National Register of Historic Places

Gavin Watson Site

Sullivan, Hancock County, Maine
Listed
March 18, 1987
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
87000415

About this property

The Gavin Watson Site, designated Site 59.8 by the Maine Archaeological Survey, is a prehistoric archaeological site in Sullivan, Maine. Located on the shore of Flanders Bay, an inlet off Frenchman Bay in Down East Maine, the site is a refuse midden that is (unusually for the region) free of shells. An important regional multicomponent site with artifacts spanning thousands of years, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The site is located on the seacoast of Eastern Maine. Its principal feature is a midden consisting of a rich black organic layer about 37 centimetres (15 in) thick, overlaying a clay subsoil. Relatively small portions nearest the shore were reported to be slightly eroded in 1987, but much of the site is believed to be intact. The site was first test by archaeologists from the University of Maine at Orono in 1973, at some materials were found. A return visit was made in 1975, at which time tools of stone and bone, pottery fragments, and remains of toolmaking (debitage) were recovered. The site underwent a significant excavation in 1978, led by a local school teacher, whose collection is now in the Robert Abbe Museum of Stone Antiquities in Bar Harbor. Among the thousands of objects recovered from the site there are stone and bone tools, pottery fragments, and projectile points. The site resembles the Goddard Site in Brooklin as a multi-component site, and offers the potential to reveal a great deal about human occupation of the area over a significant time period. The site is significant regionally as a particularly fine multicomponent site, including the early Moorehead phase (also known as the Red Paint People, c. 4000 BC), the subsequent Susquehanna Tradition, and the Early to Late Ceramic periods (extending from about 2500 BC to 500 CE). The site is also well-preserved, and was only 20% excavated at the time of its National Register listing. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, Maine

Location

Sullivan, Hancock County, Maine

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Gavin Watson Site

This page lists Gavin Watson Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Gavin Watson Site report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Gavin Watson Site listed on the National Register?

Gavin Watson Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 18, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Gavin Watson Site?

Gavin Watson Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Gavin Watson Site?

The period of significance for Gavin Watson Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Gavin Watson Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Gavin Watson Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Hancock County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Hancock County.

Explore HancockCounty ›

More historic places in Maine

Browse all historic places in Maine.

View Mainehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maine history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Mainehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Gavin Watson Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report