The Cornerstone Baptist Church was founded on March 16, 1952 in a farmhouse across from Seal Cove Pond that later became Seal Cove Farm, with ten members. The pastor was Rev. George Wood. In 1953 the little congregation paid $16,000 to buy the old West Tremont Schoolhouse. They added a Sunday school wing in the 1960s.
Description: The Cornerstone Baptist Church was founded on March 16, 1952 in a farmhouse across from Seal Cove Pond that later became Seal Cove Farm, with ten members. The pastor was Rev. George Wood. In 1953 the little congregation paid $16,000 to buy the old West Tremont Schoolhouse. They added a Sunday school wing in the 1960s.
In 1878 the network of life saving stations were formally organized as a separate agency of the Treasury Department and was named the Life-Saving Service. The US Life-Saving Service grew out of a network of coast watching stations established to provide assistance and shore rescue to disabled ships in the mid-19th century, but did not become formally established until 1871, when it came under the direction of Sumner Increase Kimball (1834-1923) of Lebanon, Maine. Kimball reorganized the service, built many new stations with up-to-date equipment, established rigorous training and certification programs for stationmasters and surfmen, and set high standards for the Life-Saving Service. He continued to serve as the Director of the U.S. Life-Saving Service until it was absorbed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915.
Description: In 1878 the network of life saving stations were formally organized as a separate agency of the Treasury Department and was named the Life-Saving Service. The US Life-Saving Service grew out of a network of coast watching stations established to provide assistance and shore rescue to disabled ships in the mid-19th century, but did not become formally established until 1871, when it came under the direction of Sumner Increase Kimball (1834-1923) of Lebanon, Maine. Kimball reorganized the service, built many new stations with up-to-date equipment, established rigorous training and certification programs for stationmasters and surfmen, and set high standards for the Life-Saving Service. He continued to serve as the Director of the U.S. Life-Saving Service until it was absorbed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915. [show more]
The Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration; WPA was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people (mostly unskilled men) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. In much smaller but more famous projects the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects.
Description: The Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration; WPA was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people (mostly unskilled men) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. In much smaller but more famous projects the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. [show more]
Years 1921 - 1953 (except 1944) were scanned by Carol Nelson. Years 1954 - 1968 were scanned by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Year 1944 was scanned by Elliot Santavicca.
Description: The items for yearbooks 1937 - 1959 have photos attached to them. These are the original images, taken by Willis Ballard, used in those yearbooks.
In 1892 the ladies of Southwest Harbor gathered together to raise money for land upon which to build a library building and then reported how they raised their dollar..The Dollar Social was the first fundraising event held for the Southwest Harbor Public Library and the poem describing it was famous in the community for many years.
Description: In 1892 the ladies of Southwest Harbor gathered together to raise money for land upon which to build a library building and then reported how they raised their dollar..The Dollar Social was the first fundraising event held for the Southwest Harbor Public Library and the poem describing it was famous in the community for many years.
"The Country Strummers began their musical career back in 1964. Ralph Stanley and Fred Black were invited to join a group of musicians and singers that were entertaining at the [Knights of Pythias] Lodge Hall in Bernard. This was a program sponsored by the lodge that included dancing, singing and an all round evening of good local talent. This inspired Fred and Ralph to stick with their music and they began a schedule of practice each week, their practice sessions were held on Saturday night. In 1966 Floyd Farley joined Ralph and Fred. Floyd being very talented with any string instrument soon became a real asset to the group. These three musicians kept quite busy playing for local functions, traveling to many of our nursing homes, senior citizens homes and many wedding and anniversary parties.
