Blue Hill Postal History

Blue Hill Postal History
Hancock County, Maine

last update for this page: 23 October 2021

Maine Postal History ------ Waterville Stamp Club

Thank you for the contributions to this page from James Husson and from the Strout family collection.

During the history of the town of Blue Hill, there have been seven (or eight if East Blue Hill CPO Surry is different from East Blue Hill Rur Br. Surry) post offices.

Briefly, the history of these seven (or eight) is as follows:
1. Blue Hill post office was established on 2 September 1794 and is still in operation.
2. Blud Hill Falls post office was established on 1 May 1852 and is still in operation.
3. East Blue Hill post office was established on 14 June 1872. It was renamed on 17 Jully 1966 as East Blue Hill Rur. Br. Surry. (Either this post office is still operating or it was renamed as East Blue Hill CPO Surry). 4. East Blue Hill CPO Surry.
5. Granite post office operated from 9 October 1890 to 15 May 1903.
6. North Blue Hill post office operated from 27 March 1838 to 31 December 1905.
7. Seaville post office operated from 28 Decembrer 1907 to 15 July 1919. [This is not to be confused with the short-lived town of the same name, which was composed of several islands in the Mount Desert Island area. The Seaville post office had closed long before the town was established.]
8. South Blue Hill post office operated from 23 June 1886 to 15 September 1923.

In 1914 there were five post offices in Blue Hill: Blue Hill, Blue Hill Falls, East Blue Hill, Seaville, and South Blue Hill. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)

Click on image to enlarge.

Postmarks from the town of Blue Hill include:

Blue Hill
Blue Hill Falls

East Blue Hill
East Blue Hill Rur Br. Surry
East Blue Hill CPO Surry

Granite
North Blue Hill

Seaville

South Blue Hill

Blue Hill

1794 September 2:
   Blue Hill post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1852:
   Postmaster: Arthur F. Drinkwater. (source: Maine Register and State Reference Book. 1852.)

1890 April 2: [year found on reverse side]
   The circular postmark is 26–27 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

date?:
   Blue Hill post office (small building at the right).

      (click on image to enlarge)

1904 December 8:
   The circular postmark is 27–28 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1918 November 5:
   The circular postmark is 29–30 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1940 May 21 through 1950 August 10:
   The circular postmark is approximately 30 mm in diameter. The elliptical cancellation at the right of the postmark is approximately 33 mm tall and is composed of four bars above and four bars below the numeral (only "1" found to date).

      Click on an image to enlarge.

1965 August 19:
   The circular postmark is 29–30 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

2006 June 21:
   The outer oval of the postmark is 35–36 mm wide and 34–34 mm high. The outside height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the oval is approximately 28 mm.

      Click on image to enlarge.

2020:
   Blue Hill post office. 104 Main Street; Blue Hill, Maine 04614. Lat./Long.: N 44°24′53″ x W 68°35′09″.

      (click on image to enlarge)

today:
   Blue Hill post office is still in operation.

Blue Hill Falls

1852 May 1:
   Blue Hill Falls post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1985 August 16:
   The circular postmark is 32–33 mm in diameter. The outside height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the oval is approximately 18 mm.

      Click on image to enlarge.

today:
   Blue Hill Falls post office is still in operation.

East Blue Hill

1872 June 14:
   East Blue Hill post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1909 September 7:
   The circular postmark is 28–29 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1955 September 6:
   The circular postmark is approximately 33 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is approximately 18 mm.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1966 July 17:
   East Blue Hill post office was renamed as East Blue Hill Rur. Sta. Surry.

East Blue Hill Rur. Br. Surry

1966 July 17:
   The former East Blue Hill post office was renamed as East Blue Hill Rur. Br. Surry. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

2006 June 20:
   The oval postmark is 37–38 mm wide and 36–37 mm high. The outside height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the oval is 23–24 mm.

      Click on image to enlarge.

2018 July:
   East Blue Hill Post Office (UTM: 19T 0538075, 4918318; Lat./Long.: N 44°25′01.7″ x W 68°31′18.2″)

      Click on image to enlarge.

2020:
   East Blue Hill Post Office, 13 Curtis Cove Road; East Blue Hill, Maine 04629 (UTM: 19T 0538075, 4918318; Lat./Long.: N 44°25′01.7″ x W 68°31′18.2″)

      Click on image to enlarge.

today:
   East Blue Hill post office is still in operation [as East Blue Hill Rur. Br. Surry or as East Blue Hil CPO Surry ?].

Seaville

1907 December 28:
   Seaville post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1909 June 7:
   The circular postmark is approximately 31 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1919 July 15:
   Seaville post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

South Blue Hill

1886 June 23:
   South Blue Hill post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1910 April 25:
   The circular postmark is 31–32 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is 13–14 mm.

Click on image to enlarge.

1923 September 15:
South Blue Hill post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)