Cleftstone - Bar Harbor ME
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 44° 23.545 W 068° 13.276
19T E 562021 N 4915754
The Cleftstone Manor, originally a summer cottage, was built by the How family of Boston in 1880.
Waymark Code: WMD2KP
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 11/10/2011
Views: 8
The Cleftstone Manor, originally a summer cottage, was built by the How family of Boston in 1880. Charles T. How was an attorney and became the first real estate developer of Bar Harbor. Cleftstone Manor and Cleftstone Road were both named after the large stone with a cleft that sits on the Manor's grounds adjacent to Eden Street about fifty feet south of our entrance. In the late 1800's Cleftstone was referred to regularly as Cleftstone Cottage. The original cottage was actually two structures. There was a main house with six bedrooms and one bath, and a smaller building for the staff, which included a laundry room and bedroom. The architect who designed the home was Bruce Price. Price also designed the Turrets across the street and the well-known Chateau Frontenac hotel in Quebec. For much of the time that the How's owned Cleftstone it was actually used as a seasonal rental home. Prominent renters included Emmons Blaine, son of Secretary of State James G. Blaine, as well as Nathan Matthews of Boston. Joseph Pulitzer, the New York publisher and originator of the Pulitzer Prize, spent several summers at Cleftstone before purchasing his own cottage, Chatwold. He brought his own dining table and because of the unusual size chose to leave it here rather than move it.
In 1893, Frank Ellis, a lawyer from Cincinnati who spent considerable time in Washington as well, purchased Cleftstone. He and his wife Laura had summered in Bar Harbor at various rental properties for several years before purchasing Cleftstone. In 1894, Ellis undertook the first addition to the home, when we believe they added what we now think of as the servant's wing. This was not enough space however as they added on again in 1903, this time adding the ballroom and master bedroom above. The Ellises were supporters of President Taft and they hosted a reception for him when Taft visited Bar Harbor in 1911. The Ellises divorced in 1912 and Laura married Gist Blair of Washington in 1913. Blair was the son of Montgomery Blair, a member of President Lincoln's cabinet. According to the Bar Harbor Record, Gist was considered to be the most eligible bachelor in Washington. The Blair's primary residence was Blair House in Washington, located across the street from the White House. And of course they summered at Cleftstone. This continued through the early 1940's until Gist and Laura passed away. Blair House was sold to the government and it is used today as the official guesthouse of the White House. Cleftstone was left to the Blair's adopted daughter Laura Lawson Blair, and then transferred to Montgomery Blair, Jr. The Blair's did not use Cleftstone after 1942 and Monty Blair sold it to Josephine McCaffrey in 1947, just three days before the devastating fire of 1947.
McCaffery, from Boston, converted Cleftstone into a lodging establishment in 1948, and it has been an inn ever since. In the early years as an inn it was known as The Cleftstone Motor Inn. Since the 1980's it has been restored and refurnished in antiques and period pieces and has been known as Cleftstone Manor.
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