Nine summer houses in the Harbor Lane–Eden Street Historic District outlasted the 1947 fire that swept much of Mount Desert Island, and you can still see why they survived. These are architect-designed summer estates that served as the summer estates of elite society families during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Look closely and you’ll see the ensemble that survived the 1947 fire that destroyed many other summer properties on Mount Desert Island—nine summer houses in this district alone endured that devastation.
This pocket of finely crafted homes sits at the southeastern fringe of the area that escaped the blaze, and its survival helps tell the story of Bar Harbor as a summer haven that once rivaled Newport. In recognition of that history and the district’s architectural significance, this neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The district is roughly bounded by Harbor Lane and Eden Street, streets that still mark the edges of a vanished era of grand seasonal living.
These homes still line Harbor Lane and Eden Street, a quiet fringe that once rivaled Newport and now carries you toward the waters of Frenchman Bay.