Bar Harbor (town), Maine

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Bar Harbor
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Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, it population was 4,820. A port of entry for Bay Ferries from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Bar Harbor is a famous upper-class summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. At the end of each May, the community hosts The Warblers & Wildflowers Festival.

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[edit] History

Abenaki Native Americans called the island Pemetic, meaning "sloping land." Here they fished, hunted and gathered berries. In 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain is believed to have run aground at Otter Point, where he met members of the tribe. He would name the island Isles des Monts Deserts, meaning "island of barren mountains" -- now called Mount Desert Island, the largest in Maine.

First settled in 1763 by Israel Higgens and John Thomas, the community was incorporated in 1796 as Eden, after Sir Richard Eden, an English statesman. Early industries included fishing, lumbering and shipbuilding. With the best soil on Mount Desert Island, it also developed agriculture. In the 1840s, its rugged maritime scenery attracted the Hudson River School and Luminism artists Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, William Hart and Fitz Hugh Lane. Inspired by their paintings, journalists, sportsmen and "rusticators" followed. Agamont House, the first hotel in Eden, was established in 1855 by Tobias Roberts. Birch Point, the first summer estate, was built in 1868 by Alpheus Hardy.

By 1880, there were 30 hotels, with tourists arriving by train and ferry to the Gilded Age resort that would rival Newport, Rhode Island. The rich and famous tried to outdo each other with entertaining and estates, often hiring Beatrix Farrand to design landscaping. A glimpse of their posh lifestyles was available from Shore Path, a walkway skirting waterfront lawns. Yachting, garden parties at the Pot & Kettle Club, and carriage rides up Cadillac Mountain were popular diversions. Others enjoyed horse-racing at Robin Hood Park-Morrell Park. President William Howard Taft played golf in 1910 at the Kebo Valley Golf Club. On March 3, 1918, Eden was changed to Bar Harbor, after Bar Island which protects the harbor. The name would become synonymous with elite wealth. It was the birthplace of vice-president Nelson Rockefeller.

In 1947, however, Maine experienced a severe drought. Sparks at a cranberry bog in Hull's Cove ignited a wildfire which would intensify over 10 days. Nearly half the eastern side of Mount Desert Island burned, including 67 palatial summer houses on Millionaires' Row. Five historic grand hotels were destroyed, in addition to 170 permanent homes. Over 10,000 acres (40 km²) of Acadia National Park were destroyed. Fortunately, the town's business district was spared, including Mount Desert Street, where several former summer homes within a National Historic District operate as inns.

Main Street in c. 1908

Chatwold in c. 1908

Hardy's Point in c. 1912

Malvern Hotel in c. 1912

[edit] Notable residents

The Wharf in 1936
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The Wharf in 1936

[edit] Historic sites & museums

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 182.4 km² (70.4 mi²). 109.3 km² (42.2 mi²) of it is land and 73.1 km² (28.2 mi²) of it (40.06%) is water. Bar Harbor is situated on Frenchman Bay.

[edit] Demographics

This article describes the town of Bar Harbor as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the more densely-populated central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the numbers reported here. See Bar Harbor (CDP), Maine.

Jesup Library in c. 1912
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Jesup Library in c. 1912

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 4,820 people, 2,142 households, and 1,163 families residing in the town. The population density was 44.1/km² (114.2/mi²). There were 2,805 housing units at an average density of 25.7/km² (66.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.88% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 2,142 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.78.

Newport House in c. 1920
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Newport House in c. 1920

In the town the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,481, and the median income for a family was $51,989. Males had a median income of $31,085 versus $25,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,103. About 4.9% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] External links

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