Deer Isle, Maine

Deer Isle is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,975 at the 2010 census. Notable landmarks in Deer Isle are the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the town's many art galleries.

History

The town was incorporated in 1789, at which time it included the islands of Little Deer Isle, Deer Isle, and Isle au Haut. Deer were abundant on these islands, hence the name. In 1868 Isle au Haut became a separate town. In 1897, the southern third of Deer Isle incorporated as the town of Stonington.

In the 19th century, the granite industry flourished on Deer Isle where its quarries supplied granite for structures such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, the US Naval Academy, the Manhattan Bridge and at President John F. Kennedy's tomb at Arlington National Cemetery.

In John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, Deer Isle was a stopping point for the author after the insistence of his literary agent that he visit the cottage of Eleanor Brace, at Dunham's Point. Steinbeck wrote, "One doesn't have to be sensitive to feel the strangeness of Deer Isle".

Deer Isle (island)

Deer Isle is an island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. There are two communities on the island, Deer Isle and Stonington. It is on the eastern side of Penobscot Bay, connected by road to the Maine mainland through Little Deer Isle. Its only vehicular connection to the mainland is State Route 15 over Deer Isle Bridge.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Deer Isle has a total area of 123.67 square miles (320.30 km²), of which 29.72 square miles (76.97 km²) is land and 93.95 square miles (243.33 km²) is water. The town is separated from the mainland by Eggemoggin Reach and may be reached by car via Deer Isle Bridge. The town includes other nearby islands, including Little Deer Isle.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Stonington has a total area of 37.84 square miles (98.01 km²), of which 9.81 square miles (25.41 km²) is land and 28.03 square miles (72.60 km²) is water. Located on the southern end of Deer Isle, Stonington is situated in Penobscot Bay and the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. Stonington is the terminus of Maine State Route 15, which passes through the town of Deer Isle and across the Deer Isle Bridge to the mainland.