09/04/2026
Early morning at Ells Pier. 🌅
Named for Dr. John B. Ells, a longtime Bar Harbor dentist and civic leader, this pier is named after a man who had a pretty interesting connection to the town’s waterfront.
Dr. Ells chaired Bar Harbor’s Battleship Committee beginning in 1923 and became instrumental in bringing visiting naval ships to town. In 1946, he even helped bring the USS Missouri to Bar Harbor for a postwar exhibition. He had to guarantee 5,000 visitors a day. More than 16,000 people showed up over the three days the ship was here.
Naval visits weren't exactly quiet affairs either. They became major social occasions, with receptions, dinners, dances, and plenty of festivities throughout town. It’s hard to imagine the stories this waterfront could tell. For a deeper look at Dr. John B. Ells and the history of Bar Harbor’s waterfront, the Bar Harbor Historical Society is a great place to explore further.
📍 Ells Pier, Bar Harbor