In the summer of 1887, the Mount Desert Reading Room became America’s foremost summer social scene. Designed by renowned Boston architect William Ralph Emerson, the building sat on Birch Point with unobstructed views of Frenchman Bay.
During its 132-year history, this iconic building has been a private oasis for the rich and powerful, a military headquarters, a refuge of healing and hope, one of the first hotels to rise from the ashes, and today, one of Maine’s finest oceanfront resorts.
Please enjoy a tour of the historic images that have shaped the Bar Harbor Inn you are visiting today.
