| Official Name: | Sullivan, Maine |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Pushpin Map: | Maine#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Sullivan |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Maine |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hancock |
| Parts Type: | Villages |
| Parts: | Sullivan Harbour Ashville Alderville East Sullivan North Sullivan West Sullivan Tunk Station Punkinville Morancy |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 76.72 |
| Area Land Km2: | 69.07 |
| Area Water Km2: | 7.64 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 29.62 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 26.67 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 2.95 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1219 |
| Population Density Km2: | 17.6 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 146 |
| Elevation Ft: | 479 |
| Coordinates: | 44.5364°N -68.1547°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 04664 |
| Area Code: | 207 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 23-74965 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0582754 |
Sullivan is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,219 at the 2020 census.[1] The town was named for Daniel Sullivan, an early settler.[2] Colloquially referred to as "Sully" or "the Sullivans"—like many Maine municipalities composed of villages with geographic designations of the town proper—the municipality was incorporated in 1789.[3] Located in the Upper Schoodic Peninsula sub-region of Maine's Downeast Acadia region, the municipality has been known as[3] "Waukeag",[4] "New Bristol", and later Sullivan; and once included the nearby communities of Hancock, Sorrento, and what would later be (parts of Gouldsboro Point TWP, Tunk Lake TWP, the Schoodic Foothills, Hog Bay, and various other districts over time divided off) Township 7, South & Middle Districts. Once home to abundant granite quarries, the town of Sullivan is now a residential community for nearby Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island. Located along U.S. Route 1, the Taunton River, and Hog Bay, Sullivan is home to a reversing tidal falls and many scenic turnouts that dot the Schoodic National Scenic Byway along the Upper Schoodic Peninsula.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.62sqmi, of which 26.67sqmi is land and 2.95sqmi is water.[5]
As of the census[6] of 2010, there were 1,236 people, 528 households, and 332 families residing in the town. The population density was 46.3PD/sqmi. There were 806 housing units at an average density of 30.2/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.6% White, 0.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 528 households, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% 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 2.81.
The median age in the town was 44.7 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 35.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 1,185 people, 480 households, and 327 families residing in the town. The population density was 44.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 709 housing units at an average density of 26.7sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 98.40% White, 0.34% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.
There were 480 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,509, and the median income for a family was $34,113. Males had a median income of $25,370 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,814. About 8.0% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
The Town of Sullivan's offices are located on U.S. 1.
Sullivan, Maine, the gateway to the Schoodic Peninsula and the Downeast Acadia region, is composed of several villages and settlements, collectively termed "the Sullivans", or colloquially as "Sully"—similar to other New England municipalities such as:
The town's inland area along Rte 200 (Bert Grey Road) in to the Schoodic Foothills is a mainly wooded area that boasts commercial and residential value, in addition to being the location of the municipal grade school, Mountain View School (K–8) which—as part of Schoodic Community Schools and RSU24—provides education (primary, middle, and junior high) to the Towns of Sullivan, Sorrento, and Franklin.
Sullivan, Maine, as part of the Upper Schoodic Peninsula sub-region is a member of the Schoodic Peninsula Chamber of Commerce; Sullivan is located roughly 11 miles to nearby Winter Harbor, ME, and the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park. The Town is roughly 17 miles from the heart of Downtown Ellsworth, ME—the shire town of Hancock County—and approximately 35 miles by land from the Village Green in Bar Harbor, ME on Mount Desert Island, though from various points along its shoreline the Island can be easily seen and is, nautically and geographically, closer by sea than by land. Ferry Service is available to and from the Schoodic region and may be accessed semi-seasonally (on a schedule) or by appointment (by change) in nearby Winter Harbor; some resources available to visitors can be found by contacting local Harbor Masters or business. The Island Explorer Transit Service serves the Schoodic Peninsula with hubs in Winter Harbor, Ellsworth, and Bar Harbor.
The Town of Sullivan, Maine's villages were featured in the novel Seven Steeples, which focused on the communities that grew surrounding the Chapels and Churches that served them.
Sullivan Harbor was the inspiration for the setting of the novel The Tinker of Salt Cove.
West Sullivan was the scene of author Jack Havey's memoir West Sullivan Days.[8]
As with many semi-rural communities, Sullivan's Villages were once semi-autonomous communities that became more integrated after the turn of the 19th century; some former stores, customs houses, post offices and chapels have been converted into residential or commercial properties.
The area, encompassing mostly nearby Hancock and Hancock Point, was featured as the filming location for part(s) of the film adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary.
The Schoodic Peninsula's Upper Peninsula section transitions to the Lower Peninsula at the Gouldsboro/Sullivan town-line, while the demarcation between the Schoodic Foothills & the Upper Peninsula is less formalized, but considered to end at the Franklin/Sullivan town-line and the transition from Taunton to Hog Bay via water. Formerly, the colonial term "Schoodicshire" has been used in ages-passed for the two regions collectively.
"Schoodic" is the anglicized form of a Native American term of disputed origin, thought to mean (in one definition cited locally) as "where land and sea meet". Waukeag, the distinct name for the Sullivan area, also is of Native origin, and roughly translates to "crossing place" or "horsehead", among other interpretations. Maine's history as a disputed frontier territory between the British North American Colonies and French New France, and later a district of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (later Commonwealth) has provided the area with a distinctive, unique historic status.