Blaine Letter Returns Home

Recently, we came upon this letter, written by Senator James G. Blaine, at auction. The subject is unremarkable, a brief note of thanks to one Theo F Reed for an unspecified favor. The significance of this particular item is that it was penned while Blaine was living at Ash Cottage during his presidential run. It almost certainly would have been written in his study at the home, where he spent considerable time answering “cords” of correspondence. Thankfully, few people need to have Blaine memorabilia these days so we were able to acquire the letter for the inn. After 138 years, we are delighted to return this small piece of history to the Mira Monte so that we may better tell the story of the many people who have stayed within its walls. We hope to have the letter on display soon. The note reads:

Personal

August 13, 1884
Bar Harbor, Maine

Theo F Reed, Esq.
Spring Valley, N.Y.

Dear Fr-

I thank you for your kind favor of the 1st instant, and I return the enclosure as requested.

Very truly yours

James G. Blaine

Mira Monte Receives “Traveler’s Choice” Award for 2022

Thank you to all our guests for helping make Mira Monte a Trip Advisor “Traveler’s Choice” for the third year in a row! Only the top 10% of all hotels are accorded this distinction, and we are grateful to all who have joined us through the years.

Peter Marie

One of Bar Harbor’s more colorful summer denizens was New York philantropist and socialite Peter Marie. His family, having made it’s fortune in banking, enabled Marie pursue a life of leisure relatively early in life. The consummate bon vivant, Marie was host to a variety of social activities throughout the summer colony. One of these, a ladie’s putting contest, was a regular event that was held on the back lawn of Mira Monte. The accompanying photo shows one such competition, circa 1900. These events were embued with all the pageantry of the guilded age- note the banners and floral garlands surrounding the green and the imported palms decorating the gallery. The ladies in the competition are seen elegantly attired in the latest 19th century “sportswear”.

The Chapman Family

Mira Monte History: In 1890, Mrs. Hannah Chapman, wife of eminent Philadelphia physician and naturalist Dr. Henry C. Chapman, bought the Ash Cottage from Orlando Ash to use as a permanent summer residence. Interestingly, title to the home was held in Mrs. Chapman’s name alone, a rare occurance prior to the turn of the century. Henry Chapman had been Professor of Medicine and Medical Jurisprudence at Jefferson Medical College and served as a director of Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences from 1875 until his death. Upon purchasing the cottage, the Chapmans added the Greek portico and columns that now surround the porch and renamed their estate Mira Monte, meaning “behold the mountains”.

Mrs. Chapman enjoyed entertaining, and Mira Monte was to become something of a social hub in those days, particularly for members of Philadelphia’s high society. An article in the society pages of the Philadelphia Enquirer describes a tea given at Mira Monte as the “most lavish social event of the season” at which Mrs. Chapman and the Countess de Laugier-Villars poured. While not unknown to the society pages himself, Dr. Chapman is remembered in Bar Harbor as first and foremost a humble and amiable man of science who “endeavored in every way in his power to minimize the distinction between the summer colony and the year-round residents” of the village. As recalled in memorium in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences:

“Here for nearly thirty years he pursued his studies of the flora and fauna of Mt. Desert island, the latter in a little laboratory on the water’s edge. Here the fishermen, all his devoted friends, brought whatever of interest they succeeded in securing from the waters.”

Chapman was also to play an active role in the civic life of the town and became a director of the local library.

After Dr. Chapman’s sudden death at the home in 1908, likely from a gastric ulcer, Hannah continued in the role of hostess until her passing on Christmas day, 1931, exactly 90 years ago.

Mira Monte’s “Almost” President

Each year we continue to discover new details that add to the rich history of the Mira Monte. New research by Bar Harbor Historian Brian Armstrong has revealed that the inn was the summer home of one of the preeminent politicians of the gilded age, James G Blaine, during the presidential campaign of 1884 . Though little discussed today outside academic circles, he was a household name to his contemporaries. Nicknamed “the plumed knight” Blaine held numerous public offices throughout his long and storied career including speaker of the house, United States senator and US secretary of state. A perennial presidential favorite, Blaine eventually secured the Republican nomination in 1884, the very year that he signed the lease for the Mira Monte. The accompanying newspaper illustration from this period depicts Blaine enjoying a leisurely buckboard ride. Amid the convivial chitchat of his companions, Blaine appears resolute, as if in contemplation of the impending battle. The inset captioned “Blaine’s Cottage” shows Mira Monte as it appeared in Blaine’s time; the profile of the house with it’s distinctive stacked bay windows and turret-like dormer easily recognizable despite the passage of time. Ultimately, the object of Blaine’s greatest aspiration was not to be his; following a bitter and scandal plagued campaign, Blaine lost the election to Grover Cleveland by a mere one quarter of one percent of the popular vote.

NEW YEAR DISCOUNT

Plan your summer or fall vacation early and receive a special rate of 15% off when you make your reservations NOW for any stay from May through October 2024. This is a limited-time offer which may be withdrawn at any time. Use promo code NEWYEAR2024 when making your reservation. Offer only good by booking directly on this website. Click here to BOOK NOW. Happy New Year!

