The History of Harbor Hill

The History of Harbor Hill. . , The documented origin of the land compromising the York Harbor Inn complex dates to October 9, 1762 when at his death Abiel Goodwin willed the land on which the Inn sits today to Mary Goodwin. For the next 139 years this land was owned by one Goodwin heir or another. , Beginning late in the 19th century the use of this land began to change, reflecting York’s evolving significance as a summer vacation destination. In 1870 Charles Goodwin built a boarding house the he called the Goodwin house (sic), where the York Harbor’s Inn parking lot exists today. In the 1880s the structure was enlarged and called the York Harbor Hotel. William Varrel purchased the hotel in 1894 and renamed it the Yorkshire Inn. Architecturally it was a good example of hotels built in York in that era. An annex was added late in the 19th century,. Some time in the mid 20th century the Yorkshire Inn was demolished., The Stucco Shop and Bootery, In 1894 Hartley Mason expanded his Mason Hill development. He purchased property on the north side of York Street from William Varrel and Charles Goodwin. Later he built a Mission Revival building known as the Stucco Shop. In addition there was a separate building the housed the Frank Brothers Bootery. , On the property immediately behind the Bootery and the Half House there was an old house known as Shadyside. Its origin is not documented but we know that during much of the mid 20th century the house was occupied by Albert Newick and his family and was part of the Mason estate. Albert was Hartley Mason’s estate manager., The Half House, The Half House, originally known as the Mason-Varrel cottage, dates to circa 1865. It has been known as the Half House because it was used in its early years as a two family house with two owners and the property line running right down the middle of the house. It was built by George Donnell on land purchased from William Donnell. In the 1890s, the building was shared by William G. Varnell and Hartley Mason. , Varrell was the proprietor of the adjacent Yorkshire Inn. Mason purchased his half in 1894 for Nathan W. Goodwin. A deed search does not indicate when or how Varrell obtained his half. In 1984 Joseph Dominguez purchased the Varrell side of the Half House from Mrs. Lord (nee Varrell) who had inherited it from her parents. In 1978 the Domingues family acquired all of the Hartley mason estates’ remaining land on the north side of York Street., The York Harbor Inn, In 1901 the original building that is today, (sic) the York Harbor Inn, (sic) was purchased by the York Harbor Reading Room and served as this organization’s meeting place until the end of 1907. For the next eleven years the property was owned by Willard J. Simpson and used as an Inn (sic). In 1918 Simpson sold the property to Florence M. Horne who operated it as the Hillcroft Inn. It was during this period that the building was turned to face the ocean and a porch was added bringing the façade closer to the street. , Sometime during the thirties or forties the porch was enclosed expanding the dining room area to essentially what it is today. It was during this time that a one and a half story addition was added enclosing the original post and beam structure on the York Street side creating additional living space. , In has been rumored that this addition was built above what was a 17th century room that was floated form the Isle of Shoals during the Revolutionary War. In 1947 Louise sawyer and Mary A. Colligan purchased the property and renamed it the Colligan inn. It stayed in the Colligan family until December 14, 1979 when it was purchased by Joseph T. Dominguez. The Dominguez family expanded the Inn (sic) to the rear constructing additional dining and meeting spaces.