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Seal Harbor more Beautiful and Attractive than Ever. Seal Harbor, on the ocean side of Mount Desert Island, with an unsurpassed view of the broad Atlantic, a sheltered harbor, and beautiful drives, is putting on the finishing touches for a prosperous season. This little village has until very recently, been one of the quietest resorts on the island, content to harbor only those people who sought its seclusiveness and making little if any advancement. Seal Harbor of today bears but little resembl ance to that embiyonic resort. Only five years ago, acres upon acres of the place, now honeycombed with beautiful drives and ornamented with handsome summer mansions, was a track of wild woodland with here and there a bridle path. Seal Harbor owes its exis tence as an ideal summer resort, to the enterprise and wealth of Mr. George Cooksey and his business partner, Mr. George L. Stebbins, both of New York, who have proven themselves wise and efficient promoters. Mr. Cooksey built the first cottage and purchased a large strip of land bordering along the shore for a distance of two miles. His own cottage was built near the ocean shore on a high ledge and is an ideal situation for such a summer home as Glengarriff. Across his land, and as close as possible to the shore, Mr. Cooksey built entirely at his own expense the famous Sea Cliff road. The high rock-bound shore afforded unusual natural facilities for the engineers to lay out a picturesque drive. In several places it might have been possible to build the road at less expense, but in order to preserve a particularly beautiful spot or picturesque point of headland, Mr. Cook sey would insist on the road being carried around that point and expense was not spared. The glories of the ocean, and the mountains of Mt. Desert are nowhere more fully revealed than when one slowly rides around the Sea Cliff road, as it was the privilege of one of the RECORD repre sentatives to do one day last week, accom panied by Mr. Stebbins, whose enthu siasm for the beauties of Mt. Desrt Island and especially Seal Harbor, is con tagious. The Sea Cliff drive was not the only piece of road building undertaken by Mr. Cooksey. His property was well opened up by short roads built off the main road. On these are already located several beau tiful cottages and more will be added in the near future. Seal Harbor is to have a library build ing this year. In a little delta made by the Sea Chit drive and the road leading to the steamboat wharf, a pretty little one story building is being erected. The new building is built entirely by subscrip tion, even the workmen, who are residents of Seal Harbor, contributing part of their time. The land on which it stands was the gift of Mr. George Cooksey and Mr. C.Af. Clement. Mr. William ‘L. Par tridge of New York, is the architect. This library is a decided addition to the place, and when completed will be sup plied with books, also the gift of the sum mer visitors. The cottagers have already commenced to arrive for the summer, Dr. and Mrs. E.K. Dunham and family in Dunham cottage and Dr. and Mrs. C. A. Herter in Cooksey cottage, number two, being the first to come. In the family of Dr. Dunham, Miss Violet Westcott is visiting. Miss Westcott is the daughter of the late E. N. Westcott, author of David Harum, the popular book of the day. Mr. and Mrs. 5. F. Boggs of Harris burg, Pa., have opened Meenaggha Lodge, their pretty summer cottage, and Mr. S. F. Barr accompanies them. Mrs. Alden of New York, has also arrived and is oc cupying the Griswold cottage. Mr. George Cooksey will not occupy Glengarriff during the coming season as he will visit in the Adirondacks instead. His cottage will be occupied by his son in-law, Mr. Richard M. Hoe. Mr. Hoe is to build a cottage at Seal Harbor this sum mer having selected a beautiful site on Sea Cliff drive opposite Dr. E. K. Dunham’s cottage. The Rev. William Adams Brown of New York, will also build a ‘summer home this season near Mr. Hoe’s lot. Canere Hastings is designing the new cottage for Mr. Hoe, and Mr. Brown is having plans for his made by F. L. Sav age of Bar Harbor. Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Batchelder of Cambridge, who occupied Cooksey cot tage number two last year, have become permanent summer residents at Seal Har bor, a beautiful cottage on Rowland road having just been completed for them. Mrs. Batchelder spent a few days in Seal Harbor last week getting the cottage in readiness for occupancy. The Batch elders are expected the first of June. Prof. S. F. Clarke of Williams college, Williamstown, Mass., is building a cot tage on the very summit of Lookout ledge, the highest elevation in Seal Har bor. Eyre is the name of Prof. Clarke’s sightly new home. Dr. Theodore Dunham
Newspaper Details
Bar Harbor Record
Bar Harbor, Maine, US
Wed, May 31, 1899
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 15 Sep 2026
Other Publications Near Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor Times
Bar Harbor Record
Bar Harbor Mount Desert Herald