Description: "The Country Strummers began their musical career back in 1964. Ralph Stanley and Fred Black were invited to join a group of musicians and singers that were entertaining at the [Knights of Pythias] Lodge Hall in Bernard. This was a program sponsored by the lodge that included dancing, singing and an all round evening of good local talent. This inspired Fred and Ralph to stick with their music and they began a schedule of practice each week, their practice sessions were held on Saturday night. In 1966 Floyd Farley joined Ralph and Fred. Floyd being very talented with any string instrument soon became a real asset to the group. These three musicians kept quite busy playing for local functions, traveling to many of our nursing homes, senior citizens homes and many wedding and anniversary parties. [show more]
Founded at the insistence of Elizabeth S. Peterson. The chapel was built by Miss Peterson in 1916 and consecrated in 1917. It remained in regular use until 1925. It fell largely into disuse and disrepair and after a few intermittent services in the 1940s it was largely abandoned until it was demolished in 1966.
Description: Founded at the insistence of Elizabeth S. Peterson. The chapel was built by Miss Peterson in 1916 and consecrated in 1917. It remained in regular use until 1925. It fell largely into disuse and disrepair and after a few intermittent services in the 1940s it was largely abandoned until it was demolished in 1966.
The buildings behind the reservoir include the Deacon Clark's Island House complex at the far left of the photograph. To the right of the complex is the Joseph Gilman Parker Jr. House, the structure with six windows on the side. The Lawton Canning Factory is the building along the shore. There is a grounded schooner visible next to the factory. A large canoe can be seen to the right of the photograph tied to the mud flats.
The buildings behind the reservoir include the Deacon Clark's Island House complex at the far left of the photograph. To the right of the complex is the Joseph Gilman Parker Jr. House, the structure with six windows on the side. The Lawton Canning Factory is the building along the shore. There is a grounded schooner visible next to the factory. A large canoe can be seen to the right of the photograph tied to the mud flats.
The Southwest Harbor Water Company was founded by Dr. Joseph Dana Phillips, Anson I. Holmes, Jesse H. Pease, Alton E. Farnsworth, summer resident, Robert Kaighn, and lawyer, George R. Fuller. - "Acts and Resolves of the Sixty-sixth Legislature of the State of Maine, 1893, p. 621-623.
Description: The Southwest Harbor Water Company was founded by Dr. Joseph Dana Phillips, Anson I. Holmes, Jesse H. Pease, Alton E. Farnsworth, summer resident, Robert Kaighn, and lawyer, George R. Fuller. - "Acts and Resolves of the Sixty-sixth Legislature of the State of Maine, 1893, p. 621-623.
The one room schoolhouse used from 1862 to 1906. "[The Free High School, built c. 1862] was still a one-room school with but one teacher and every year more students came to study. The interests of the widely separated parts of the town were so different that it was impossible to come to an agreement and when the building of a new schoolhouse was suggested it was impossible to agree on a new location. Finally, when the Southwest Harbor citizens demanded new buildings at the village and at Manset, those in the western part of the town decided to separate themselves from Southwest Harbor. This was agreed upon by both sides and the town of Southwest Harbor was incorporated February 21, 1905 [this dividing the Southwest Harbor area from Tremont.] The new town voted to build a new schoolhouse at the village and raised the sum of $4500 to do so. This sum included the purchase of additional land. The old building stood close to the main road and had but little land surrounding it, and the new one was to be set farther back with a playground in front of it. The old building was sold to George Harmon and moved to the lot south of the school lot where it is now used for stores and apartments." The Harmon Block at 339 Main Street. - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 84-85 & p. 148 - 1938
Description: The one room schoolhouse used from 1862 to 1906. "[The Free High School, built c. 1862] was still a one-room school with but one teacher and every year more students came to study. The interests of the widely separated parts of the town were so different that it was impossible to come to an agreement and when the building of a new schoolhouse was suggested it was impossible to agree on a new location. Finally, when the Southwest Harbor citizens demanded new buildings at the village and at Manset, those in the western part of the town decided to separate themselves from Southwest Harbor. This was agreed upon by both sides and the town of Southwest Harbor was incorporated February 21, 1905 [this dividing the Southwest Harbor area from Tremont.] The new town voted to build a new schoolhouse at the village and raised the sum of $4500 to do so. This sum included the purchase of additional land. The old building stood close to the main road and had but little land surrounding it, and the new one was to be set farther back with a playground in front of it. The old building was sold to George Harmon and moved to the lot south of the school lot where it is now used for stores and apartments." The Harmon Block at 339 Main Street. - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 84-85 & p. 148 - 1938 [show more]
