Acadia National Park superintendent Kevin Schneider (Photo by Ashley L. Conti)

“What is the hidden gem of Acadia National Park?”

That’s one of the questions I am most often asked. Truth be told, I never quite know how to answer it.

Acadia National Park is filled with awe-inspiring places, but I think one of the most unique places in Acadia is an unassuming cabin tucked into the woods of Southwest Harbor.

The Carroll Homestead is a part of Acadia that has the ability to transport you back in time and provide a glimpse of life on Mount Desert Island 200 years ago.

Built by the Carroll family in 1825, the homestead tells the story of hardworking settlers who farmed the land and raised families in this rugged coastal environment. Walking through the site, you’ll see how people lived simply through hard work and how they made the most of what nature provided.

Whenever I visit the Carroll Homestead, I notice the dichotomy between the simple, stoic cabin and the lively sounds of children learning and playing on the front lawn.

My mind goes back in time, too, and I can picture John and Rachel Carroll corralling their children into the house for dinner as dusk cascades over the trees. It’s a beautiful reminder that people are at the heart of the cultural resources we work so hard to protect.

That idea is underscored when you talk to a ranger at the site about the Carrolls and learn about their grit, connection to the landscape, and commitment to community. In a lot of ways, the Carroll family is emblematic of so many attributes of Mainers today.

It’s a powerful experience to see pieces of you and your loved ones reflected in people from our collective past.

When you are here, it’s easy to see that so many pieces of the human experience really do transcend time. Protecting the Carroll Homestead means keeping these stories alive for future generations.

It’s so much more than just an old house—it’s a window into the past that helps us understand how settler communities grew and thrived here long before Acadia became
a national park. By caring for this historic site, we preserve a piece of Maine and give visitors a chance to connect with some of the people who loved and cared for Acadia before us.

The wooden farmhouse needs careful structural stabilization, including repairs to the foundation, framing, roofing, and exterior siding to prevent further deterioration. Because of generous donations raised during the 2025 Paddle Raise at Friends of Acadia’s Annual Benefit, we are able to do just that.

We recently began working with the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center to better understand what needs to be done to restore the cabin.

Starting this summer, skilled historic preservationists will come to the park with preservationists in training, providing them with a hands-on experience to better understand the craft of bringing cultural resources back to life.

This humble farmhouse reminds us that history lives in the details—and it’s up to us to keep those details from fading away. Restoring Carroll Homestead will allow us to safeguard a rare window into Maine’s past and keep these stories of resilience and community alive for generations to come.