The Callendar House was the first summer cottage built of brick in Bar Harbor. When this photograph was taken in 2016, the Jackson Lab owned this structure which is located on the Schooner Head Road just outside of Bar Harbor.
The history of Bar Harbor is the history of the rich and famous and the story of the Callendar House fits right into this history. The imposing “cottage” was built in 1901 for Mrs. John Callendar Livingston, a member of the prominent and incredibly prosperous Livingston family, by Fredrick Savage. The structure was Savage’s most formal design and also the most expensive (partly because just before it was completed in 1901, the entire building burnt leading to a near complete rebuilding).
Savage, himself, was a native of Northeast Harbor and the vast majority of his work consisted of cottages and hotels, showing the rise of Bar Harbor’s place as a “summer colony”. Savage built cottages in many styles including several prominent Queen Anne and Shingle Style structures showcasing the dominant design trends of the late 19th century and early 20th century. The Callendar House, however, can be seen as firmly colonial revival in design and was the first summer “cottage” built with brick. At the time of its construction it was praised by the Bar Harbor Record for both its refinement and its modernity. In 1992, the Callendar House was purchased by the Jackson Lab at a foreclosure auction. (Source: Maine Preservation).
Soules - George John Soules, “The Callendar House,” Southwest Harbor Public Library, accessed April 25, 2024, https://swhpl.digitalarchive.us/items/show/11625.Item 15543
