Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses - Bar Harbor, Maine
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 44° 19.150 W 068° 15.122
19T E 559645 N 4907595
Acadia National Park has an intricate network of carriage roads originally used to transport people using horse and carriage, and now used by hikers, bikers, and, horse carriages (still).
Waymark Code: WMPQP2
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 10/08/2015
Views: 6
On Mt. Desert Island, within Acadia National Park, is a network of dirt roads that are carriage roads that are now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Most of these carriage roads are within Acadia National Park. Fifty-seven miles of dirt roads run through protected woods. No motor vehicles, however, can travel on these roads. Bikers and hikers, and an occasional horse and carriage, can travel without needing to look out for them. A particularly dense knot of them are located near Jordan Pond House. This is where the waymark is located. At this location are several junctions one of the gate houses where the carriage road crosses the park loop. The gatehouse is a lovely brick, stone, and wood tudor style building. Another building like it is in the Schoodic Peninsula part of the park on the mainland.
The park was largely made possible through the conservation efforts of John D. Rockerfeller, Jr. He was inspired by by father (J.D.R., Sr.) who had roads built on his property in Ohio and New York. Between 1913 and 1940 John, Jr. developed the network. The roads were built with landscape preservation in mind. Roads were laid with minimal altering of mountain slopes. The roads are made such that the centers are higher than the edges for shedding of water and have several inches of rock topped with several more inches of gravel. On the side of the roads are coping stones which are similar to guard rails on motor roads. Also, there are 17 stone bridges to pass over the motorways.
Included is a link that is a map of these carriage roads.
Street address:
20 McFarland Hill Drive
Bar Harbor, ME Hancock
04609
County / Borough / Parish: Hancock
Year listed: 1979
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Person, Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1931, 1919
Historic function: Recreation And Culture, Transportation
Current function: Landscape, Transportation
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2015 To: 12/31/2015
Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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