Collinsport

Collinsport is a fictional city and the principal setting of the 1966-1971 gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Located in Northeast Maine, Collinsport is a fishing community and nearly everyone who lives in the village is in some way employed by Collins Cannery. Collinsport was founded in the late 17th century by Isaac Collins, the earliest known member of the Collins family line, who established the town's industry as well as an expanding fishing fleet. Isaac's descendents became the most powerful family in Collinsport in the intervening centuries and continued to run the cannery and fishing fleet even as late as the 1970s. In later years, Collinsport also became known as an artists colony, attracting struggling painters and sculptors such as Sam Evans.

Points of Interest

 * Blue Whale: The Blue Whale is the most popular drinking establishment in Collinsport. Located near the docks, it is frequented by workers and deck hands as well many of the youths growing up in town.


 * Collinsport court house: The Collinsport court house was where all judicial matters, trials and tribunals were held. It also housed the Collinsport jail. In the year 1840, Quentin Collins was unjustly accused of practicing witchcraft, of which it was believed he was responsible for the murder of a man named Mordecai Grimes. In truth, the murder was committed by Gerard Stiles who was possessed by the ghost of warlock Judah Zachary. An official tribunal led by Judge Vail was held and Quentin chose his own time-displaced cousin, Barnabas Collins, to represent him. The tribunal found Quentin guilty and he was sentenced to be beheaded until the unexpected arrival of his former lover, Joanna Mills, proved his innocence.

The Collinsport Inn is the only hostel in Collinsport and is located adjacent to the Collinsport rail station. For a brief period of time in 1966, Burke Devlin was living out of a 2nd floor room at the Collinsport Inn. In 1968, Chris Jennings rented a room at the inn. He specifically chose a room with brick walls and bars on the windows in the hopes that it might contain on the nights when he turned into a werewolf.
 * Collinsport Inn:


 * Collinsport public square: The public square was located not far from the Collinsport court house. In 1840, Quentin Collins was sentenced to be beheaded in the square for charges of witchcraft, but was exonerated after the unexpected arrival of his former lover, Joanna Mills, proved his innocence.


 * Collinsport train station: The Collinsport train station is located a short distance from the Collinsport Inn. In 1966, Victoria Winters came to Collinsport for the first time on a rail from New York. Another passenger on the train was Burke Devlin, a local man who had only recently returned after having spent five years in prison on a faulty manslaughter charge. When they exited the train station, Vicki greeted Burke and asked him if he knew about the Collins family. Burke cryptically replied, "I know them very, very well".


 * Collinwood: Collinwood is the ancestral home of the Collins family. The main house is actually the second residence to be known as Collinwood. Construction of the main house was completed in 1796 and was originally intended as a gift from Jeremiah Collins to his bride, Josette DuPres. After the family moved into the new home, the previous Collinwood became colloquially known as The Old House.


 * Dock Street: Presumably located on or near the Collinsport docks, this was where Joe Haskell lived.


 * Eagle, The: The Eagle was a tavern that existed in the latter half of the 18th century and early 19th century. It was the precursor to the Blue Whale.


 * Eagle Hill: Eagle Hill is one of the many coastal landmarks dotting the border of Collinsport, Maine. Presumably, Eagle Hill is contiguous with that of Widows' Hill, owing to it's relative close proximity to the Great House at Collinwood. Eagle Hill is the site of Eagle Hill Cemetery, which contains the Collins family mausoleum.


 * Eagle Hill Cemetery: One of the larger graveyards in Collinsport, Eagle Hill Cemetery is the location of the Collins family mausoleum. Barnabas Collins spent nearly two centuries chained inside a secret room within the anterior of the mausoleum.


 * Evans cottage: This was the home of artist Sam Evans and his daughter Maggie. Like many of the homes in the village, the home was a studio for Sam to ply his trade. Following Sam's death, Maggie lived alone in the cottage for quite some time, but eventually relocated to Collinwood.


 * Hatter's Cove: Hatter's Cove was located along the Atlantic shore line not far from Widows' Hill. In 1796, Nathan Forbes and Noah Gifford conspired to murder Daniel Collins by bringing him to a boat waiting for them at Hatter's Cove whereupon he would then be taken out to sea and his body dumped into the ocean.


 * Old House: The Old House refers to the original Collinwood estate located on the same property as the current Collinwood. Built in the late 1600s, the family members relocated to the larger home in 1796. In the modern era, Barnabas Collins became caretaker of the dilapidated ruins of the Old House and has been living there ever since.


 * Todds' antique shop: The Todds' antique shop was owned by Philip and Megan Todd and was located in the village district of the town of Collinsport, Maine. The Todds moved to Collinsport and opened up their shop in the winter of 1969.


 * Widows' Hill: Widows' Hill is a seaside cliff on the back of the Collinwood estate. It earned its name from a legend about three widows who committed suicide when their husbands failed to return from sea. In 1796, Josette Collins threw herself from the cliff while trying to evade the advances of the vampire Barnabas Collins. In the modern era, a Frankenstein-inspired creature known as Adam sought a similar demise, but miraculously survived the fall onto the rocks below.

TV shows that take place in

 * Dark Shadows (1966)
 * Dark Shadows (1991)

Characters from
† Indicates a resident of who may not have necessarily been born there.
 * Abigail Collins
 * Barnabas Collins
 * Ben Stokes
 * Beth Chavez
 * Bill Malloy †
 * Bob Rooney †
 * Bramwell Collins
 * Burke Devlin
 * Carolyn Stoddard
 * Carrie Stokes
 * Catherine Harridge †
 * Charity Trask
 * Daniel Collins
 * Dave Woodard †
 * David Collins
 * Eagle Hill Cemetery caretaker
 * Edith Collins
 * Edward Collins
 * Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
 * Flora Collins
 * George Patterson
 * Gerard Stiles †
 * Hallie Stokes
 * Harry
 * Harry Johnson
 * Harry Jones
 * Isaac Collins †
 * Jamison Collins
 * Janet Findley †
 * Jeff Clark †
 * Jeremiah Collins
 * Joe Haskell
 * Joshua Collins
 * Judge Vail
 * Julia Hoffman †
 * Laura Collins
 * Maggie Evans
 * Matthew Morgan
 * Mike
 * Miles Pardoe †
 * Mister Wells
 * Morgan Collins
 * Naomi Collins
 * Nathan Forbes
 * Peter Bradford
 * Quentin Collins (I)
 * Quentin Collins (II)
 * Riggs
 * Roger Collins
 * Sam Evans
 * Samantha Drew Collins †
 * Sarah Johnson
 * Sebastian Shaw †
 * Silas Larch †
 * Steve
 * Tad Collins
 * Timothy Eliot Stokes

Notes & Trivia

 * A close-up of the signs of the Collinsport Inn reveals that the name of the town is actually spelled Collins Port.