Collections

William Otis Sawtelle Collections and Research Center

 

Acadia National Park staff and advisors standing in front of the original park administrative building, 1938.

NPS

Located in Bar Harbor at Park Headquarters, the center is dedicated to William Otis Sawtelle, founder of the Islesford Historical Museum on Little Cranberry Island. The center houses historic artifacts, archival documents related to the Town of Cranberry Isles, as well as the natural, cultural and administrative history of Acadia National Park and Saint Croix Island International Historic Site.

Research visits are available by advanced appointment only.
Prospective researchers can contact the Curator with questions here.
Please note research inquiries and requests may take up to one month.

You can visit Acadia's NP Gallery online digital museum portal showcasing a selection of our historic objects and archives.

 

About Our Collections

 

Our natural history collections include, but are not limited to: William H. Procter Invertebrate Collection, Ralph Long Ornithological Slide Collection, Harold White Odonata Collection, Daniel T. Jennings Arachnid Collection, Acadia National Park Bioblitz Collections.

Our cultural history collections include, but are not limited to: Cranberry Isles Collection, William Otis Sawtelle Collection, U.S. Lifesaving Station Collection, Carroll Homestead Collection, Saint Croix Island International Historic Site Records Collection, Islesford Wharf Islesford Collection Inc., Winter Harbor Naval Security Group Activity Collection.

Our archival collections include, but are not limited to: Acadia National Park Resource Management Records, George B. Dorr Personal Papers Collection, Leo Grossman Papers, Arthur Stupka Papers, Orinthological Papers of Barbara Patterson.