Isle au Haut Light in Maine embodies the wonders of the state, from lighthouses to feasting on lobster to rugged coastlines. The sparse but tight-knit community on the small and rocky Isle au Haut now opens its arms in hopes of welcoming new neighbors to their secluded island in Maine.
Living on a lonely island may sound appealing to some, and the community truly needs individuals who are intrigued by such a lifestyle, but there are some things to consider.
“Not everyone may appreciate life here, but we love it. Who knows, you might too,” the Isle au Haut Development Corporation wrote in an advertisement on their website. “If you are genuinely considering living on Isle au Haut, we warmly welcome you.”
Have you ever dreamed of donning a cozy turtleneck sweater inside a cabin, overlooking the misty Atlantic Ocean, and exclaiming, “There’s no place like home!”?
Since Samuel Champlain first landed on the island in 1604, discovering Native American shellfish mounds, this dream has become a reality for American settlers. They once rowed here to escape the mainland’s blackflies and mosquitoes, surviving on clams, marine mammals, ducks, and other coastal game. Now, Isle au Haut welcomes you—if you meet the requirements.
They welcome those with the right skills, family values, and self-sufficiency needed to fulfill the Maine dream. They specifically ask, “Do you have a small business, craft business, or other work that you can operate on the island? Do you have a lobstering license?”
Around 50 residents live on Isle au Haut long-term, a number that doubles seasonally when mainland residents return. When the first deeds were signed in 1773, there were only 5 inhabitants, and now it has grown into a large family with several hundred people at its peak.
However, after the island was incorporated into Maine in 1874, locals have been struggling with the government’s control over the land. Two-thirds of the island became a national park, leading to the disappearance of the old seaside shacks and the secluded privacy and way of life that locals once enjoyed. Tourists flocked in, even picnicking in residents’ yards, but through subsequent legislation, some harmony between commerce and the local community has been maintained.
With large-scale fishing and ocean liners dominating the fishing trade, populations in locations like Isle au Haut’s Harbor and Duck Harbor have declined as more fishermen seek work on the mainland. Even today, some schools have enrollment numbers hovering around zero, and there are only a few dozen locals who were born here and still live here. The median age is around 50.
Isle au Haut welcomes new residents to join this large family. Their advertisement states, “To maintain a vibrant year-round community, we welcome new year-round residents at any time. We especially urge families with children to attend our school, remote workers, commercial fishermen who can join our fleet, and those who care about building community.”
They add that living on a lonely island in Maine indeed requires “a certain degree of self-sufficiency, creativity, and practicality,” but for those who wholeheartedly dream the Maine dream like them, it’s surely a small price to pay.
For those interested in relocating, Isle au Haut would like you to know that they “have four rental homes available for rent year-round,” and if you believe you might be a fit for one of them, please indicate so on your application form.