The Creation & Growth of Acadia National Park

The definitive book about the creation of Acadia National Park, written by a decendent of one of the first families to settle on Mount Desert Island.

Acadia National Park, visited by nearly 3 million vacationers each year, has a fascinating history that includes some of the richest and brightest Americans, as well as an army of hardworking men and women responsible for the painstaking construction. This book provides an extensive history of the creation and construction of this beautiful Park, with details about the controversies, the architects and engineers, and the magnificent stone bridges constructed throughout the Park.

For everyone who’s ever been to Acadia National Park, or plans to visit it, this is a book well worth reading. Native son Paul Richardson tells the remarkable story of wealthy visionaries and talented craftsmen who worked together to protect the natural landscape as they built remarkable stone bridges and carriage and motor roads. As you read, you’ll walk through the Park with the author, meet the stone cutters and carpenters, engineers, and farsighted donors such as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The drawings and technical detail provided in the appendix illustrate the challenges of construction and the singular beauty of each bridge.

—Charlotte Singleton, executive director, Mount Desert Island Historical Society