PHOTO COURTESY TOWN OF MOUNT DESERT Interim Mount Desert Town Manager Durlin Lunt displays the dollar bill given to him by Sydney Roberts Rockefeller, co-chairman of the Great Harbor Maritime Museum board, which finalizes the purchase of the museum building from the town. Great Harbor Museum sold for $1 By Dick Broom 1933 and again in the 1940s. It make improvements to the area in housed the municipal offices, jail and front of the building. MOUNT DESERT - It took fire department until the current "It's been ratty-tat looking for a nearly three years to work out a $1 town office building opened in 1981. while, with patched asphalt," Ms. deal, but the nonprofit organization Last year, the windows on the Rockefeller said. "We're going to that operates the Great Harbor Mar- front of the building were repaired do something temporary this itime Museum in Northeast Harbor and restored. summer and then really work on now owns the Main Street building "Our goal is to get the rest of the it." that it has been leasing from the front restored this year, and then Owning the building and hav- town since 1982. we'll move on to another section of ing a 20-year lease on the land Voters authorized the sale at the the building," Mr. Granston said. "It's gives the museum board a much 2007 town meeting. The board of se- an exciting process, and the town has greater sense of security and per- lectmen signed the sale agreement been really receptive to it. It's like manence, Mr. Granston said. April 5, along with an agreement to watching a story unfold." "(The sale) also shows the lease the land the museum stands on The museum board hopes to get town's interest in history and in to the organization for $1 a year for the building added to the National having a museum on Main Street," 20 years with the option of a 20-year Register of Historic Places, which, he said. "If the museum gets re- extension. Mr. Granston said, would open addi- stored and secures its place on this Now that the sale has taken place, tional grant opportunities. island, it will give us all an oppor- it should be much easier to get Although the town still owns the tunity to come together around grants to maintain the building and land around the museum, the lease our shared history." make improvements, according to agreement allows the museum to dbroom@mdislander.com Willie Granston, a member of the museum board. "They [granting agencies] aren't nearly as willing to give you money to restore someone else's building, he said. Sydney Roberts Rockefeller, co- ] chairman of the museum board, said 1 the organization has made a number : of major improvements over the years, but the building still needs a lot of work. "It has gone from being really nice looking to being pretty terrible Epp, Ronald From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [sydr@prexar.com] Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 6:43 PM To: Epp, Ronald Subject: RE: Sydney's supper with Ronald apple new cail, net Hi Ron, Phew! Lots to absorb. I have a project to complete tonight but will get to this tomorrow. I am going to email Sturgis Haskins the part of this email about Gleason and Eliot for starters. More later! Best, Sydney >Sydney, > >What do I like to be called, you ask? "Ron" will do just fine. I've >had enough years of being called "Prof" and "Dr. Epp" and as I age >the more familioar language suits me best. I've got friends and >relatives from the my youth who still call me "Ronnie." >Thank you for a delightful Monday evening. On my return I too did >some research and found out what the "Great Harbor" encompasses. I'd >like to hear more about how you were "dumped" into your job. > >Regardig your Resources/Ideas, I'm not aware of the Crowley House in >Seal Harbor. Can you tell me more? However, I am very attuned to the >Herbert Wendell Gleason images. Hundreds have been digitzied at the >Sawtelle Archives, scores are used by Mr. Dorr in the 23 Sieur de >Monts Publications (1916-1919), and in a few weeks I plan on >traveling to Concord to examine the Gleason national park images (which are inventoried on their website). It would be wonderful to >display within your museum a collection of Gleason images that >looked from MDI out toward the Great Harbor. > >I also wonder if you have given any thought to a small exhbit that >focuses attention on President Eliot. A significant portion of my >biography will be focused on him and his relationship with Mr. Dorr; >but locals know him best for his activities in NEH where his legacy >too (as the brainschild of the Hancock County Trustees of Public >Reservations) is fading. I've got an abundance of textual and graphic >material on Mr. Dorr should you think a small display is appropriate >for your facility. I haven't talked in recent weeks with Bob Pyle >but his archives are a rich resource on the Eliot family as >well and I think exhbits in two places on related aspects of >Charles W. Eliot would be appealing to him. I trust that you know >about Eliot's son and the Champlain Society. Correct? Does any of >this appeal to you? >Please tell me more about "Sturgis Haskins, Knight Coolidge, and >Mrs. Scull regarding "Dorr booklets and old books." Are they >collectors, biliophiles, or used bookpersons? Are they listed in the >local phone book and might I use your name by way of introductions? >Have a delightful weekend and I look forward to hearing from you. >Still no response from Mr. Johnson relative to David Rockefeller or >the party (Alice) that you emailed on behalf of the Spirit of Acadia. > >Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. >Director of Shapiro Library >Southern New Hampshire University >Manchester, NH 03106 1 Epp, Ronald From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [sydr@prexar.