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The Jesup Archive & Special Collections

The Jesup’s archival holdings amount to an almost-unknown and completely untapped source for research on the history of Acadia and Mount Desert Island.

Currently, most of these items are on long-term loan, divided between several archive facilities throughout the state. It is our plan to unite these materials and give them a permanent home in the Jesup’s planned expansion. This treasure trove of Island history will be returned to our community, housed in state-of-the-art facilities that are open to all.

Collection Highlights

The Jesup is in possession of a unique set of papers chronicling the development and creation of Acadia National Park, a gift to us from Douglas B. Chapman. At its core this collection comprises:

Correspondence among John D. Rockefeller, Jr., George Dorr, Luere Deasy, Albert Lynam and others

Papers documenting land transactions

Additional information depicting life on the island during the park’s seminal years.

In addition, there are more than 400 maps and a not-yet-itemized number of additional original documents from life in Bar Harbor 100 years ago.

Maine Vertical File

The Maine Vertical File is a compilation of historical material in the collection of the Jesup Memorial Library, in a variety of formats, mostly pertaining to Mount Desert Island but also including information about people, places, and events throughout Maine.  Many of these items are one-of-a-kind or no longer available through other sources. There are physical files at the Jesup and now the contents of the Vertical File are featured in the catalog of The History Trust.

 The History Trust

The Jesup is proud to be a founding member of the History Trust, a consortium of institutions that have joined together to steward historical archives of the Mount Desert Island region.

History Trust member organizations work together to improve collections care, enhance digital and physical access, and engage the public to better understand and use these essential, irreplaceable historical and cultural resources.

The Jesup is proud to serve as a member together with the Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association, College of the Atlantic, Great Cranberry Island Historical Society, Great Harbor Maritime Museum, Islesford Historical Society, Maine Seacoast Mission, Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Seal Cove Auto Museum, Southwest Harbor Historical Society, Swan’s Island Educational Society, and Tremont Historical Society.

Visit historytrust.org to learn more and search the archive.

Newspaper Archive

The Jesup has issues of the Mount Desert Herald from 1882 to 1891, the Bar Harbor Record from 1887 to 1917, the Bar Harbor Times from 1919 to 1970 and from 1980 to 2009 and the Mount Desert Islander from 2004 to present. Issues of the Bar Harbor Times (1881 to 1994 and 1996 to 2007) are also on microfilm.

There is a digital newspaper archive available through the History Trust. Click here select “Search Archive.”

The Planned Jesup Archive

Our expansion plans include a 1,400-square-foot area to house our collection and other rare materials, with space to accommodate future donated items and materials from partnering organizations that they lack the space to store.

There will be a climate- and access-controlled archival repository, areas for historic books and papers, a section for genealogy materials, and a quiet study room with views of Dorr and Cadillac mountains.

When he donated material on the foundation of Acadia National Park to the Jesup, Douglas Chapman had a vision that our archive be a destination in Bar Harbor for serious students of history and those who want to delve into our island’s story.

Click here to learn more.