Eegonos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Eegonos
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 145 Eden St., Bar Harbor, Maine |
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| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Med. 2nd Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000223 |
| Added to NRHP | January 15, 1980 |
Eegonos, also known as East of Eden, is a beautiful old summer house in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was built in 1910 by a famous architect named Guy Lowell from Boston. This house is special because it survived a huge fire in 1947 that destroyed many other summer homes in Bar Harbor.
Eegonos shows off two fancy building styles: Beaux Arts and Mediterranean Revival. Because of its unique design and history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it's an important historical site worth protecting.
Contents
What Does Eegonos Look Like?
Eegonos sits right by the water on Frenchman Bay. It's about 3 miles (5 km) north of the center of Bar Harbor.
The House's Shape and Style
The house has 2 and a half stories and is shaped like the letter "H". It has a main part in the middle with two sections sticking out on each side.
- The section facing southeast has a porch on the first floor. This porch is held up by pairs of tall, fancy columns.
- The building is made of stone and covered in a smooth finish called stucco.
- It has a bright red tile roof, which is very common in Mediterranean-style buildings.
- The roofs on the side sections are sloped, while the middle section has a roof that slopes down on two sides. This middle roof has four small windows, called dormers, on both the land and ocean sides.
Inside Eegonos
The inside of Eegonos is very elegant and grand.
- When you walk in, there's a hallway with a floor made of shiny marble.
- The fireplaces are decorated with beautiful marble and wood.
- The ceilings have detailed designs, including decorative borders and round ornaments.
- The house has not changed much since it was built, keeping its original charm.
The Story of Eegonos
The land where Eegonos stands has an interesting history.
From Sonogee to Eegonos
- The first summer house on this spot was called "Sonogee." Sadly, it burned down just two years after it was built.
- Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Ladd then hired the famous architect Guy Lowell to design a new house.
- This new house was finished in 1910. The Ladds decided to call it "Eegonos," which is "Sonogee" spelled backward!
A House That Survived
- In 1910, an architecture magazine wrote about Eegonos. It also mentioned another building Lowell designed in Bar Harbor, Eden Hall, which was a performance hall.
- Sadly, Eden Hall was destroyed in the big 1947 fire that swept through Bar Harbor.
- Eegonos, however, was one of the few large summer homes that survived that devastating fire.
- The Ladd family owned the house until 1949.
- Later, from 1959 to 1975, Eegonos was used as a dormitory for students attending a French language school.