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 8:03 AM To: Epp, Ronald Subject: Re: Sydney's supper with Ronald Hi Ronald (what do you like to be called?), , How mortified I was to go back to my emails and to find ALL those minutes that probably would have made tonight's conversation, if I had read them, very different! I still haven't done so, but wanted to get my ideas "on paper" before my little scrap of paper becomes a non-entity, lost in the clatter of my clutter. Resources/Ideas: Dorr Trophy for a new IOD Sailboat Race Winner (need to educate sailors) Edie Dunham Crowley's house in Seal Harbor as a potential treasure trove for history (Herbert W. Gleason, photographer). Collection in Concord, MA as he photographed Thoreau. Sturgis Haskins, Knight Coolidge, Mrs. Scull, as resources (looking for Dorr booklets/old books) Visual Ideas: Kids being read to and creating what they were hearing, but I can go on and on. re that I look forward to "the next steps" but am still not sure what my role might be. Best, Sydney PS: The Great Harbor is the body of water between NEH, SWH and Great Cranberry Island. I didn't have a clue until I was dumped into this "job." 1 Re: Spirit of Acadia Meeting 3/1/05 Page 1 of 1 Epp, Ronald From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [sydr@prexar.com] Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 9:54 AM To: Epp, Ronald Subject: Re: Spirit of Acadia Meeting 3/1/05 Hi Ron! I have been derelict in getting back to you. I am wondering if I have time to join yet another committee. Alice gave me the impression that I had been asked to be involved because of my (good) relationship to my former family-in-laws. What do you think? Best, Sydney (276 5650) A reminder that the next Spirit of Acadia planning meeting will be held at the Acadia National Park HQ Training Room on March 1, 2005 at 1:00. Alice Long and I hope that you can attend this meeting. Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. Director of Shapiro Library Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 03106 603-668-2211, ext. 2164 603-645-9685 fax 2/21/2005 Fwd: RE: Spirit of Acadia Meeting 3/1/05 Page 1 of 3 Epp, Ronald From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [sydr@prexar.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:47 AM To: Victor, Alice S. Cc: Epp, Ronald Subject: Fwd: RE: Spirit of Acadia Meeting 3/1/05 Hi Alice, It was good to see you, however briefly, after Albert's service. How I miss him! What a peach of a man he was. Please tell DRsr (again) how grateful everyone was for his wonderful eulogy. I hope you will be able to answer Ron's questions. This group is filled with ideas and the love they have for the island and appreciation of George B, Dorr and the Rockefeller family's role in the Park is palpable. I trust you had a great time with Jules and Mark. We have new snow here and it is lovely. Maybe it's time for me to get over to Ringing Point! I'll send you some pox. Best and thanks, Sydney Dear Sydney, While I was sympathetic with Alice's likely intent to invite you to participate "because of my (good) relationship with my former family in-laws," my interest was to secure the insights that you bring to "the table" as an outgrowth of managing the Great Harbor Maritime Museum and your familiarity with MDI culture. However, I was also drawn by "family associations," a phrase that Mr. Dorr used with great frequency. When I interviewed Ann Rockefeller Roberts at her SW Harbor home nearly two years ago she suggested twice that I contact you. In the interim my email contact with her has been broken. If you would provide me with her email address I would be most appreciative. About ten days ago I contacted Peter Johnson via email, outlined my research for the Dorr biography, and sent along the minutes from the last two Spirit of Acadia full meetings. I asked that he consider bringing these matters to David Rockefeller's attention-- hopeful that Mr. Rockefeller might be willing to be interviewed by me about his impressions of early park development and the interactions between his father and Mr. Dorr. Do you think this "an impossible dream"? I'd appreciate any suggestions. Yes, Sydney, I would appreciate your involvement in the Spirit of Acadia project. Perhaps on a futrure visit to the island we could sit down and talk abit since the meetings at park HQ are not the right environment for 2/22/2005 Fwd: RE: Spirit of Acadia Meeting 3/1/05 Page 2 of 3 becoming more familiar with one another. Hope to see you March 1st and look forward to hearing from you about the issues raised above. Ron P.S. I'll be staying with Alice Long on February 28 and March 1st should you need to contact me. Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. Director of Shapiro Library Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 03106 603-668-2211, ext. 2164 603-645-9685 fax Original Message From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [mailto:sydr@prexar.com] Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 9:54 AM To: Epp, Ronald Subject: Re: Spirit of Acadia Meeting 3/1/05 Hi Ron! I have been derelict in getting back to you. I am wondering if I have time to join yet another committee. Alice gave me the impression that I had been asked to be involved because of my (good) relationship to my former family-in-laws. What do you think? Best, Sydney (276 5650) A reminder that the next Spirit of Acadia planning meeting will be held at the Acadia National Park HQ Training Room on March 1, 2005 at 1:00. 2/22/2005 Epp, Ronald From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [sydr@prexar.com] Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:52 PM To: Epp, Ronald Subject: Re: Dorr Celebration & S. Rockefeller Sorry not to have responded sooner! I am a mess! Feb 10.has come and gone and gone with snow cancelling everything. I couldn't have made it if the skies had been clear for for days! So, what's next? My time is so limited I thought I had been coerced to get a foot into the Rockefeller door which is fine Best, Sydney (a fake Rockefeller) >Dear Sydney, > >Thanks for the input and the need to think of physical objects as >metaphorical images for the Dorr celebration. > >I seem to recall you asking me about serving on a subcommittee. Is >that correct? If so, I believe you expressed interest in the Public >Relations & Media group, of which I am a member. If that is also >accurate, would you give Charlotte Stapleton a call at the MDIHS >since she is trying arrange the next meeting date for this group (207-276-9323). . I believe she is trying to have the subcommittee >meet at the MDIHS on 21 February at 10 a.m. > >If all this conjecture is inaccurate, please do let me know as well. >At times, too much data to manage with this aging brain! > >Ron > >Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. >Director of Shapiro Library >Southern New Hampshire University >Manchester, NH 03106 > >603-668-2211, ext. 2164 >603-645-9685 fax > > > Original Message >From: Great Harbor Maritime Museum [mailto: sydr@prexar.com] >Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 5:36 PM >To: Epp, Ronald >Subject: Re: Dorr Celebration Update > > >Hi Ron, > >Can't help but think of all the Doors we need to open to make this a >splendid occasion, worthy of GBD. The Abbe makes Art from paddles, we >from doors? D'or may be another thought. And The Doors were a rock >group. > >Sydney :0) 1