Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor Postal History
Hancock County, Maine

last update for this page: 27 July 2020

Maine Postal History ------ Waterville Stamp Club

Thank you for the contributions to this page from James Husson and from the Strout family collection.

During the history of the town of what is now Bar Harbor, there have been seven post offices.

Briefly, the history of these seven is as follows:
1. Bar Harbor post office was established on 18 April 1835, closed on 28 November 1836, and re-opened on 9 November 1838. On 1 June 1853, it was renamed as East Eden (2) post office. This was renamed as Bar Harbor post office on 9 June 1873 and is still operating.
2. East Eden (1) post office was established on 9 August 1850 and was renamed on 1 February 1851 as Salisbury Cove post office. Salisbury Cove post office closed on 31 January 1914, re-opened 29 April 1914, closed 15 October 1915, re-opened 13 December 1919, and is still operating.
3. Eden post office opened on 12 March 1821 and closed on 30 March 1920.
4. Hulls Cove post office opened on 12 August 1887 and is still operating.
5. Indian Point post office operated from 12 April 1883 until 17 January 1929.
6. U.S. Naval Radio Station Otter Creek post office operated during a period to be researched.
7. West Eden post office operated from 3 August 1853 until 14 January 1911.

In 1914, there were four post offices in what is now Bar Harbor: Bar Harbor, Eden, Hulls Cove, and Indian Point. (source: Post Route Map of the State of Maine 1914)

Click on image to enlarge.

Postmarks from the town of Bar Harbor include:

Bar Harbor
East Eden (1)

East Eden (2)
Eden

Hulls Cove
Indian Point

Salisbury Cove
U. S. Naval Radio Station Otter Creek

West Eden

Bar Harbor

1835 April 18:
   Bar Harbor post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1836 Novembr 28:
   Bar Harbor post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1838 November 9:
   Bar Harbor post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1853 June 1:
   Bar Harbor post office was renamed East Eden (2) post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1873 June 9:
   East Eden (2) post office was renamed as Bar Harbor post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

date?:
   Handritten on reverse is “Bar Harbor Post Office / on Cottage St.”.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1907 February 18 through 1908 August 16:
   The circular postmark is 22–23 mm in diameter. (image side of lower left card; image side of lower right card)

      Click on image to enlarge.

1934 May 4:
   The circular postmark is 20–21 mm in diameter. The six wavy lines to the right of the circle are just over 3 mm apart on center.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1946 June 12:
   The circular postmark is 21–22 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the six wavy lines to the right of the circle is 16–17 mm..

      Click on image to enlarge.

1984 September 26:
   The circular postmark is 20–21 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1999 February 10:
   The circular postmark is 34–37 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

2011 April 3:
   Bar Harbor post office:

      Click on image to enlarge.

today:
   Bar Harbor post office is still in operation.

Eden

1821 March 12:
   Eden post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1919 December 4:
   The circular postmark is 31–33 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1920 March 30:
   Eden post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

Hulls Cove

1887 August 12:
   Hulls Cove post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1946 June 12:
   The circular postmark is approximately 32 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is 18–19 mm.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1984 September 26:
   The circular postmark is approximately 32 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

2020:
   Hulls Cove post office. Hulls Cove, Maine 04644. Lat./Long.: N 44°24′17″ x W 68°14′44″.

      (click on image to enlarge)

today:
   Hulls Cove post office is still in operation.

Indian Point

1883 April 12:
   Indian Point post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1910 January 10:
   The circular postmark is approximately 28 mm in diameter. (image side of card)

      Click on image to enlarge.

1929 January 17:
   Indian Point post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

Salisbury Cove

1851 February 1:
   The former East Eden (1) post office was renamed as Salisbury Cove post office. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1906 October 17:
   The circular postmark is approximately 29 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1914 31 January:
   Salisbury Cove post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1914 April 29:
   Salisbury Cove post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1915 October 15:
   Salisbury Cove post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1919 December 13:
   Salisbury Cove post office re-opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1929 October 1:
   Spelling changed to Salsbury Cove. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1929 December 3:
   The circular postmark is 31–32 mm in diameter. The outside vertial height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is approximately 19 mm.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1984 September 26:
   The circular postmark is approximately 32 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

date?:
   Spelling changed to Salisbury Cove.

2018 June 10:
   Salisbury Cove post office

      Click on image to enlarge.

today:
   Salisbury Cove post office is still in operation.

West Eden

1853 August 3:
   West Eden post office opened. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)

1890 December 30:
   The circular postmark is 28–29 mm in diameter.

      Click on image to enlarge.

1909 April 13:
   The circular postmark is approximately 31 mm in diameter. The outside vertical height of the four horizontal bars to the right of the circle is 13–14 mm.

Click on image to enlarge.

1911 January 14:
West Eden post office closed. (source: Maine Philatelic Society. 1995. The Post Offices of Maine: A Rarity Guide.)