Collinsport is the
fictional setting
Fictional locations are places that exist only in fiction and not in reality, such as the Dark Kingdom, Negaverse or Planet X It can also be inspired by real life places. Writers may create and describe such places to serve as a backdrop for thei ...
of ''
Dark Shadows
''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...
'', the 1960s
Dan Curtis
Daniel Mayer Cherkoss (August 12, 1927 – March 27, 2006), known by his pen name Dan Curtis, was an American television and film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was best known as the creator of the gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows'' ...
Productions
Gothic horror
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean m ...
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
.
Fictional location
In the series, Collinsport is a small, coastal fishing village located in
Hancock County in the U.S. state of
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, on the coast about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of
Bangor which would be
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor () is a resort town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population is 5,089. The town is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory, and MDI Biological Laboratory. ...
area,
Mt. Desert Island are where the mansions are. Characters on the show sometimes visit or refer to Bangor or
Portland, Maine
Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
. The village is, according to the TV documentation, north of
Frenchman Bay
Frenchman Bay is a bay in Hancock County, Maine, Hancock County, Maine, named for Samuel de Champlain, the France, French explorer who visited the area in 1604.
Frenchman Bay may have been the location of the Jesuit St. Sauveur mission, establish ...
which would be Mt. Desert Island and near
Bucksport, Maine
Bucksport is a historical town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,944 at the 2020 census. Bucksport is across the Penobscot River estuary from Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which replaced the Waldo–H ...
about 40 miles north west. However, this location can not be reconciled with the location of 50 miles southeast of Bangor, Mt. Desert Island is about 50 miles South East of Bangor. Also, the location of the Collinwood Estate is mentioned numerous times as being located on the ocean, not on a river or bay. Bucksport's history and reputation for witchcraft tourism appears to have most directly inspired the fictional Collinsport. The train makes regular runs from Boston, and brought
Victoria Winters
Victoria "Vicki" Winters is a fictional character from the television Gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows'' and its remakes of the same name. The role was originated by Alexandra Moltke on the ABC series from 1966 to 1968. After Moltke left to ra ...
(
Alexandra Moltke
Alexandra Isles ( Alexandra Cornelia von Moltke; born February 11, 1945) is a documentary filmmaker and former actress. She is best-known for her role as the original Victoria Winters from 1966 to 1968 on the gothic TV serial ''Dark Shadows''.
...
) to Collinsport, one stormy night. The local newspaper, ''The Collinsport Star'', is published daily. Population has never been confirmed but is enough to support a cannery and keep the Collins family living in high style. Others speculate that it is
Stonington,
Deer Isle, Bar Harbor, or
Winter Harbor.
Fictional history
Isaac Collins crossed the ocean in a small sailing ship in 1690 and landed in
Frenchman Bay
Frenchman Bay is a bay in Hancock County, Maine, Hancock County, Maine, named for Samuel de Champlain, the France, French explorer who visited the area in 1604.
Frenchman Bay may have been the location of the Jesuit St. Sauveur mission, establish ...
. He eventually found a small harbor nearby and started building what would become the town of Collinsport. The town prospered throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, but suffered greatly during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
of the 1930s. Only the influx of summer visitors and artists during the 1950s and 1960s kept the town from going under completely. Recently the local fishing fleet has been hurt badly by the over-fishing of the
Grand Banks
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are a series of underwater plateaus south-east of the island of Newfoundland on the North American continental shelf. The Grand Banks are one of the world's richest fishing grounds, supporting Atlantic cod, swordfi ...
.
Fixtures
The Collinsport Inn
The Collinsport Inn is a three-story inn located on the main street in downtown Collinsport. It is well liked and used by both tourists and locals alike. There is also a small café downstairs off the lobby. It is probably based on the
Jed Prouty Tavern and Inn in Bucksport, Maine, but exterior footage was filmed at
The Griswold Inn in
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 6,733 at the 2020 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbroo ...
.
