Bar Harbor dates to 1763, and 22% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #18 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
24 places in town are on the National Register, among them six historic districts with 42 buildings between them. Below: 20 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bar Harbor’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bar Harbor is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #18 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bar Harbor’s overall grade.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bar Harbor’s 124 sits above most of its state (89% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 65 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1763.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.4 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Bar Harbor’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Bar Harbor’s post office has been open since 1835. Five other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Eden
1821–1920
Bar Harbor
1835–today
East Eden
1850–1873
Salsbury Cove
1851–today
West Eden
1853–1911
Indian Point
1883–1929
Hulls Cove
1887–today
Lookout
1894–1963
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
EdenHulls CoveIndian PointRed Rock CornerSalsbury CoveTown Hill
Gone or out of use
Bogue ChittobuildingHamors Wharf and SawmilllocaleMount Desert Reading RoombuildingOasis ClublocalePoint d'AcadiebuildingSalsbury Cove Post Officepost officeSieur de Monts Spring ParkparkSquaw HollowlocaleWest Eden Schoolhouseschool
21cemeteries and burying grounds inside Bar Harbor
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The town of Bar Harbor was founded on the northeast shore of Mount Desert Island, which the Wabanaki Indians knew as Pemetic, meaning "range of mountains" or "mountains seen at a distance." The Wabanaki seasonally fish, hunt and gather berries, clams, and other shellfish in the area. They speak of Bar Harbor as Man-es-ayd'ik ("clam-gathering place") or Ah-bays'auk ("clambake place"), leaving great piles of shells as evidence of this abundance. In early September 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain ran aground on a rock ledge believed to be Egg Rock, just off Otter Cliffs, and when he came ashore to repair his boat he met local natives. Champlain named the island Isles des Monts Deserts, meaning "island of barren mountains"—now called Mount Desert Island, the largest island in Maine.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bar Harbor. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1904Bar Harbor sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bar Harbor.
Every building
Bar Harbor, building by building, 1884–1916
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1763, according to Wikidata. Bar Harbor’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1800 counted 400 people here.
How does Bar Harbor rank for history?
Bar Harbor is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #18 of 143 in Maine. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Bar Harbor?
24 listings: 18 buildings, among them the Turrets, The (listed 1974, the first), and 6 historic districts with 42 contributing buildings. 65 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bar Harbor?
22% of Bar Harbor’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.4 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1985.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (8), the Library of Congress (12), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (24), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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c. 1912
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