Hotels and Boarding Houses of Mount Desert Island
part of the Mount Desert Island Cultural History Project
of
V. F. Thomas Co. - P. O. Box 400 - Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
info@vfthomas.com - 207-266-5748

(updated 2 December 2008)


Welcome to the Hotels and Boarding Houses of Mount Desert Island home page, part of the Mount Desert Island Cultural History Project.

Purpose of this web page: The purpose of this web page is to present information about Mount Desert Island's hotels and boarding houses. If little is known about a hotel or boarding house, it will be reported below. If a picture becomes available or when substantially more information is learned, a separate web page will be created for that hotel or boarding house and a link will be provided below.

How to contribute: All information (including images) should be e-mailed to info@vfthomas.com or sent by traditional mail to MDI Hotels and Boarding Houses, c/o V. F. Thomas Co.; P. O. Box 400; Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.





Bar Harbor

Agamont House (Main Street, across street from current (2008) Agamont Park) - built by Tobias Roberts; proprietors as of 14 July 1881: J. Lynch and son; burned in 1888
Atlantic House (south side of Douglas Avenue) - built in 1870; burned in 1873; rebuilt in 1874; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: J. H. Douglass; clerk as of 14 July 1881: G. E. Patterson; purchased in 1887 by Miss M. L. Balch and named The Louisburg; leased in 1911 to J. A. Sherrad; later leased to L. C. Prior; operated in 1916 by the Misses Healey; purchased in 1921 by Lafayette Hotel Corporation and named The Lorraine; torn down in 1939
Bay View (corner of Main Street and Mount Desert Street = site of current (2008) village green) - built in 1868 for Mr. Hamor and Mr. Young; replaced in 1873 by the Grand Central Hotel (q.v.)
Belmont Hotel (near corner of Mt. Desert Street and Kebo Street) - built in 1879; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: J. C. Manchester; burned in fire of 1947
Birch Tree - proprietor as of 14 July 1881: Andrew Rodick
De Gregoire Hotel (Eden Street, corner of West Street) - construction began ca. 1892 for DeGrasse Fox; purchased ca. 1895 by George Wescott; purchased by W. R. Lee who added a wing and opened hotel in 1907; burned in fire of 1947
Deering House - proprietor as of 14 July 1881: Charles Higgins
Exchange Hotel (south side of Mount Desert Street) - proprietors in 1881: The Misses Shannon
Grand Central Hotel (corner of Main Street and Mount Desert Street = site of current (2008) village green) - built in 1873; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: R. Hamor and sons; clerk as of 14 July 1881: S. P. Stockbridge; "The Grand Central has been refurnished [a]nd forty sleeping rooms added this season." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 3.); purchased in 1892 by Johnston Livingston; purchased in 1899 by town of Bar Harbor
Hotel Des Isle (Newton Way, west of Main Street and south of Mt. Desert Street) - also spelled Hotel Des Iles; built in 1881; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: E. G. DesIsle; clerk as of 14 July 1881: J. Ball; "The new Hotel Des Isle is nicely furnished and promises to be a very popular [h]ouse." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 3.); renamed Maine Central Hotel in 1897; torn down in 1900
Lookout House (north side of Eagle Lake Road) - proprietor as of 14 July 1881: J. S. Salisbury
Lorraine, The - see Atlantic House
Louisburg, The - see Atlantic House
Lynam House - proprietor as of 14 July 1881: John T. Lynam; clerk as of 14 July 1881: F. C. Lynam
Maine Central Hotel - see Hotel Des Isle
Malvern Hotel (Kebo Street) - built in 1882 for DeGrasse Fox; purchased in 1910 by Mrs. Morris Jesup; purchased in 1911 by Thomas De Witt Cuyler; purchased in 1924 by Malvern Hotel Company Inc.; purchased by Chester Wescott in 1930; burned in fire of 1947
Marlborough (Main Street, opposite Cottage Street) - built in 1882 for Charles Higgins; sold to Martin Roberts in 1905
New Florence - see the The Porcupine
Newport House (east of Main Street, just south of current (2008) Agamont Park) - built in 1869; proprietor in 1881: W. M. Roberts; torn down in 1938
Ocean House - built in 1870; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: Samuel L. Higgins; [torn down?] in 1973
Porcupine, The (Main Street, opposite Mount Desert Street) - built in 1887; purchased by Miss T. E. Martin in 1906 and renamed the New Florence; sold in 1917; burned in 1918
Rockaway House (east of Main Street, eastern side of current (2008) Agamont Park) - built in 1870; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: Tobias L. Roberts; torn down around 1916
Rodick House (west side of Main Street) - built in 1866; expanded in 1875; proprietors as of 14 July 1881: D. Rodick and sons; clerk as of 14 July 1881: E. W. Taft; "Mr. E. W. Taft, the clerk at the Rodick House, has looked after the comfort of the many guests of that hotel for six seasons before the present." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 3.); "The Rodick House is fast filling up with all-summer guests. They come early in the season, stay late in the fall, and are sure to come again the next year. There is no more homelike and comfortable hotel at Bar Harbor." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 3.); expanded in 1881-1882; torn down in 1906
St. Sauveur - designed by John Clark; built in 1870; annex added in 1880; proprietor as of 14 July 1881: F. J. Alley; clerk as of 14 July 1881: D. W. Bunker; burned in 1881; rebuilt in 1882; torn down in 1945
summer boarding house - proprietor in 1881: A. F. Higgins
summer boarding house - Salisbury Cove; proprietor in 1881: T. S. Liscomb
summer boarding house - proprietor in 1881: [A. J. or J. A.?] Rodick
summer boarding house - proprietor in 1881: C. A. Wallace 2nd
Newport House (east of Main Street) - proprietor as of 14 July 1881: W. M. Roberts; clerk as of 14 July 1881: E. W. Young
Summit House (top of Green (now Cadillac) Mountain)
Wayside Inn (west of Eden Street) - proprietor in 1881: Mrs. R. G. Higgins
West End Hotel (south side of West Street) - built in 1878-1879; proprietors as of 14 July 1881: O. M. Shaw and son; clerk as of 14 July 1881: C. W. Wormell; torn down in 1900


Mount Desert

Central House - Somesville; proprietor in 1881: William Fennelly
Glencove Hotel - Seal Harbor
Harbor Cottage - Northeast Harbor; proprietor in 1881: A. C. Savage
Kimball House - Northeast Harbor; proprietor in 1881: Daniel Kimball
Manchester House - Northeast Harbor; proprietor in 1881: Thomas Manchester
Mount Desert House - Somesville; proprietor in 1881: Daniel Somes
Petite Hotel - Seal Harbor
Seaside House - Seal Harbor; proprietors in 1881: J. Clement and sons; later called Seaside Inn
summer boarding house - Somesville; proprietor in 1881: E. E. Babson
summer boarding house - Somesville; proprietor in 1881: G. B. Somes


Southwest Harbor

Freeman House - proprietor in 1881: J. A. Freeman
Island House - proprietor in 1881: H. H. Clark; "There are four hotels at Southwest Harbor. Deacon Clark still keeps the Island House." (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, p. 3.)
Ocean House - proprietors in 1881: N. Teague and son
Pemetic House - proprietor in 1881: H. H. Clark


Tremont

summer boarding house - Bass Harbor; proprietor in 1881: C. M. Holden
Tremont House - Bass Harbor; proprietor in 1881: L. F. Benson