Seal Harbor in Bar Harbor in Hancock County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
A Village Legacy
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 16, 2024
1. A Village Legacy Marker
Summer and year-round residents founded the Seal Harbor Village Improvement Society in 1900 to ensure a healthy, pleasurable, high quality of life for their community. In 1919, John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the SHVIS saw the need to have a public park for visitors and residents alike. Rockefeller purchased the Glen Cove Inn with its five acres of land, tore down the inn, razed or relocated other buildings, and then donated the space to the town. Beatrix Farrand, the first woman named to the American Association of Landscape Architects, worked with the VIS on a new community space. They replaced the inn with a sweeping lawn-framed by shade trees-that afforded panoramic views of the harbor. Across the street, Farrand created a small park encircled with beach roses in memory of Dr. Edward K. Dunham, one of the founders of the VIS. Through the dedication and contributions of generations of VIS members, the work of the visionary founders remains for all of us to enjoy: eight miles of paths through scenic woodlands, a pristine beach, and the Village Green.
How the VIS serves you today
Seal Harbor Beach: Rakes and cleans beach
this page online
The Village Green: Ensures a verdant lawn through a comprehensive watering, fertilizing, and mowing program; prunes and maintains all trees and bushes.
Scenic Turnouts and Monuments: Maintains the Beatrix Farrand Garden and Seal Harbor Fountain, as well as the Seal Harbor Library and Fire Station grounds.
Trails: Maintains several public-accessible trails and pathways around the village.
Thank you Your support is appreciated in whatever form it may take. Donating, volunteering, and helping to keep the Green and trails clean are all vital. You may mail donations of any size to the VIS, PO Box 171, Seal Harbor, Maine 04675 or donate online at sealharborvis.org. You may also call us at 207-276-9341.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places.
Location. 44° 17.795′ N, 68° 14.449′ W. Marker is in Bar Harbor, Maine, in Hancock County. It is in the Seal Harbor. It is on Peabody Drive west of Main Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, October 16, 2024
2. A Village Legacy Marker
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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Cobbling the Cove (approx. 1½ miles away); Carriage Roads - The Gate Lodges (approx. 1.7 miles away); Gateway to Acadia (approx. 1.7 miles away); Drink in the View (approx. 1.9 miles away); Granite Foundations (approx. 2 miles away); Joseph T. Musetti Jr. Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 2.2 miles away); Roads to Discoveries (approx. 2.4 miles away); Once a Busy Waterfront (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bar Harbor.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Carriage Roads - Building the Roads (was approx. 2½ miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on November 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 159 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 9, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
