La Rochelle is a Georgian Revival mansion built in 1902-1903 and is the only brick estate built on the ocean side of West Street in Bar Harbor. In 2019 the Bar Harbor Historical Society purchased the estate with a desire to preserve the building and grounds for future generations. Before the transformation into a museum took place, Kim Swan, owner of Swan Hospitality Group and a historical society board member, invited 16 of Maine’s top designers to transform nine of La Rochelle’s rooms into The 2019 Designer’s Show house and visitors could see and experience La Rochelle for the first time. Work has continued since then and the Bar Harbor Historical Society has transformed La Rochelle into a museum, housing fascinating collections from Bar Harbor’s history! I am pleased to have been able to document this evolution.
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