Surry - Surry

Surry is a small, rural town in Hancock County, in the US state of Maine, located on Blue Hill Bay, about 8 miles southwest of the county seat of Ellsworth, quite near Acadia National Park and adjacent to Blue Hill. It has a population of less than 1500 people. The town web site has further information as does the local regional newspaper The Weekly Packet.

Understand

From George J. Varney's A GAZETTEER OF THE STATE OF MAINE, published in Boston, MA in 1886:

"Surry is situated on the west bank of Union River bay, in Hancock County. On the north-east it is bounded by Ellsworth, on the south-west, by Blue Hill, on the west, by Orland and Penobscot. The town has an area of about 21,025 acres. Toddy Pond forms part of the boundary between Surry and Penobscot, and on the line between Surry and Ellsworth are the two Patten ponds whose outlet is Patten Stream Fishways were constructed to these ponds in 1872, and the ponds have since been stocked with alewives and salmon. The surface of the town is considerably broken. The land generally is valuable for tillage. The most of the surface soil is so intermingled with comminuted quartz, or siliceous sand, that cranberries grow in the grass fields. The cultivation of this crop is receiving increased attention. A large deposit of nearly pure silica in the town may prove of much value for glass and other ware. Over miles of surface on the Toddy Pond road lay, a few years ago, a bleak profusion of granite bowiders. To-day those bowlders are seen in every stage of ruin. On every hand they are smitten with decay, and here and there a patch of unworn gravel is all that remains of a once great bowider. A few miles beyond. these, is a field of immense bowlders, still uncrumbled, lying in wild confusion bowlder on bowlder,-

The manufactories of Surry are a lumber, shingle, spool and two stave mills. Formerly there was a large business done in building small vessels, but it is now very much reduced. Surry has two mining companies, the Blue Hill Bay and the East Surry Company.

Surry was Township No. 6, in the grant to Marsh and others. It was first occupied by the French at Newbury Neck. The first English settlers were Symonds, Weymouth and James Flye. The next settlers were John Patten, a Mr. Hopkinson, Andrew Flood, Wilbrahim Swett, Matthew and James Ray, Samuel Joy, Isaac Lord, Hezekiah Coggins and Leonard Jarvis. Mr. Jarvis represented the eastern district in Congress from 1831 to 1837.

Up to 1820, about 13,000 acres had been secured to settlers and by quiet possession titles, when Mr. Jarvis bought the remainder. In 1800, Surry included that portion of Ellsworth known as Ward 5; but in 1829 it was re-annexed to Ellsworth. There was a population of 289 as early as 1790. In 1874, a small quantity of silver coin was found at Weymouth Point. Surry furnished 135 men to the Union cause in the war of the Rebellion.

The Baptist, Free Baptist and Methodist denominations have churches in town. There are nine public schoolhouses, and the school property is valued at $3,400. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $207,137. In 1880 it was $177,534. The population in 1870 was 1,242. In 1880 it was 1,185."

Get in

By plane

The nearest major airports are the Hancock County - Bar Harbor Airport (BHB IATA) near Ellsworth (about 13 miles) and Bangor International Airport (BGR IATA) in Bangor (about 30 miles).

By car

Enter Maine on Interstate 95 if you are coming from southern New England or U.S. points beyond. The standard routes to Downeast Maine are to either follow I-95 to the capital, Augusta, and then to break east on state highways, or to leave I-95 around Brunswick, Maine, and follow U.S. 1 north along the coast toward Ellsworth and thence to Surry. The drive along U.S. 1 is more scenic, but also generally slower. Tourist traffic in Surry is relatively heavy in the summer months, but things become very quiet traffic-wise between October and April.

By boat

"The Cat" high speed car ferry, between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth (Canada).

By bus

Vermont Transit Lines buses from points south to Ellsworth.

Get around

See

The town has views of Acadia National Park from scenic Newbury Neck, Morgan Bay and other parts of Surry.

Do

  • Morgan Bay Zendo, 532 Morgan Bay Rd. Zen Buddhist temple at Weekly Sunday meditation from 9 to 11AM. The Zendo holds several retreats spring through fall. 

Buy

Eat

Drink

  • Jonathan's, Main St (in nearby Blue Hill), ☏ 1-207-374-5226. Wines and full bar. 

Sleep

Go next

Routes through Surry
END ← Ellsworth ← N MA Route 172.svg S → Blue Hill → Sedgwick
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