Cleftstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cleftstone
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 92 Eden St., Bar Harbor, Maine |
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| Area | 0.7 acres (0.28 ha) |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Bruce Price |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne style architecture in the United States, Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001192 |
| Added to NRHP | September 24, 1999 |
Cleftstone is a really old and special house in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was built way back in 1881 as a summer home. Later, in 1894, it was made even bigger.
This house is unique because it mixes different building styles. You can see parts of the Shingle style, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival styles all in one building! Today, Cleftstone is known as Cleftstone Manor. It's a hotel with seventeen guest rooms where people can stay. Because of its history and cool design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Contents
Discovering Cleftstone Manor's Design
Cleftstone is a big, two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It sits on the west side of Eden Street, right across from the College of the Atlantic. The building is long and rectangular, running parallel to the road.
What Does Cleftstone Look Like?
The roof of Cleftstone is quite busy and interesting. It has many different gables and dormer windows sticking out. There's also a part that sticks out on the northwest side. A large entrance porch is near the middle of the front of the house. You can also spot a cool, round tower at the northeast corner of the building. The back side of the house, facing away from the road, is simpler.
A Peek Inside Cleftstone Manor
The inside of Cleftstone shows off the different times it was built and changed. The main rooms downstairs are very fancy. They have beautiful wood designs from the latest changes, especially in the living room and dining room. You can still find older styles in other parts of the house. For example, one bedroom on the second floor has a fireplace mantel from the Queen Anne style.
The Fascinating History of Cleftstone
The oldest part of Cleftstone was built around 1880. It was made for the How family. Charles How, a member of this family, was a big real estate developer in Bar Harbor at the time.
Who Designed and Owned Cleftstone?
The design of the original house is thought to be by Bruce Price. He was an architect from Pennsylvania famous for designing summer homes. In 1894, John How sold Cleftstone to the Ellis family from Cincinnati. The Ellis family made the house bigger and changed it in 1894 and again in 1903.
Laura Ellis kept the house when she and her husband divorced in 1912. Her family sold Cleftstone to Joseph McCaffrey in 1947. Soon after, a big fire swept through the area. This fire destroyed all the other summer houses nearby, but Cleftstone survived! Joseph McCaffrey then opened the Cleftstone Manor Inn in 1948.
Staying at Cleftstone Manor
Today, Cleftstone Manor is a lovely hotel. It has seventeen guest rooms for visitors. There's also a formal dining room, a breakfast room, and comfy lounge areas. The property even has a swimming pool where you can relax and look out over Frenchman Bay.
