For over a year [after the start of WWII] the Penobscot Bay islands had no regular ferry service. Local fishermen and boat owners filled in as best they could. Then, at a special town meeting in August 1942, Vinalhaven voted to raise $55,000 to build a powerboat. The result was a sixty-five-foot, diesel-powered “motorship” named “Vinalhaven II,” built in Southwest Harbor, Maine. The boat went into service in July 1943, and Charles Philbrook was her captain…” – “Stories from the Maine Coast: Skppers, Ships and Storms” by Harry Gratwick, The History Press, 2012, p. 54-55. "The “Vinalhaven II”, 57 gross tons owned by the Vinalhaven Port District, Inc. of Rockland was built [by Southwest Boat Corporation] in 1943 to serve the island of Vinalhaven with passenger and freight service to Rockland." - "Boatbuilding During World War II: MDI, Ellsworth, Stonington and Bluehill" by Ralph W. Stanley, p. 10 - 1997. “Vinalhaven II” was designed by Cyrus “Cy” Hamlin. “Clarence” Bennett, a fisherman, was one of the group that raised the money to build “Vinalhaven II.” – Ralph W. Stanley 2011.
Description: For over a year [after the start of WWII] the Penobscot Bay islands had no regular ferry service. Local fishermen and boat owners filled in as best they could. Then, at a special town meeting in August 1942, Vinalhaven voted to raise $55,000 to build a powerboat. The result was a sixty-five-foot, diesel-powered “motorship” named “Vinalhaven II,” built in Southwest Harbor, Maine. The boat went into service in July 1943, and Charles Philbrook was her captain…” – “Stories from the Maine Coast: Skppers, Ships and Storms” by Harry Gratwick, The History Press, 2012, p. 54-55. "The “Vinalhaven II”, 57 gross tons owned by the Vinalhaven Port District, Inc. of Rockland was built [by Southwest Boat Corporation] in 1943 to serve the island of Vinalhaven with passenger and freight service to Rockland." - "Boatbuilding During World War II: MDI, Ellsworth, Stonington and Bluehill" by Ralph W. Stanley, p. 10 - 1997. “Vinalhaven II” was designed by Cyrus “Cy” Hamlin. “Clarence” Bennett, a fisherman, was one of the group that raised the money to build “Vinalhaven II.” – Ralph W. Stanley 2011. [show more]
The Claremont Hotel is a historic hotel on Claremont Road in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Built in 1883, the main hotel building is one of the only 19th-century hotels to survive on Mount Desert Island. “In 1883, Capt. Jesse Pease and his wife, Grace Clark Pease, hired Edward Glover to build a four-story hotel. The Claremont Hotel opened in June 1884.” - The Ellsworth American – October 24, 2002. "The Claremont Hotel was built in 1883-4 by Capt. Jesse H. Pease and was opened to guests in the summer of '84. After the death of Capt. Pease in 1900, his wife successfully conducted the hotel for some seasons and then sold it to Dr. J.D. Phillips, who, with his son. Lawrence D. Phillips, now conducts it as a summer hostlery. Some years after acquiring it [circa 1911] Dr. Phillips purchased the Pemetic Hotel or "The Castle" as it was sometimes called, a building which Deacon Clark erected about 1878 as a rooming house in connection with his summer hotel. This stood in the woods across the road and east of the Island Cottage. It was moved to the Claremont lot and made a part of the hotel. Dr. Phillips has greatly enlarged and improved the hotel during his ownership and it has always been a popular place, commanding as it does a splendid view of Somes Sound and the harbor, with the hills in the background. The fiftieth anniversary of the hotel was observed in 1934 with interesting excercises." - Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 168 - 1938. The main building of the Claremont was built in 1883 by Jesse Pease, a retired sea captain, and was one of the first large hotels to be built on Mount Desert Island. It is a 3-1/2 story wood frame structure, finished in clapboards, with a cross-gabled hip roof and a stone foundation. The main (west-facing) facade is seven bays wide, with a simple port-cochere near the south end providing entrance to the building. A single-story porch wraps around the south and east facades (the latter facing Somes Sound). From the eastern facade a broad lawn extends down to the waterfront, where there is a boathouse. The interior has been modernized, but with attention to maintaining original Victorian features. On March 29, 1978 the Claremont Hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places - #78000162.
