Great Harbor Maritime Museum

Constructed between 1916 and 1917, the municipal building in Northeast Harbor marked a milestone in the history of Mount Desert. Since 1789 town business had largely been conducted in Somesville. But as Northeast Harbor developed at the turn of the 20th century, and as automobiles made travel easier, it was less important for official business to take place at the geographic center of the town.

After much discussion, town officials and members of the Northeast Harbor Fire Company selected a site for a new municipal building on the eastern side of Main Street, in the center of Northeast Harbor’s business district. As workmen began to clear the area in September, 1916, The Bar Harbor Record informed readers that “The Northeast Harbor fire house is no longer a myth, for work on the same was begun this week….”

Built by William Peckham following plans drawn by Isaac Ralph, the new structure, with a stucco façade and a prominent stepped gable, stood apart from its neighbors. Costing a total of $7,151.66, the building’s ground floor provided space for the village fire company, while a large room upstairs was used for town business.

In 1898, concerned citizens organized the Northeast Harbor Fire Company. Though the company had built a small “fire barn” to store their equipment, as the village grew and as needs increased, this space became inadequate. The new municipal building provided plenty of room for both the fire company and the town, at least at first.

Writing in 1933, Town Manager Herbert Thomas requested more space: “There are a great many of the Town records stored in the municipal offices with no protection against fire… I suggest that construction begin as soon as possible.”

An addition to the municipal building completed in 1934 added public restrooms and a jail cell on the first floor, with a town manager’s office and a fireproof vault above. At the same time the original stepped gable was removed and a clock, given in memory of George Manchester, was installed on the front of the building.

Alterations in 1941, overseen by architect George Savage, further enlarged the building and provided enough space for all of the fire company’s five vehicles: a ladder truck, two fire engines, a jeep, and an ambulance.

By the late 1970s the municipal building was too small to meet the needs of either the town or the Northeast Harbor Fire Company. With limited space to enlarge the existing structure, Curtis and Patricia Blake offered to build a replacement on Sea Street.

When the town offices and fire company moved to Sea Street, the vacant Main Street building was the subject of much debate. While some eyed the site for a downtown parking lot, others argued that the building should be preserved. “We need a good historical museum for our town…” wrote Mildred Gilley in a 1981 letter to Mount Desert’s Selectmen, “[and] we may have the building already right here in Northeast Harbor. Please consider this seriously. You know each town has many treasures and items of interest just waiting for a showcase.”

With permission from the Selectmen and support from both the summer and year-round communities, a new museum called the Great Harbor Collection opened in the former municipal building in the summer of 1982.