1956 Map of Bar Harbor

About this map

Acadia National Park dominates this mid-century coastal survey, illustrating the complex geography of Mount Desert Island and the surrounding Frenchman Bay. This era shows the well-established tourist infrastructure of Bar Harbor, including the Bar Harbor Ferry Terminal and the winding Park Loop Road which provides access to notable interior sites like Sieur de Monts Spring and the Abbe Museum. The map captures a moment before modern development altered many of these coastal enclaves, showing smaller settlements such as Gerrishville and South Gouldsboro in high detail. Across the bay, the Schoodic Peninsula remains remarkably isolated, featuring the U S Naval Res and the prominent Schoodic Head. To the south, the Cranberry Isles are clearly delineated, with the village of Islesford on Little Cranberry Island and the lonely light of Baker Island guarding the entrance to the harbor, reflecting the maritime reliance of these island communities.