Description: The Claremont Hotel is a historic hotel on Claremont Road in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Built in 1883, the main hotel building is one of the only 19th-century hotels to survive on Mount Desert Island. “In 1883, Capt. Jesse Pease and his wife, Grace Clark Pease, hired Edward Glover to build a four-story hotel. The Claremont Hotel opened in June 1884.” - The Ellsworth American – October 24, 2002. "The Claremont Hotel was built in 1883-4 by Capt. Jesse H. Pease and was opened to guests in the summer of '84. After the death of Capt. Pease in 1900, his wife successfully conducted the hotel for some seasons and then sold it to Dr. J.D. Phillips, who, with his son. Lawrence D. Phillips, now conducts it as a summer hostlery. Some years after acquiring it [circa 1911] Dr. Phillips purchased the Pemetic Hotel or "The Castle" as it was sometimes called, a building which Deacon Clark erected about 1878 as a rooming house in connection with his summer hotel. This stood in the woods across the road and east of the Island Cottage. It was moved to the Claremont lot and made a part of the hotel. Dr. Phillips has greatly enlarged and improved the hotel during his ownership and it has always been a popular place, commanding as it does a splendid view of Somes Sound and the harbor, with the hills in the background. The fiftieth anniversary of the hotel was observed in 1934 with interesting excercises." - Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 168 - 1938. The main building of the Claremont was built in 1883 by Jesse Pease, a retired sea captain, and was one of the first large hotels to be built on Mount Desert Island. It is a 3-1/2 story wood frame structure, finished in clapboards, with a cross-gabled hip roof and a stone foundation. The main (west-facing) facade is seven bays wide, with a simple port-cochere near the south end providing entrance to the building. A single-story porch wraps around the south and east facades (the latter facing Somes Sound). From the eastern facade a broad lawn extends down to the waterfront, where there is a boathouse. The interior has been modernized, but with attention to maintaining original Victorian features. On March 29, 1978 the Claremont Hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places - #78000162. [show more]
In 1940 Southwest Harbor Motor Co. was the only AAA filling station in Southwest Harbor. Their phone number was 51-2. The brick building was converted to offices to rent in 1986-1987. The U.S. Post Office opened in the building on June 2, 1987. Ralph Warren Stanley (1929-2021) attended school in the elementary school on the present ellipse (behind the Gilley Plumbing building on the left of this photograph) before it was moved across the street to become a fire station and now [2011] the police station/town office. When the bank was housed at the Southwest Harbor Motor Co. Ralph would take his penny bank there to be unlocked and have the money deposited in his bank account. The lady in the bank would show him the big safe where is money would be kept. – Ralph Warren Stanley 01/17/11 Marion E. Newman (1890-1976), Mrs. Frederick Walter Wescott at the time, owned a yellow Stutz Bearcat that was destroyed in the fire. Marion was known for having invested in Coca Cola stock and holding on to it when others thought it worthless and sold their stock. – Ralph Warren Stanley, 03/31/14
Description: In 1940 Southwest Harbor Motor Co. was the only AAA filling station in Southwest Harbor. Their phone number was 51-2. The brick building was converted to offices to rent in 1986-1987. The U.S. Post Office opened in the building on June 2, 1987. Ralph Warren Stanley (1929-2021) attended school in the elementary school on the present ellipse (behind the Gilley Plumbing building on the left of this photograph) before it was moved across the street to become a fire station and now [2011] the police station/town office. When the bank was housed at the Southwest Harbor Motor Co. Ralph would take his penny bank there to be unlocked and have the money deposited in his bank account. The lady in the bank would show him the big safe where is money would be kept. – Ralph Warren Stanley 01/17/11 Marion E. Newman (1890-1976), Mrs. Frederick Walter Wescott at the time, owned a yellow Stutz Bearcat that was destroyed in the fire. Marion was known for having invested in Coca Cola stock and holding on to it when others thought it worthless and sold their stock. – Ralph Warren Stanley, 03/31/14 [show more]
Postmasters at Bernard were: George W. Billings (1859-?): Postmaster - 11/26/1906 Hiram H. Condon (1871-1957): Postmaster - 10/17/1914 Mrs. Harriet C. Hinton (1904-1984): Acting Postmaster - 10/31/1941 Mrs. Harriet C. Hinton (1904-1984): Postmaster - 03/25/1942 Mrs. Hilda Erclin Sylvia (1912-2006): Officer-In-Charge - 06/20/1974 Mrs. Hilda Erclin Sylvia (1912-2006): Postmaster - 10/26/1974 Alice Ann Tracy - Officer-In-Charge: 05/01/1987 Linda (Sawyer) Musson (1949-): Postmaster -10/10/1987 Harriet Hinton was the postmaster - then her son Paul Hinton, had the antique store in this building.
Description: Postmasters at Bernard were: George W. Billings (1859-?): Postmaster - 11/26/1906 Hiram H. Condon (1871-1957): Postmaster - 10/17/1914 Mrs. Harriet C. Hinton (1904-1984): Acting Postmaster - 10/31/1941 Mrs. Harriet C. Hinton (1904-1984): Postmaster - 03/25/1942 Mrs. Hilda Erclin Sylvia (1912-2006): Officer-In-Charge - 06/20/1974 Mrs. Hilda Erclin Sylvia (1912-2006): Postmaster - 10/26/1974 Alice Ann Tracy - Officer-In-Charge: 05/01/1987 Linda (Sawyer) Musson (1949-): Postmaster -10/10/1987 Harriet Hinton was the postmaster - then her son Paul Hinton, had the antique store in this building. [show more]
The Criterion Theatre is a cinema, performance theatre, and venue located on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor, Maine. It opened in June 1932 featuring vaudeville performances and movies during a time when Bar Harbor's summer scene was at its height. Today it is one of only two Art Deco theaters in the state of Maine and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 760 seat theatre was built for a convicted bootlegger named George McKay. After his release from federal prison, McKay solicited bids for constructions of a glamorous movie palace. The high bid of $95,206 was beat by Bunker & Savage Architects of Augusta, Maine who built the theatre in just six months for a contract price of $58,000. That's about $900,000 in today's dollars, a surprisingly low figure for such a magnificent structure. A $2 million dollar contribution from an anonymous donor in 2014 made possible the purchase and restoration of the Criterion which now operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to safeguarding this historic space for stories, storytellers, and audiences. Today, almost everything in the building is original or as close as possible to it, including the light fixtures, curtains, seats, and stencils on the ceiling.
