Remote Meetings
Bar Harbor, ME United States of America
Due to the pandemic, we are currently meeting via Zoom. Join us on Wednesdays at Noon, except for the first Wednesday of the month when we meet at 5:00 pm (check Facebook or the speakers list on this page for the topics presented).
I hope your week is off to a great start! This Wednesday at Noon we will be joined by Carolyn Rapkievian, the Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Historical Society.
After George Dorr, "the father of Acadia National Park" passed away in August 1944, the Town of Bar Harbor held a public exhibition celebrating his life and the history of the Park and Bar Harbor. Due to the overwhelming positive response to this exhibition, the Bar Harbor Historical Society was founded in 1946 with the first physical location established in a small room under the stairs in the Jesup Library. Since then, it has grown substantially thanks in large part to the dedication and hard work of former Executive Director Debbie Dyer.
According to BHHS, “Over the past several decades, BHHS has been established as the leading repository of narrative and physical history of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island. BHHS works with other local organizations to provide historical programming and with the seasonal tourist industry to provide a gateway into local history. More recently, BHHS has expanded its reach into the production of historical documentaries focused on important MDI inflection points. “
On April 3, 2019, the BHHS Board of Directors finalized the purchase of La Rochelle, a 13,000 square foot Greek Revival brick estate on the National Register of Historic Places. There was an immediate need and an opportunity to preserve an iconic architectural masterpiece that is such an important piece of Bar Harbor's past. The BHHS permanent collection was moved to La Rochelle in the fall of 2019.
This image is courtesy DownEast Magazine.
La Rochelle Mansion and Museum has been established as a must see for visitors including tourists, students, residents, and as a gathering place for community events. We look forward to welcoming Carolyn to learn more about how it will also be a repository and research center for historic documents, books, photographs, artwork, furnishings and other important memorabilia from Bar Harbor and MDI's colorful past. Watch your inbox for Zoom details. I hope to see you on Wednesday!
Finally, we would like to add a section to our Bulletin with member news. Since we are not able to be together in person, many life events can pass without support or celebration. If you have news about yourself (or a fellow Rotarian) that you wish to share, please email me at stefanie@skogcottage.com. Martha and I will make sure it is shared in the next Bulletin.
