Developed as a Summer Colony by James Terry Gardiner and his partner William Wiswell, Harbourside Inn was the first major project for architect Fred L. Savage, consisting of a communal dining building and seven cottages.  Fred L. Savage was a prominent architect in New England and designed over 300 cottages during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s with the majority being on Mount Desert Island.  Harbourside Inn was different from the other large hotels found in Bar Harbor and neighboring Asticou Inn, where the focus was on the primary communal building.  At Harbourside the idea was reversed and placed on the seven cottages, built more as speculation properties in the hopes that prominent families would purchase or rent them and continue to summer in Northeast Harbor.

The building that we call Harbourside Inn today was originally one of the seven cottages, and was specifically designed for Thomas Coster.  Coster later purchased the Harbourside Summer Colony developement and operated the business and restaurant as Harbourside Inn with his wife for 20 years.  Mr. Coster was an Englishman, hence the English spelling of Harbourside Inn.

The Inn was purchased in 1927 by Emily Philips Reynolds, a relative of architect Fred L. Savage.  Emily Reynolds ran the Inn and restaurant for many years and then passed the business on to her daughter Mildred Gilley, who operated it until 1977.  During the later years when Mildred Gilley ran the Inn, the surrounding properties were divided and sold and the dining room was turned into the main office and innkeepers residence.  At which time improvements were made to the Inn including adding additional bathrooms and kitchenettes to many of the rooms.

John and Geraldine Sweet purchased Harbourside Inn from Mildred Gilley in 1977.  Over the years with the help of daugher-in-laws Ann and Gretchen Sweet the Inn welcomed many guests.  Today the Inn is managed and operated by Gerrie and John’s grandchildren, Christine, Megan and Michael Sweet, who grew up in Northeast Harbor with Harbourside as a family home and gathering place.  Harbourside Inn has always been a big part of their lives and they strive to maintain the character and beauty of this historical Inn.