.7 km²), of which, 18 square miles (46.6 km²) of it is land and 23.2 square miles (60.1 km²) of it (56.40%) is water. Brooklin is situated on the Benjamin River
Benjamin River
The Benjamin River is a tidal river in Hancock County, Maine.From its source , the river runs about 3 miles southwest to Eggemoggin Reach.The river forms part of the border between Sedgwick and Brooklin.-References:**...
overlooking Jericho Bay.
The town is crossed by Maine State Route 175.
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 841 people, 371 households, and 244 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 46.8 people 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
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 0.36% 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
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, 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
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 $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)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
- Beth Eden ChapelBeth Eden ChapelThe Beth Eden Chapel is located in Brooklin, Maine. It was built in 1900, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.-External links:*...
, added August 2, 2001 - Brooklin IOOF HallBrooklin IOOF HallThe Brooklin IOOF Hall is an Odd Fellows building built in 1896 in Brooklin, Maine. It is in Second Empire style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.-References:...
, added January 26, 1990 - Flye Point 2, added April 15, 1985
- Goddard Site, added May 7, 1979
- E. B. White HouseE. B. White HouseThe E. B. White House is located in Brooklin, Maine, United States. Author E. B. White did not advertise its location while he was alive, enjoying his privacy. In 1977, he convinced an interviewer to report that "he lives in 'a New England coastal town', somewhere between Nova Scotia and Cuba"...
, added September 22, 1986
Notable people
- Emily Greene BalchEmily Greene BalchEmily Greene Balch was an American academic, writer, and pacifist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946 , notably for her work with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom .Born in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston into an affluent family, she was amongst the first...
, co-winner of the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize - Heidi JulavitsHeidi JulavitsHeidi Suzanne Julavits is an American author and co-editor of The Believer magazine. She has been published in The Best Creative Nonfiction Vol. 2, Esquire, Story, Zoetrope All-Story, and McSweeney’s Quarterly...
, writer and editor - Ben MarcusBen MarcusBen Marcus is the author of three books of fiction, Notable American Women, The Father Costume, and The Age of Wire and String. His new novel, The Flame Alphabet, will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in January of 2012...
writer - John Wesley PowellJohn Wesley PowellJohn Wesley Powell was a U.S. soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions...
geologist and explorer - Paul SullivanPaul Sullivan (composer)Paul Sullivan is an American pianist and composer whose music blends jazz and classical styles. He has recorded 14 albums on the River Music label. He is also a member of the Paul Winter Consort and a regular composer for the Pilobolus Dance Theater...
, composer and musician - Oswald VeblenOswald VeblenOswald Veblen was an American mathematician, geometer and topologist, whose work found application in atomic physics and the theory of relativity. He proved the Jordan curve theorem in 1905.-Life:...
mathematician, geometer, topologist - E. B. WhiteE. B. WhiteElwyn Brooks White , usually known as E. B. White, was an American writer. A long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine, he also wrote many famous books for both adults and children, such as the popular Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, and co-authored a widely used writing guide, The...
, author of Charlotte's WebCharlotte's WebCharlotte's Web is an award-winning children's novel by acclaimed American author E. B. White, about a pig named Wilbur who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider named Charlotte. The book was first published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams.The novel tells the story...
, The Trumpet of the SwanThe Trumpet of the SwanThe Trumpet of the Swan is a children's novel by E.B. White published in 1970. It tells the story of Louis, a Trumpeter Swan born without a voice and trying to overcome it by learning to play a trumpet, always trying to impress a beautiful pen named Serena.-Plot summary:In Canada in the spring of...
, and Stuart LittleStuart LittleStuart Little is a 1945 children's novel by E. B. White, his first book for children, and is widely recognized as a classic in children's literature. Stuart Little was illustrated by the subsequently award-winning artist Garth Williams, also his first work for children... - James Russell WigginsJames Russell WigginsJames Russell Wiggins was managing editor of The Washington Post and United States Ambassador to the United Nations.-In Minnesota:...
, publisher of the Washington Post, United Nations ambassador - Rafael YglesiasRafael YglesiasRafael Yglesias is an American novelist and screenwriter. His parents were the novelists Jose Yglesias and Helen Yglesias. The blogger and journalist Matthew Yglesias is his older son; his younger son, Nicholas, is also a novelist and has applied to become a police cadet.Yglesias was born and...
novelist and screenwriter