Description: The Criterion Theatre is a cinema, performance theatre, and venue located on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor, Maine. It opened in June 1932 featuring vaudeville performances and movies during a time when Bar Harbor's summer scene was at its height. Today it is one of only two Art Deco theaters in the state of Maine and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 760 seat theatre was built for a convicted bootlegger named George McKay. After his release from federal prison, McKay solicited bids for constructions of a glamorous movie palace. The high bid of $95,206 was beat by Bunker & Savage Architects of Augusta, Maine who built the theatre in just six months for a contract price of $58,000. That's about $900,000 in today's dollars, a surprisingly low figure for such a magnificent structure. A $2 million dollar contribution from an anonymous donor in 2014 made possible the purchase and restoration of the Criterion which now operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to safeguarding this historic space for stories, storytellers, and audiences. Today, almost everything in the building is original or as close as possible to it, including the light fixtures, curtains, seats, and stencils on the ceiling. [show more]
The well known Main Street shop which Albert Wilson Bee II conducted for more than 40 years. <br /><br />Albert W. Bee II was a newspaper agent in Boston, who established a branch store offering newspapers, stationary, fruit, and confections in Bar Harbor during the summer months at least as early as 1876. <br /><br />“I shall open my stores at Bar Harbor, with my usual line of summer goods, early in June; and at Southwest Harbor, July 1st.” – The bottom lines of a front page ad that Albert ran in many issues of the Bar Harbor Record; this one on March 17, 1887.
Description: The well known Main Street shop which Albert Wilson Bee II conducted for more than 40 years. <br /><br />Albert W. Bee II was a newspaper agent in Boston, who established a branch store offering newspapers, stationary, fruit, and confections in Bar Harbor during the summer months at least as early as 1876. <br /><br />“I shall open my stores at Bar Harbor, with my usual line of summer goods, early in June; and at Southwest Harbor, July 1st.” – The bottom lines of a front page ad that Albert ran in many issues of the Bar Harbor Record; this one on March 17, 1887. [show more]
Description: Lawler purchased the building in 1923. The other half of the building was occupied by the Robinson Brother's Automobile Accessories salesroom
Started as a contracting business in 1949, Archie McEachern bought out his uncle Jasper Hutchins in 1957 and transitioned the business to a lumber and hardware supply. The store expanded to multiple locations and was taken over by Archie's son, Les.
Description: Started as a contracting business in 1949, Archie McEachern bought out his uncle Jasper Hutchins in 1957 and transitioned the business to a lumber and hardware supply. The store expanded to multiple locations and was taken over by Archie's son, Les.
John C. Ralph’s Studio has a complicated history. The J.C. Ralph Studio and Store, on Main Street in Southwest Harbor, proclaimed itself, "Eyeglasses and Spectacles - Jeweler and Optician." "Jeweler John C. Ralph moved from Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor in 1888 to open a jewelry window in J.T.R. Freeman's store. Over the course of his 22-year tenure in Southwest Harbor, this ambitious man established many businesses...As described in the newspaper, Ralph never walked when he could run." -“Mount Desert Island - Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor” by Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. and Lydia B. Vandenbergh - Images of America Series, p. 57 – 2001. “John D. Lurvey purchased the lot and built thereon a small building which he used as a storehouse for coffins which he made, as he was a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker. Later this building was used as a public library and was twice moved; once to the northern end of the lot and again to the place now occupied by the Lawton Variety store, where it was used as a drug store, a jeweler’s store, a barber shop and the post office. John C. Ralph kept the post office there and enlarged the building.” - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 148 – 1938.
Description: John C. Ralph’s Studio has a complicated history. The J.C. Ralph Studio and Store, on Main Street in Southwest Harbor, proclaimed itself, "Eyeglasses and Spectacles - Jeweler and Optician." "Jeweler John C. Ralph moved from Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor in 1888 to open a jewelry window in J.T.R. Freeman's store. Over the course of his 22-year tenure in Southwest Harbor, this ambitious man established many businesses...As described in the newspaper, Ralph never walked when he could run." -“Mount Desert Island - Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor” by Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. and Lydia B. Vandenbergh - Images of America Series, p. 57 – 2001. “John D. Lurvey purchased the lot and built thereon a small building which he used as a storehouse for coffins which he made, as he was a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker. Later this building was used as a public library and was twice moved; once to the northern end of the lot and again to the place now occupied by the Lawton Variety store, where it was used as a drug store, a jeweler’s store, a barber shop and the post office. John C. Ralph kept the post office there and enlarged the building.” - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 148 – 1938. [show more]