The Blue Whale
The Blue Whale is a tavern in Collinsport. It was a very popular hang-out for most of the town's citizens. It also has a reputation for some of the very best seafood in the area, and is located right on the water. It is based on the Black Pearl Restaurant in downtown
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
.
Braithwaite & Sons
Braithwaite & Sons are the local jewelers and silversmiths. They have been in business for well over 100 years, and have filled many custom orders for the Collins family during that time. One of the more notable family members was Ezra Braithwaite (
Abe Vigoda
Abraham Vigoda (February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) was an American actor known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in ''The Godfather'' (1972) and Phil Fish in both ''Barney Miller'' (1975–1977, 1982) and ''Fish'' (1977–1978). His ...
). Ezra began working in the family business as a young man (played by Edward Marshall) sometime shortly before 1897. Ezra actually died in the Collinwood drawing room in 1969 on a business visit.
Brewster's
Brewster's is a local department store. Another long-standing name in the community, the Brewster surname has been mentioned as long ago as the 1840s, no doubt an ancestor of the current family.
Collins General Store
Nestled in the heart of the village, the cool, high-ceilinged store is recessed from the street with an office on one end, and adjoining warehouses. The Collins General Store is known for its wide variety of wares — notably its bulk supply of pickles and cheeses.
Collinsport Hospital
While not as large as a major
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
hospital, Collinsport can certainly hold its own as far as patient care and medical technology with the generous donations of the Collins family and, progressive doctors, such as David Woodard (played by Richard Woods,
Robert Gerringer
Robert Gerringer (born Robert Geiringer; May 12, 1926 – November 8, 1989) was an American character actor perhaps best known as Dr. Dave Woodard on the soap opera ''Dark Shadows'', a role he played during 1967. Gerringer left the show because h ...
and
Peter Turgeon
Boyd Higginson Turgeon (December 25, 1919 – October 6, 2000), known professionally as Peter Turgeon, was an American film, television, and theatre actor. He was perhaps best known for playing the caustic and interfering passenger Marcus Rathbo ...
) and Eric Lang (
Addison Powell
Addison Powell (February 23, 1921 – November 8, 2010) was an American actor whose numerous television, stage and film credits included ''Dark Shadows'', '' The Thomas Crown Affair'' and ''Three Days of the Condor''. He was best known for playi ...
) as well as Cyrus Longworth (
Christopher Pennock
Christopher Cadwalader Pennock (June 7, 1943 – February 12, 2021) was an American actor, writer and illustrator.
Pennock began acting on stage after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He had been active for over 40 years ...
) in Parallel Time.
Cranshaw House
This was a large,
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language
** Gothic ( ...
estate built upon the beach near Widow's Hill. It is located a very short distance away from the equally impressive Collinwood estate and a small footpath existed connecting the two properties together. A mariner named Captain Cranshaw built the house some time in the 1800s. ''(Note: This relates to continuity established by the
Marilyn Ross
William Edward Daniel Ross (November 16, 1912 - November 1, 1995) was a Canadian actor, playwright, and bestselling writer of more than 300 novels in a variety of genres. He was known for the speed of his writing and was, by some estimates, the ...
novels.)''
The Eagle (1795)
A tavern in the village of Collinsport in the late 18th century.
The Eagle (1970 Parallel Time)
The Eagle is a tavern in Collinsport, but in parallel time, which runs concurrent to our own. In our time line it is known as The Blue Whale. This alternate reality Blue Whale appears exactly as our own, only the name has changed.
Eagle Hill Cemetery
Eagle Hill Cemetery is one of the larger graveyards to be found in the town. For the past two centuries, the esteemed Collins family had virtually all of their loved ones laid to rest at Eagle Hill. The cemetery’s most infamous landmark was the Collins family mausoleum. It is here that the vampire
Barnabas Collins
Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, a featured role in the ABC daytime serial ''Dark Shadows'', which aired from 1966 to 1971. Barnabas is a 175-year-old vampire in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette. The character, origina ...
