Bar Harbor Businesses and Professions
a project of
V. F. Thomas Co. - P. O. Box 84 - Hulls Cove, Maine 04644
info@vfthomas.com
(updated 7 October 2023)
Welcome
to the Businesses and Professions in Bar Harbor home page, part of the Mount Desert Island Cultural History Project.
Purpose of this web page:
The purpose of this web page is to present information about businesses (other than hotels, which have their own web page) and professions, primarily through the mid-1900s, in Bar Harbor. Entries are grouped by category, and references in parentheses are to advertisements in local newspapers. To view the advertisement, click on the newspaper citation.
How to contribute:
All information (including images) should be e-mailed to info@vfthomas.com or sent by traditional mail to Bar Harbor Businesses and Professions at the address at the top of this page.
Attorneys
Deasy & Higgins - Mount Desert House
1889 December 27: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
W. P. Foster - Hamor Block
1889 January 18: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Hale & Hamlin - Bunker Block
1889 December 27: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Wiswell, King & Peters - Mount Desert Block
1889 December 27: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Automotive Repairs and Service
Harold C. Dodge filling station - corner of Holland and Cottage Streets
1940 May 2: opened; article in The Bar Harbor Times
Banks
First National Bank of Bar Harbor
1888 May 9 - organized; announcement in Mount Desert Herald, Friday, 11 May 1888, page 3, column 2
1888 November 17 - authorized to commence business; announcement in Bar Harbor Record, Thursday, 22 November 1888, page 5, column 4
1908 May 9 - authorized to continue business; announcement in Bar Harbor Record, Wednesday, 15 July 1908, page 7, column 5
Barbers, Hair Dressers, etc.
A. F. Smith - under the Agamont Hotel
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
G. L. Goodwin - at the Rodick House
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
1886 July 6: advertisement in The Daily Herald
1887 March 17 issue of Bar Harbor Record: “G. L. Goodwin, the hair dresser, has engaged the service of Lincoln Wallace, of Milbridge, for the season. This addition will be a great boon to those who dislike to wait for that welcome word ‘next’.” (page 3, column 1)
A. M. Robertson - at residence of Mr. Daniel Higgins, opposite the Atlantic House
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Boats
Pendleton & Murphy - Steamboat Wharf
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Jacob Suminsby - Central Boat Wharf
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Clothiers
Jas. A. Robinson & Son - Bunker Block (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
Contractors and Builders
Asa Hodgkins & Sons - Main Street and West Street, near Steamboat Wharf (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
A. E. Lawrence - Cottage Street (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
Goddard & Hunt (also architect) - (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
W. A. Jordan - residence: Cottage Street, opposite Andrew Rodick’s Hotel
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Doctors
Dr. N. C. King - office in Bunker Block; residence with David Bunker
Dr. J. S. Moore - office in Mount Desert Block; residence on Cottage Street
Dr. C. C. Morrison - office in Bradley Block
Dr. Rogers - office in Bradley Block, Main Street; residence: corner of Mount Desert Street and Holland Avenue
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Drug Stores
A. G. Curtis - Main Street
West End Drug - Main Street (#108 in 1919)
1918 August 30: burned in fire that started in the New Florence Hotel (formerly Hotel Porcupine)
1919: moved to new location; article in The Bar Harbor Times, Saturday, 19 April 1919, page 5, column 1
S. D. Wiggin & Co. - Bradley Block, Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Dry Goods
Des Isle & Brewer - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Higgins Brothers - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
1887 February 17: news note - “The store of B. S. Higgins (late Higgins Brothers) is now illuminated by the incandescent lights.” (Bar Harbor Record, 17 February 1887, page 3, column 1)
Mrs. U. G. Hodgkins (also fancy goods) - 105 Cottage Street (Bar Harbor Record, 5 October 1904)
Freight and Shipping
American Express Company - J. E. Berry, agent
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Groceries
A. B. Smith - near the head of Conner’s boat wharf
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Des Isle & Brewer - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Higgins Brothers - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
J. E. Berry - opposite Rockaway House
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Samuel E. Head & Co. - Main Street, under the Agamont Hotel
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
R. H. Kittredge & Co.
1881 October 1: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald, page 3, column 4
1894: improvements to store; article (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) in Bar Harbor Record, Thursday, 17 April 1894, page 9, column 4
1906 July 18: advertisement in Bar Harbor Record, page 5, columns 5–6
1919 April 21: opening for the season announcement in The Bar Harbor Times, Saturday, 19 April 1919, page 5, column 1
George H. Tenney & Co. - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Hardware, Stoves, etc.
