Bar Harbor in Hancock County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
The Great Hotel Era
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L'Époque des Grands Hôtels
Bar Harbor, Maine
| — | The Museum in the Streets | — |
As the cottage era came into its own, the hotel age went into decline. In 1888, there were 18 hotels in Bar Harbor that could accommodate 2,500 guests. The local hotel moguls included the four Higgins brothers, Fountain Rodick, Captain James Hamor, and Tobias Roberts. Bar Harbor became the so-called "watering hole of the east," with endless social events, parties and receptions. Many of the best-known families from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and Baltimore, who had one of the 175 summer cottages here by 1890, had to make an appearance. Bar Harbor, without even trying, altered Maine's nickname from the "Pine Tree State" to "Vacationland." No longer is fishing or forestry the largest industry in the state, it is now tourism.
Erected by The Museum in the Streets. (Marker Number 18.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the The Museum in the Streets: Bar Harbor, Maine series list.
Location. 44° 23.141′ N, 68° 12.222′ W. Marker is in Bar Harbor, Maine, in Hancock County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (Maine Route 3) and Hancock Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 270 Main Street, Bar Harbor ME 04609, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Mount Desert Island and in Downeast Maine. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 walking distance of this marker: The Fred Savage Home (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); MDI Hospital (about 700 feet away); Veterans Memorial (about 700 feet away); The Village Green / Le Jardin Public (about 800 feet away); Village Green (about 800 feet away); The Abbe Museum & Congregational Church / Le Musée Abbe et L'Élise Congrégationaliste (approx. 0.2 miles away); Donald A. Wood Band Stand (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Village Green (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bar Harbor.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 166 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 4, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.