Stay at Home Recipes- Mira Monte Popovers!

Stay at Home Recipes- Popovers! makes 10-12 medium popovers

Maine’s shelter-in-place directive has been extended until the end of May, so it looks like we’ll all be doing a lot more baking! You’d pay quite a bit for popovers at the local eateries, but you can make them yourself for just pennies. When it comes to popovers, success isn’t about fancy ingredients, it’s all about technique! It took me a few tries to come up with a recipe that I could live with, but I think this one’s a keeper. These popovers are nice and crusty on the outside, soft, light and eggy on the inside, with a nice cup-like shape. Enjoy!

Vegetable oil to coat pan
3/4 C all purpose flour
½ to ¾ teaspoon salt according to taste
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 1/4 C milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 450° F. Pour about 1 Tbsp cooking oil into each well of a muffin pan, generously coating the bottom and sides. Place in preheated oven for 5 minutes or until oil is hot.

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix to combine.

Combine the milk, butter and worcestershire in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for about 1 minute, allowing the butter to melt completely. Mixture should be warm but not hot. Add eggs and whisk to combine.

Gradually add the flour to the milk mixture and whisk until just combined. The mixture will be thin and a little lumpy- don’t over mix or a rubbery texture will result.

Pour batter into the hot muffin pans filling each cup halfway. Bake in oven for 10 minutes until the batter has puffed up and set. Reduce the temperature to 350° F and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes more until golden brown. Serve immediately with jam and butter.

Tips:

When making popovers, steam is the sole leavening agent so a hot oven and pan are imperative.
Heating the butter with the milk in a microwave results in a firmer crust that will resist deflating. Cold milk will yield lighter, souffle-like popovers.
Try adding some chopped herbs, blueberries or a little cheese for a creative twist.

We Offer the Best Rate on Our Website- Always!

Everywhere you look, there are a myriad of options for booking your vacation. From Expedia and Booking.com to Trivago and AirBNB, offers are everywhere. Most guests don’t realize that when they click on one of these links they are booking through an Online Travel Agency, or OTA, and not the inn they’ll be staying at. A Google survey of 1000 travelers found that 70% of travelers think they are going directly to a lodging website when they press the Book a Room button, but instead they are booking through an OTA.

OTAs such as Booking.com and Expedia charge commissions for a reservation. Unfortunately, the OTAs often have to pass those commissions along to you in the form of rates that are higher than on our site.

At the Mira Monte we can guarantee that our best rate is the one you’ll find when you book directly with us on our website. Not only can we guarantee the best rate, but we can also help you avoid common problems that guests encounter with an OTAs since you will be working directly with us and not an intermediary. You may also have access to special promotions and discounts not available through an OTA.

We appreciate your willingness to BOOK DIRECT and work with. Call us or click “book now” to make your reservation today!

Mira Monte Cares – Our COVID-19 Response

We understand that you may be anxious about the safety of traveling during these extraordinary times. We want to assure you that your safety and well being is our greatest concern.

Here are a few of the things we offer in order to protect our guests from COVID-19:

Private Entrances. Many of our ground-floor guest rooms have exterior entrances, allowing you to come and go without passing through common areas (Please see room descriptions to check for the availability of this feature).
No Contact Check-In. Keys are sanitized and distributed in clean envelopes. Guest receipts are delivered by email unless otherwise requested.
Decreased turnover. We be scheduling additional time between guest room bookings in order to facilitate sanitation and reduce overall building density.
“Grab and Go” breakfast. Consistent with the state mandate for COVID-19 prevention, we will be temporarily suspending our buffet-style breakfast in favor of individually packaged meals.
Increased Spacing in Dining Areas. We have removed several seats in our dining areas in order to help meet social distancing requirements.
Enhanced Sanitation Procedures. We’re taking even more time than usual to ensure that all our rooms are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between guests.
Frequent sanitizing. High-contact points in public areas such as stair rails, door handles, reception counters, bathrooms and dining tables receive extra attention.
Additional Staff Training. Our staff has received special training in sanitation techniques necessary to reduce the threat of COVID-19.
Hand sanitizer. We have placed hand sanitizer dispensers in common areas of the inn.

No environment can be completely sterile, but we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that your stay is both enjoyable and safe. As the situation continues to evolve, we will modify our policies accordingly.

Your Hosts,

Bruce and Cheryl

Give the Gift of Maine with a Mira Monte Gift Certificate!

For a limited time, we’re featuring an amazing offer on our Mira Monte Gift Certificates! From now through May, we’ll add an extra 25% value to any purchase! For example, when you purchase a $100 certificate, we’ll upgrade it to $125! Buy a $200 gift certificate and we’ll make it $250! These certificates have no expiration date, and you can use them for yourself or gift them to a friend. Call us today at (207) 288-4263 to take advantage of this special offer.