kids encyclopedia robot

Owls Head, Maine facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Owls Head, Maine
Glimpse of village and harbor in 1910
Glimpse of village and harbor in 1910
Location in Knox County and the state of Maine.
Location in Knox County and the state of Maine.
Country United States
State Maine
County Knox
Incorporated 1921
Villages Owls Head
Ash Point
Crescent Beach
Holiday Beach
Area
 • Total 19.61 sq mi (50.79 km2)
 • Land 8.88 sq mi (23.00 km2)
 • Water 10.73 sq mi (27.79 km2)
Elevation
52 ft (16 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,504
 • Density 169/sq mi (65.4/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
04854
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-56135
GNIS feature ID 0582656

Owls Head is a small town in Knox County, Maine, United States. It is a popular place for vacations and fishing. The town is also home to the Knox County Regional Airport. In 2020, about 1,504 people lived here. It includes the village of Ash Point.

History of Owls Head

When Samuel de Champlain explored this area in 1605, Native American people called the Abenaki lived here. They called it Bedabedec Point, which means "Cape of the Winds." Later, sailors named it Owls Head because the land looked like an owl's head.

Owls Head was first part of Thomaston in 1777. Then it became part of South Thomaston in 1848. Finally, on July 9, 1921, Owls Head became its own town.

The town is home to two important places:

  • The Owls Head Light Station: This is a 30-foot (9.1 m) tall granite lighthouse. It was built in 1826 to mark the southern entrance of Rockland Harbor.
  • The Owls Head Transportation Museum: This museum has many old cars, planes, and other vehicles.

Owls Head once had an electric trolley line. This trolley traveled to Crescent Beach. It started in 1902 and stopped running around 1917–1918. A serious accident in 1914, where a train left the tracks, helped lead to its end.

In August 1940, the English composer Benjamin Britten stayed at the Owl's Head Inn. He worked on some music there. He wrote that it was a "grand spot" that was quiet and right by the sea.

Owls Head was also a place where the 2001 movie In the Bedroom was filmed.

Geography of Owls Head

View of Owls Head, Maine from plane
Owls Head Light and part of the harbor viewed from the Owls Head Transportation Museum's Stearman Biplane.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town covers about 19.61 square miles (50.79 km2) in total. About 8.88 square miles (23.00 km2) of this is land, and 10.73 square miles (27.79 km2) is water.

Owls Head is located on the Owls Head peninsula, which is on Penobscot Bay. The highest point in Owls Head is Post Hill, which is 194 feet (59 meters) high.

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 574
1940 609 6.1%
1950 784 28.7%
1960 994 26.8%
1970 1,281 28.9%
1980 1,633 27.5%
1990 1,574 −3.6%
2000 1,601 1.7%
2010 1,580 −1.3%
2020 1,504 −4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

The census of 2010 showed that 1,580 people lived in Owls Head. There were 737 households and 462 families.

Most of the people living in Owls Head were White (97.7%). A small number were African American (0.4%), Native American (0.1%), or Asian (0.2%). About 1.6% of people were from two or more races. Less than 1% were Hispanic or Latino.

About 20.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (52.6%) were married couples living together. About 30.1% of households were made up of people living alone.

The average age of people in the town was 52.1 years old. About 16.5% of residents were under 18. About 25% of residents were 65 years old or older.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Owls Head (Maine) para niños

kids search engine
Owls Head, Maine Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.