Barn tour to throw open door on history 7 island structures go public Saturday

They evoke thoughts of a simpler time, when the area’s first settlers worked the land to provide for their families. They represent the hard work of our ancestors, whose grace and resilience weathered many obstacles, including more than a few harsh New England winters.

They are also rare evidence of the region’s agricultural heritage, which came long before Mount Desert Island became popular as a tourist destination.

This Saturday, seven of the island’s most historic and unique barns will be open for tours as the Mount Desert Island Historical Society hosts “Barns of Yesterday.” Organizers say the event will give visitors a chance to peek inside these historic structures and walk the grounds of the 19th century properties, most of which are privately owned.

“It is a way to see the island like you’ve never seen it before,” said Charlotte Singleton, the historical society’s executive director.

“We wanted to call attention to these barns because barns are disappearing very fast,” she said. Some have been razed to make way for development while others have been salvaged for their rugged timber and antique parts. “And some of them are just falling down,” she said.

Perhaps the most picturesque location in the event’s lineup is the Stone Barn on Crooked Road, near Salisbury Cove. Built in 1907 by Ellsworth masons the Shea brothers, the property features a first story built from glacial stone and granite, a traditional wood-beamed second story and a gambrel-style roof made of red tin. It has been photographed by countless tourists and featured in clothing catalogs for Nordstrom and L.L. Bean.

Another spot on the self-guided tour will be the Pooler Barn, which most locals know as the big yellow house on Route 3 in Bar Harbor. The 200-acre estate was once a working dairy farm. In 2004, the Mount Desert Island Housing Authority and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust purchased a portion of the property for $2 million with plans to build a cluster of affordable housing units for the island’s work force. The remainder of the parcel is still for sale.

Also included in the tour are the Peterson Barn on Norway Drive in Bar Harbor, the McCue Barn on Beech Hill Road in Mount Desert, the Parker Barn on Parker Farm Road in Somesville, and the Higgins Barn and the Richardson Barn, both on Oak Hill Road in Somesville.

While some of the barns were once part of dairy farms, others were used to house sheep, goats or horses.

“Each one of these barns has had a different use and different history,” Singleton said.

Barn restoration experts Arron Sturgis and Les Fossel will be at the Richardson farm and the Higgins farm, respectively, to discuss their craft.

Besides touring the buildings, participants will have an opportunity to see some of the old farming tools and vehicles once used at the historic properties and will be allowed to take photographs.

“Barns of Yesterday” will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $20 for all seven barns or $5 for a single barn. On the day of the event, admission will be $25 for the full tour or $5 for each barn. Children age 12 and under will be admitted free.

Tickets are available at the Bass Harbor Public Library, EBS Building Supplies in Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor Public Library, Port in a Storm Bookstore, Portside Bookstore, Sherman’s Bookstore, Southwest Harbor Public Library, Somesville Museum, Old School House & Museum, and the Mount Desert Island Historical Society. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Historical Society at 276-9323.