(
Jonathan Frid
Jonathan Frid (December 2, 1924 – April 14, 2012) was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera ''Dark Shadows''. The introduction in 1967 of Frid's reluctant, guilt-ridden ...
) was entombed in a secret room at the rear of the mausoleum. The room is accessible by pulling the ring in the lion's mouth over the center grave plaque, which opens the panel to enter the room. This room was originally used to covertly store weapons and ammunition during the
Revolutionary War. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery just outside
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the administrative divisions of New York#Town, town of Greenburgh, New York, Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, Unit ...
was used in the movies.
The Beach Road
The Beach Road is a small highway that passes through the village. It is thought to be the local part of
U.S. 1, or Maine state highway 33.
Lookout Point
A beach located between Collinwood and the Collinsport Cannery. A little too rocky for sunbathing, it is usually used for a relaxing stroll along the water's edge, or a short-cut on foot to the cannery. In 1966, tragedy struck when the body of Bill Malloy (Frank Schofield), the well-liked manager of the Collins' fishing fleet, was found in the water, up the coast a short distance from here. Sheriff George Patterson (
Dana Elcar
Ibsen Dana Elcar (October 10, 1927 – June 6, 2005) was an American television and film character actor. He appeared in about 40 films as well as in the 1960s television series ''Dark Shadows'' as Sheriff George Patterson and the 1980s and 1 ...
) later determined that he had been killed at Lookout Point.
Loomis House
The Loomis House is what the Old House is called in the alternate reality world of Parallel Time. In Parallel Time, writer William H. Loomis (
John Karlen
John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz; May 28, 1933 – January 22, 2020) was an American character actor who played multiple roles on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC serial ''Dark Shadows'' on and off from 1967 to 1971.
In 1971, Karlen s ...
) is married to Carolyn Stoddard (
Nancy Barrett
Nancy Barrett (born October 5, 1941) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Carolyn Stoddard (among other characters) in the 1960s gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows''.
Biography
Nancy Barrett was born in Shreveport, Loui ...
). They were given the Old House on the Collins estate, and the residence has since become known as "Loomis House".
Rose Cottage
Rose Cottage was a house near the Collinwood estate. It was the home of Flora Collins (
Joan Bennett
Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress, one of three acting sisters from a show-business family. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 fil ...
), Desmond Collins (John Karlen), Gerard Stiles (
James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
), and Leticia Faye (Nancy Barrett) in 1840.
Saint Eustace Island
Saint Eustace Island is a small, fog-enshrouded island located off of the North Cove near Widows' Hill. Upon the island was an ancient castle, which contained the ruins of an abandoned chapel. The land surrounding the castle is difficult to traverse and consists of dense thickets, slippery embankments and heavy marshlands. (Note: This factoid only relates to the ''
House of Dark Shadows
''House of Dark Shadows'' is a 1970 American feature-length horror film produced and directed by Dan Curtis, based on his ''Dark Shadows'' television series. In this film expansion, vampire Barnabas Collins ( Jonathan Frid) searches for a cure ...
'' movie version locale.) This is the
Lockwood-Matthews Mansion in
South Norwalk, Connecticut
South Norwalk is a neighborhood in Norwalk, Connecticut which corresponds to the city's Second Taxing District. Often referred to as SoNo, the neighborhood was originally settled as Old Well, then chartered as the city of South Norwalk on August ...
.
The Todds' Antique Shop
It was the dream of Philip (
Christopher Bernau
Christopher Bernau (born Herbert Augustine Bernau, June 2, 1940 – June 14, 1989) was an American actor.
Life and career
Christopher Bernau was born in Santa Barbara, California to Herbert Bernau, a physiotherapist, and Emma Bernau (née Verce ...
) and Megan Todd (
Marie Wallace
Marie Wallace (born May 19, 1939) is an American stage and television actress, best known for her performances in the gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows''.
Early life and career
Marie Wallace was born in New York City on May 19, 1939, and grew up ...
