Pictured at the Dane Farm site are Lili Pew, Friends of Acadia board member; Jason Irwin, Friends of Acadia Chief Financial Officer; Kevin Schneider, Acadia National Park Superintendent; Eric Stiles, Friends of Acadia President and CEO; and Margaret Jeffery, Friends of Acadia board member. (Photo by Shannon Bryan/Friends of Acadia)

Construction has begun at Dane Farm in Seal Harbor to build much-needed housing for Acadia National Park’s seasonal employees.

Friends of Acadia acquired the 4-acre parcel of land located on the northern end of Jordan Pond Road in September from Seal Harbor Properties, LLC. The property, located within Acadia National Park’s administrative boundary, had been used as a gravel pit used for materials and equipment storage. But it will soon be home to eight of Acadia’s seasonal employees!

Friends of Acadia retained E.L. Shea Builders & Engineers, headquartered in Ellsworth, to construct a primary residence with five bedrooms and an accessory dwelling with three bedrooms.

Construction is expected to last 10 to 12 months, and when completed, Friends of Acadia will donate the land and buildings to Acadia National Park for long-term ownership and management.

Construction recently began at the Dane Farm Site. (Photo by Shannon Bryan/Friends of Acadia)

Seasonal employees are essential to operating the park and providing visitor services from April through October. But the lack of affordable seasonal workforce housing has been a key factor in the park’s inability to fill its seasonal positions over the last several years. That’s why Friends of Acadia partnered with the National Park Service (NPS) to address the park’s housing crisis.

“Dane Farm is a key piece to solving a complex puzzle,” said Friends of Acadia President and CEO Eric Stiles. “This is positive progress and we’re thrilled to be forging ahead with construction. I want to thank the residents of the Seal Harbor community who shared their input on the project design and asked good questions at our community meetings in recent months. I can’t wait to see the great work at Acadia National Park being performed by the seasonals who will be fortunate to call Dane Farm their home!”

Learn more about the Dane Farm project: FOA Purchases Land in Seal Harbor for Acadia Seasonal Workforce Housing

Read more why seasonal workforce housing is so critical to Acadia: Friends of Acadia Partners to Provide Seasonal Housing Solutions

Additional Coverage:

Work begins on Acadia seasonal housing – via MDIslander

Construction starts on seasonal housing units near Acadia National Park – via MaineBiz