Green & Reynolds - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Horses and related equipment and services
Berry Brothers - Cottage Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Charles B. Pineo - Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
F. P. Richards - Cottage Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Samuel E. Head - Main Street, under the Agamont Hotel
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Ice
Brewer Ice Company
Insurance
Charles C. Burrill - No. 1, Bradley Block, Main Street
1881 July 14: “Mr. Charles C. Burrill informs us that he is the only agent for the Liverpool & London & Globe insurance company in Hancock county, and is the only agent that company has ever had in Ellsworth.” (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, page 3, column 1)
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
DeGrasse Fox (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
Jewelry and Watches
Frank P. Moore - Bradley Block, 146 Main Street
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Landscaping and Nurseries
The Mount Desert Nurseries - Schooner Head Road
1900 March 21: advertisement in Bar Harbor Record
Men’s Furnishings
[name?] - owned by Mr. F[rank?]. E. Walls
1906 August 8 announcement in Bar Harbor Record (page 5, column 1): “Mr. F. E. Walls placed in position yesterday a large and handsome overhang sign in front of his men’s furnishing store [on] Main Street. The iron work supporting the sign is unusually strong and handsome in design.”
Miscellaneous
Udall - opposite Grand Central Hotel, Main Street
1886 July 6: advertisement in The Daily Herald
Newspapers, Printing, etc.
Mount Desert Herald
1881 July 14: first issue - “Unannounced by any extended prospectus, we present herewith the first number of the Mount Desert Herald. It is designed to be a permanent newspaper; and will do its level best to set forth the advantages, attractions and interests of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, and the region of country immediately surrounding. ... Without intruding upon any one’s private affairs, we wish to present from week to week as full and particular accounts as possible of the very many improvements now in progress in our village, and to this end we desire all possible information.” (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, page 2, column 1)
1881 July 14: “Single Copies of the Herald may be obtained at the office of publication, and at the store of Albert W. Bee, Main Street, Bar Harbor. Mr. Bee will keep a supply of back numbers always on hand.” (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, page 2, column 1)
1881 July 14: “The Herald office is in Rodick Brothers’ new building on Main street, and is one of the best-fitted newspaper offices in Maine. A full description of the new block will be given at an early date.” (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, page 3, column 1)
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
1883 October 4: reported (in the Mount Desert Herald) as having the “largest circulation of any newspaper published in the United States east of Bangor”
The Daily Herald
1886 July 6: first issue - The subhead reported this paper to be “a summer journal of Mount Desert news”
1886 July 6: advertisement in The Daily Herald
Newspaper Agents
Albert W. Bee (also in Southwest Harbor)
Real Estate Agents
DeGrasse Fox (Bar Harbor Record, 10 January 1900)
Hamilton & Richards - Bunker Block
Stationers
Albert W. Bee (also in Southwest Harbor)
1881 July 14: “Mr. Albert W. Bee is making lots of attractive little improvements about his store.” (Mount Desert Herald, 14 July 1881, page 3, column 1)
F. D. Foster - Bradley Block, Main Street
1887 February 17: “Foster’s stationery store has been furnished with the incandescent lights.” (Bar Harbor Record, 17 February 1887, page 3, column 1)
Tailors and Seamstresses
Pineo & Berry - opposite Rodick House
1881 July 14: advertisement in Mount Desert Herald
Water
Mount Kebo Spring Water
23 August 1911: advertisement in The Bar Harbor Record (page 1, columns 1–2)
Red Rock Spring