000 Greer 000 Brown +13More Islands SeSSi nS 98 P r t L a n d montHL maga ine courtes of tHe resPecti e agent owner seLLer greer iSLand 000 aCreage 1 S candal alert! For decades, owner Elizabeth Arey be- lieved she could build her dream home on this small isle off Vinalhaven. After all, Greer Island had been in her family for over a century. But in 2005, the town told her to dream on. Vinalhaven placed Greer Island under “Resource Pro- tection,” prohibiting any development that exceeds 600 square feet or involves plumb- ing. Most scary for Arey: “The town sur- veyor thought the island was under three acres and didn’t survey it. Greer is 5.1 acres in size.” Since then, the town hasn’t budged, and the island remains restricted for now. Greer Island still includes a ramshackle shelter near its rocky shoreline. Only 1,000 feet from the shore is Geary’s Beach, a pho- togenic landing with views of Penobscot Bay and Isle au Haut. “We had a rowboat. We used to go mackerel fishing all the time. We’d catch lobsters and cook them on the shore. [Our kids] had a lot of fun treasure hunting.” A mere two-minute boat-taxi ride lands you in North Haven. However deferred her dream, Arey has a knack for gardening with love. She’s trans- formed this place. “When I married my husband it was barren,” says Arey of the now tree- and wildflower-covered isle. “My husband and I spent the last 40 years plant- ing trees.” Taxes: $2,274 r n iSLand 000 aCreage In the early years of the 20th century, Dr. Arey Alonzo Butterfield of Boston decided to divide his wealth between his two sons. Each would be given his own island–all they had to do was head to Maine and pick out their favorite. We don’t know which is- land the goofy brother stumbled onto, but the smart one fell in love with this small is- land in the corner of Nicatous Lake. Current seller Phil Brown bought this forested jewel to escape the press of moder- nity. The problem was, did he dare to give it a new name? Surrounding Brown Island