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 air

The nearest major airports are the Hancock County - Bar Harbor Airport near Ellsworth (about 13 miles) and Bangor International Airport 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

• Cell Kell Taxi, 58 North Bend Rd, ☎ [phone]. 

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

• The Little Flower and Garden Shop, 614 Surry Rd, ☎ [phone]. Flowers, sweet peas, cards, books and gifts. 
• Borealis Press, Route 172 (in the middle of Surry), ☎ [phone]. Creative greeting cards and magnets "for thoughtful people". 
• Maine Merino, 327 Patten Pond Rd, ☎ [phone]. Merino wool and specialty yarns, comforters and duvets. 
• Woodland Studios, ☎ [phone]. Embroidery, screen printing, souvenirs. 
• Pure Maine, 715 Falls Bridge Rd, ☎ [phone]. Premium gifts from Maine. 
• Waterborne Maritime Images, ☎ [phone]. Ship half-models. 
• Art for You, 72 Crescent Circle, ☎ [phone]. Maine scenes painted on shells, etc. 
• McDonald Rotary Mowing & Tilling, 595 Morgan Bay Rd, ☎ [phone]. Firewood for your camp fireplace, maintenance services for summer visitors, etc. 
• Bay Market, Route 172 (in the middle of Surry), ☎ [phone]. Daily. The General store for the area. 
• Surry Gardens, Route 172, ☎ [phone]. Unusual plants, gardening and landscaping supplies. 
• Blue Moon Images Gallery, 1208 Surry Rd, ☎ [phone]. Works by local artists, framing, gifts, photography. 
• Acadian Photography, ☎ [phone]. 
• Turtle Mountain Mythic Art & The Standing Bear, 52 Bear Springs Ln, ☎ [phone]. Art gallery specializing in mythic and shamanic imagery. Center also offers 'full range of shamanic services and is dedicated to the empowerment of women by means of depth shamanic studies and practices.' 

Eat

• The Surry Inn, Route 172, ☎ [phone]. Fine dining and lodging. 
• The Lobster Shack, 1076 Newbury Neck Rd, ☎ [phone]. Seasonal. 

Drink

• Jonathan's, Main St (in nearby Blue Hill), ☎ [phone]. Wines and full bar. 

Sleep

• The Surry Inn, ☎ [phone]. Just off Route 172. Fine dining and lodging at historic circa 1834 house, located right on the shore of Blue Hill Bay. 
• The Gatherings Campground, ☎ [phone]. Just off Route 172, directly on the ocean. 
• Heron Cove Cottage. 
• The Surry House. 

Go next

• Acadia National Park - the first National Park east of the Mississippi. Busy during tourist season but one of the most beautiful parts of the Maine coast. Less than an hour's drive from Surry.
• Historic Jonathan Fisher House - one of nearby Blue Hill's most famous attractions.
• Blue Hill - adjacent to Surry, a ten-minute drive.
• Bar Harbor
• Ellsworth - the local center for shopping, 15 minutes from Surry.
• Mount Desert Island

Routes through Surry

END ← Ellsworth ←

N  S

→ Blue Hill → Sedgwick