From collection Place List - History Trust
La Rochelle was built in 1903 and is the largest estate built along the shore of West Street in Bar Harbor. The architects were Andrews, Jaques & Rantoul – the estate was built for George Sullivan Bowdoin and Julia Grinnell Bowdoin. The home was one of the first to be made of brick since there was no brick factory on Mount Desert Island. The forty-one room, 13,000 square foot lavish chateaux had twenty bedrooms and ten full bathrooms on two acres of land. In 2019, the Bar Harbor Historical Society purchased the estate in order to preserve the building and grounds for future generations and to present the history of Bar Harbor, displaying its rich collection of historic objects and archives. The home contributes to the historic character of the West Street Historic District which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