) to one day open their own
antique shop
An antique shop (or antiques shop) is a retail store specializing in the selling of antiques. Antiques shops generally have a physical presence in a shop where the wares are stored and displayed, but some antique shops are online, with no phy ...
. In December 1969, they did just that and opened their business here in Collinsport. Carolyn Stoddard discovered the store and took an interest in it early on and voluntarily worked part-time at the shop for a while. Finding and buying their treasures from area estates and auctions was a short-lived endeavor for the Todds however. The antique shop burned to the ground in mid-February 1970, one in a string of "unfortunate events" that also took the lives of Philip and Megan shortly thereafter.
Weatherby Farm
A property bordering the Collinwood estate to the south, owned by Mordecai Grimes (
Thayer David
Thayer David (born David Thayer Hersey; March 4, 1927 – July 17, 1978) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He was best known for his work on the ABC serial ''Dark Shadows'' (1966–1971), as Dragon, the Albino ex-Nazi ...
) in the early 19th century (circa 1840). The Collins' had been trying to acquire this property for quite some time, but Mordecai always declined to sell. He didn't want to give up the land his father had left to him. One day his cattle broke through the fences between the farm and the Collins property. A week later, all his cattle were dead. Mordecai accused
Quentin Collins
Quentin Collins is the name of several characters featured in the 1966–1971 ABC cult TV Gothic horror-soap opera ''Dark Shadows''. Variations of the character have been played by actor David Selby.
Quentin I
The first Quentin Collins (David ...
(David Selby) of killing them with witchcraft.
Widow's Hill
Widows' Hill is a high elevation point outside of the village and the location of the Collinwood estate. It was one 100 feet (30 m) from the edge of the cliff to the water below, and on a cloudless day, one could see 20 miles (32 km) out to sea from the cliff along the water. Widows' Hill acquired its name because women used to wait on the cliff and look out to sea, watching for their ill-fated husbands' ships to return. When
Jeremiah Collins
Jeremiah Collins is a fictional character played primarily by Anthony George during the 1795 flashback on the ABC television gothic horror soap opera serial ''Dark Shadows''.
Story
The character of Jeremiah Collins (Anthony George) was born in ...
(
Anthony George
Anthony George (born Ottavio Gabriel George; January 29, 1921 – March 16, 2005) was an American actor mostly seen on television. He is best known for roles of Don Corey on ''Checkmate'', Burke Devlin and Jeremiah Collins on ''Dark Shadows'', ...
) decided to build Collinwood on the hill in 1796, he turned the widows away and told them to go home and keep their grief to themselves.
Some people in Collinsport claimed that the widows still walked the hill 150 years later as ghosts. The wailing sounds coming from the hill were believed to be the sobbing widows, rather than the wind, and some old-timers in town claimed to have seen them walking the hill from a distance.
By 1967, three people had thrown themselves off the cliff.
Josette du Pres Collins (
Kathryn Leigh Scott
Kathryn Leigh Scott is an American television and film actress and writer who is best known for playing several roles on ''Dark Shadows''.
Early life and education
Kathryn Leigh Scott (born Marlene Kathryn Kringstad) was born of Norwegian de ...
) jumped to her death because she was being pursued by her "lover" Barnabas Collins and would rather die than welcome his attentions, and the two others were Collinwood governesses. Legend told of a third governess who would one day be found dead at the bottom of the cliff. Some have speculated that this is Cadillac Mountain in
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor, Maine, Bar Harbor. The park includes about half of Mount Desert ...
, just outside
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor () is a resort town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population is 5,089. The town is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory, and MDI Biological Laborat ...
. Others believe this is nearby Thunder Hole.
Windcliff Sanitarium
Although not located in Collinsport, the Windcliff Sanitarium should be mentioned here due to its ties to the community. Windcliff is actually located about 100 miles (160 km) away. Dr.
Julia Hoffman
Julia Hoffman is a fictional character played by Grayson Hall in the 1966 ABC soap opera ''Dark Shadows''. A self-serving and conniving doctor in the fields of psychology and rare blood disorders, she is also head of the Windcliff Sanitarium, wh ...