Dramatis Personae: Harris - Chloa (Harris) Searls (1906-1982) Mosley - Gordon G. Mosley Mosley - Ronald A. Mosley, Sr. (1919-2016), 1946 Interim Director Southwest Harbor-Tremont Larger Parish Searls - Thomas Searls Jr. (1908-1986)
Description: Dramatis Personae: Harris - Chloa (Harris) Searls (1906-1982) Mosley - Gordon G. Mosley Mosley - Ronald A. Mosley, Sr. (1919-2016), 1946 Interim Director Southwest Harbor-Tremont Larger Parish Searls - Thomas Searls Jr. (1908-1986)
Nell Thornton famously said, in her book, The Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor, “The Southwest Harbor Public Library had its beginning [as the Tremont Public Library] in 1884 when Mrs. Annie Sawyer Downs gathered a number of discarded books from the hotels, mostly paper covered volumes, and placed them on a shelf in one corner of Dr. R. J. Lemont's drug store…” The library was, as were many small libraries on the coast of Maine, started by “people from away,” in other words, summer people. This small library, however, was quickly adopted by native Southwest Harborians, and has grown, in the almost one and a half centuries since its founding, to be one of Maine’s very few five-star libraries, according to the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. Thornton, Nellie C., Traditions and records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine (Merrill & Webber Company, 1938, The Southwest Harbor Public Library, 1988)
Description: Nell Thornton famously said, in her book, The Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor, “The Southwest Harbor Public Library had its beginning [as the Tremont Public Library] in 1884 when Mrs. Annie Sawyer Downs gathered a number of discarded books from the hotels, mostly paper covered volumes, and placed them on a shelf in one corner of Dr. R. J. Lemont's drug store…” The library was, as were many small libraries on the coast of Maine, started by “people from away,” in other words, summer people. This small library, however, was quickly adopted by native Southwest Harborians, and has grown, in the almost one and a half centuries since its founding, to be one of Maine’s very few five-star libraries, according to the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. Thornton, Nellie C., Traditions and records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine (Merrill & Webber Company, 1938, The Southwest Harbor Public Library, 1988) [show more]
"At Southwest Harbor after J. T. R. Freeman, Mrs. Emily Robinson Farnsworth had the [post] office for some time; then J. A. Freeman and William J. Tower held it alternately according to change of political administration for several terms. Then E. S. Thurston was appointed and held office for twelve years until Earll W. Gott was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The office has changed location with every new postmaster…" - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, 1938, p. 105. "William J. Tower built the building east of the Jackson lot and he kept the post-office there for a number of years. He sold to E. S. Thurston when Mr. Thurston took over the duties of postmaster and after his services of twelve years were past, the property was sold in 1936 to Mrs. Fred A. Birlem whose son, Wallace Birlem, built the double garage behind it with living rooms above which he occupies [1938]." - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, 1938, p. 157.
Description: "At Southwest Harbor after J. T. R. Freeman, Mrs. Emily Robinson Farnsworth had the [post] office for some time; then J. A. Freeman and William J. Tower held it alternately according to change of political administration for several terms. Then E. S. Thurston was appointed and held office for twelve years until Earll W. Gott was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The office has changed location with every new postmaster…" - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, 1938, p. 105. "William J. Tower built the building east of the Jackson lot and he kept the post-office there for a number of years. He sold to E. S. Thurston when Mr. Thurston took over the duties of postmaster and after his services of twelve years were past, the property was sold in 1936 to Mrs. Fred A. Birlem whose son, Wallace Birlem, built the double garage behind it with living rooms above which he occupies [1938]." - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, 1938, p. 157. [show more]