Bar Harbor in Hancock County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
The 1947 Fire
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, July 18, 2009
1. The 1947 Fire Marker
In October 1947 a series of fires lasting 26 days blazed across more than 25 square miles of Mount Desert Island. The fire seriously threatened Bar harbor, and transformed most of the landscape before you into an apparent wasteland. It consumed 170 homes of year-round residents. Over 60 summer mansions burned, leaving only chimneys and garden statues standing. One-third of the park woodlands burned before the flames died at the ocean's edge.
A forest of birch, aspen, and other hardwoods emerged where the charred stumps of spruce and fir trees can still be found. In time, these fast-growing species may be replaced by others until, perhaps,, spruce and fir dominate again. Natural cycles will always create a mosaic of different forest types across the island, but the Fire of 1947 stands out as a singular and powerful force of change.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Disasters. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1947.
Location. 44° 23.06′ N, 68° 13.768′ W. Marker is in Bar Harbor, Maine, in Hancock County. It is on Paradise Hill Rd, on the left. Marker is in pull-off of Acadia National
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Regionally, this marker is on Mount Desert Island and in Downeast Maine. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also Acadia.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: DeGregoire Green (approx. Ύ mile away); The Great Fire / Le Grand Incendie (approx. Ύ mile away); La Rochelle (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Cottage Era (approx. 0.9 miles away); Bar Harbor Municipal Building (approx. one mile away); Ledgelawn Inn (approx. one mile away); Signs of the Seasons (approx. one mile away); The Kedge (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bar Harbor.
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, July 18, 2009
2. Mountains of Acadia National Park
Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 13, 2009, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,896 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 13, 2009, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.
