Plaque 11: Fire of 1933

“May 7, 1933 was a peaceful spring Sunday in the city of Ellsworth. As residents prepared to retire for the night, they did not realize peace and serenity were about to be broken by a fire alarm. In the short span of about 6 hours, the center of Ellsworth would simply vanish. The Great Fire of Ellsworth 1933 would take approximately 130 building and extend nearly a mile from its origin. At the height of the depression and with the banks closed, would Ellsworth be able to recover?”

1. The great fire of Ellsworth came during the Depression when banks were closed.

2. There had been several suspicious fires recently in the City.

3. The fire started in a theater behind Main Street and quickly spread due to dry conditions and a strong wind.

4. Merchants tried to save some of their stock, homeowners took out precious items.

5. Firefighters arrived from many neighboring towns, Including Bangor. Water was pumped from the Union River. Citizens formed “bucket brigades.”

6. 130 homes, businesses and barns businesses burned in the blaze which spread nearly a mile from its beginning in the downtown. The biggest financial loss was yachts burned in two boathouses on the banks of the Union River.

7. In an attempt to stop the fire spread, a house was dynamited, which led to gutting of Hancock Hall, the city’s municipal building and local center for major events.

8. The business community set up temporary quarters on “Emergency Avenue” as they planned for re-building.

Plaque 12: Women in Business

· Ann Jarvis Greeley (1831-1914) Ann, the granddaughter of Colonel John Black, became one of Ellsworth’s first and most successful businesswoman.

· At twenty she purchased a local dry goods store and grew the business to carry high quality women’s millinery and fancy goods.

· In 1895 she was specially authorized by the State legislature to practice medicine. She was also well known as a supporter of temperance, and of the women’s right to vote.

· Mary Ann Clark (1869-1943) Mary Ann grew up in Ellsworth and after graduating from High School in 1877, went to New York to study art.

· Unable to make a living as an artist, she returned to New York to study Botany.

· In 1894 Mary Ann began to work for Anne BC Dutton as a gardener. In 1899 Mary Ann purchased Mrs. Dutton’s greenhouses and stock and moved it to her residence on Park Street.

· M.A. Clark, Inc was founded and remained a thriving business until the late1900’s.

· Assunta Rigali Luchini (1875 – 1951) Born in Fornaci di Barga, Italy, Assunta moved to the United States in 1901with her husband Joseph and daughter Josephine.

· After Joseph’s untimely death in 1906, Assunta, now with 4 young children, took over the family business against the advice of her family who urged her to return to Italy. With the help of her nephew Antonio Bernadini, Assunta grew the business to include restaurants in Ellsworth and Bar Harbor.

Photo’s of all three women

Plaque 13: Main Street

· Before the fire of 1933, Tourist homes were a predominant feature in Ellsworth serving as hotels for travelers to the region.

· The American House was one such home, built in 1836 by Benjamin Tinker and located on Main Street.

· Downtown Ellsworth was rebuilt after the great fire of 1933 and has MOSTLY remained as it was built.

· The “modern look” of Main Street was a reflection of America in the 1930’s. There were three service stations, a Pontiac dealership, and The Grand.

Grand Theater

· The Grand was designed by Boston architects Krokyn & Brown, and is a single-story brick building that included five storefront spaces and a rear two-story auditorium, designed for showing movies, with an original capacity of 730 patrons.

· The theatre entrance has flanking sections of polished granite and black Vitrolite glass which house display cases for playbills, set on either side of a recessed entrance area consisting of a pair of doorways on either side of a ticket booth.

· It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an example of Art Deco design.

· The theater, was built in 1938, provided multiple commercial spaces and a theater.

· Ellsworth City Council decided that Ellsworth needed a downtown theater in 1937.

· The Grand Theater was built by William McPherson of Bangor, and designed by Krokyn and Browne, noted Boston theater architects for owner and manager Samuel Kurson of Bangor, head of Graphic Theater Circuit.

Photos looking down main street prior to the fire, American house (tourist house), Grand

Plaque 14: S.K. Whiting Park

Samuel Kidder Whiting (1817 – 1882) An investor in sailing vessels and a member of a large mercantile family with branches in Castine and Ellsworth. Samuel lived in Castine. In 1822 Jarvis Whiting (Samuel’s father) built a tavern on the site of the current SK Whiting Park which served the needs of travelers. The tavern was later used as a home and moved to the neighboring lot. (see photo)

The corner lot became the site of the Unitarian Church.

The Unitarian Church designed by S.S. Woodcock Architects of Boston and built by I & O W. Kent in 1866-67. The Church was dedicated on August 28, 1867. In September 1875 the Unitarian Social and Benevolent Society (originally known as the Women’s Sewing Circle) raised the funds to add a vestry to the Church. The funds were raised in two months and the Church was lifted and the vestry was built under the original building. The Church fell into disrepair and was torn done in 1971 to make way for a Dunkin’ Donuts.

Source: Wayne Smith

Plaque 15: The Railroad and Larry’s Pastry Shop

A Rail line was completed to Ellsworth in 1884 for the Shore Line Railroad passenger trains. Soon, there was an extension of the line to McNeil Point in Hancock, where train passengers boarded a ferry for a short trip to Bar Harbor.

1. The rail line was later extended to Washington County, for both passenger and freight service.

2. When Maine Central took over the rail service, a new brick depot was built in 1928, replacing a 1912 Victorian-style station.

3. Passenger service continued into the 1950’s, and freight service until 1984.

Larry’s Pastry Shop

1. Larry Pelletier, Sr. started his bakery business in a small building in 1955. Offering quality baked goods, a new building was erected in 1968 on the same lot.

2. Those growing up in Ellsworth in the 50’s and 60’s remember well visiting the bakery.

3. Larry’s Pastry Shop closed in 2006, a sad day in Ellsworth.

Photos Larry’s / Railroad