Maine Memory Network
Maine's Online Museum

Item 21052 enlarge zoom add to album

This image was scanned by a student. Learn more.

With the coming of the summer people, local families realized the potential profit to be made, and the local people began building hotels and other industries to cater to the rusticators. By the time this photograph was taken, there were already four hotels, all being constructed in a three year period. The Rock End Hotel, in the center of this photo, was constructed by Herman L. Savage between 1883 and 1884. In the foreground is Herman Savage's cottage, "The Wedge," designed by his architect brother Fred L. Savage in 1885. Fred Savage went on to design many of the summer cottages and buildings all over Mt. Desert Island. The Rock End Hotel was expanded and reconfigured many times, but ended its career when it burned on March 4, 1942. Behind the Rock End Hotel and the two story building to the left of the hotel can be seen the roofline of the James Gilpatrick house. The Gilpatricks were among the early settlers of Northeast Harbor. That house was later moved north and used as an annex to the hotel.