Just off Bar Harbor's main village, West Street runs quietly parallel to Mt. Desert Street, opening onto the north coastline. Here West Street runs parallel to Mt. Desert Street, giving you access to the north portion of the coastline. The district extends along West Street from its western junction with Eden Street, where it meets the Harbor Lane–Eden Street Historic District, all the way east to Billings Avenue.
Lining both sides of the street are seventeen historically significant summer houses — the well-preserved "cottages" built during Bar Harbor's heyday as a resort for the wealthy in the early 20th century. These houses are the visible legacy of a time when this town on the northeastern end of Mount Desert Island drew summer visitors to its shores. In recognition of that concentrated historic character, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Stand here and imagine Bar Harbor's heyday as a resort for the wealthy animating these facades; notice the continuous line of houses framing the street and the way West Street aligns with the village center toward the junction of Mt. Desert Street and Main Street. Follow the row of cottages east toward Billings Avenue and the coastline beyond.