Long Island is the principal island of Frenchboro, a Hancock County plantation that also includes Placentia, Black, Little Duck, Great Duck, Mount Desert Rock, and several smaller islands.
The community was settled in the early nineteenth century. Fishing and limited logging sustained its first residents, and the sheltered settlement at Lunt Harbor became the island’s enduring center. Few roads were developed beyond the harbor, apart from routes associated with periods of pulpwood harvesting.
Settlement and island enterprise
Israel B. Lunt and his brother Amos were among the early settlers on Long Island, arriving around 1822. Other members of the family followed and helped establish the community.
Israel Lunt developed a business shipping wood, dried fish, and paving stones to ports along the Maine coast and to Boston. He also operated a store, owned a wharf, and held interests in schooners. After purchasing the island in 1835, his enterprises provided work hauling fish for drying, unloading supplies, and serving aboard vessels.
Long Island was incorporated as the town of Islandport on February 11, 1857. It surrendered that incorporation on March 23, 1858, a little more than a year later.
Population record
The historic census series shows how a very small island population can change substantially even when the numerical difference is modest. The 2010 count of 61 residents reversed three decades of decline and represented a marked increase from 2000.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 56 |
| 1980 | 43 |
| 1990 | 44 |
| 2000 | 38 |
| 2010 | 61 |
Community and coastal connections
The island has supported a small school, museum, store, and seasonal food service. Its history is closely tied to vessels that carried supplies, commerce, and services between isolated communities and the mainland.
In 1888, a schoolteacher arriving on Outer Long Island began holding well-received religious meetings. After completing his education, he and his brother helped establish a coastal missionary organization in 1905. A succession of vessels named Sunbeam later served island communities along the Maine coast.
This Long Island should not be confused with Long Island in nearby Blue Hill Bay or with the town of Long Island in Casco Bay.