(
Grayson Hall
Grayson Hall (born Shirley Grossman; September 18, 1922 – August 7, 1985) was an American television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant-garde theatrical performances from the 1960s to the 1980s. Hall was nomi ...
), a psychiatrist and blood specialist, is Chief of Staff. Several of the Collins' family and friends have spent some time here after experiencing various "traumatic events".
Collinwood Mansion
Collinwood Mansion
Collinwood Mansion is a fictional house featured in the Gothic horror soap opera ''Dark Shadows'' (June 1966– April 1971), built in 1795 by Joshua Collins ( Louis Edmonds). Collinwood has been home to the Collins family and sometimes unwelco ...
is a gloomy forty-room mansion located near Widows' Hill. The house was built in 1795 by Joshua Collins (
Louis Edmonds
Louis Stirling Edmonds (September 24, 1923 – March 3, 2001) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles in ''Dark Shadows'' and ''All My Children''.
Edmonds appeared in the musical ''Ernest in Love'' in 1960. He acted on the super ...
). By 1897, it was connected to the electricity grid. The east wing of Collinwood was closed off around 1916 and most of the house fell into disuse. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Joan Bennett) successfully petitioned to have the property tax reduced due to most of the house being closed. The house was more of a liability than an asset and by 1967 it was only Collins-owned property without a mortgage. The road leading up to Collinwood from town is steep, with many turns. Several people have died going down the hill in bad weather. Collinwood is reputed to be haunted by Josette Collins as well as several other members of the ancient Collins Family.
Several actual mansions were used for Collinwood. The
Carey Mansion (Seaview Terrace) in Newport, Rhode Island, now part of the
Salve Regina University
Salve Regina University is a private coeducational Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The univer ...
campus, was used for the original series. The
Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York was used for the films ''House of Dark Shadows'' and ''
Night of Dark Shadows
''Night of Dark Shadows'' is a 1971 horror film by Dan Curtis. It is the sequel to ''House of Dark Shadows''. It centers on the story of Quentin Collins ( David Selby) and his bride Tracy (Kate Jackson) at the Collinwood Mansion in Collinspor ...
''. In the 1991
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
revival
Revival most often refers to:
*Resuscitation of a person
*Language revival of an extinct language
*Revival (sports team) of a defunct team
*Revival (television) of a former television series
*Revival (theatre), a new production of a previously pro ...
,
Greystone Mansion
The Greystone Mansion, also known as the Doheny Mansion, is a Tudor Revival architecture, Tudor Revival mansion on a landscaped estate with distinctive formal English gardens, located in Trousdale Estates of Beverly Hills, California, United Sta ...
in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
was utilized, with nearby
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Amer ...
as the forest surrounding Collinwood.
The Old House
The Old House was once the provincial mansion of the Collins family up until 1796. Located on the Collins estate near Widows' Hill, it was formerly known as Collinwood. Joshua Collins was the patriarch of the last generation of Collins family members to be raised there. In 1796, construction was completed on a larger family home on the same property and this first known as the Great House. Later, it would come to be known as Collinwood. When it was first built, the original family mansion began to be referred to as the Old House. With the passing of generations, this off-hand phrase became the official nomenclature for the regal estate.
The filming location was the former Spratt Mansion on the Lyndhurst estate, destroyed by fire in 1969. Originally built in the 1850s, it was acquired by Russell Hopkins in 1907. Called "Veruselle", it was better known as The Colonnades.
Television and film locations
*
Carey Mansion — Newport, Rhode Island
*
Lyndhurst estate — Tarrytown, New York
*
Lockwood–Mathews Mansion
The Lockwood–Mathews Mansion is a Second Empire style country house in Norwalk, Connecticut. Now a museum, it was built in 1864-68 for railroad and banking magnate LeGrand Lockwood. The 62-room mansion was listed on the National Register o ...
— Norwalk, Connecticut
References
{{authority control
Dark Shadows
Fictional populated places in Maine
Fictional elements introduced in 1966