At the edge of the Cadillac Summit Loop Road, a wayside exhibit features a panel angled atop a rectangular stone base.
The exhibit's title, "Mountaintop Retreat," appears over a historic photograph of a square-shaped cottage with three stories. A cupola, dormers, and a wraparound porch add detail to the structure.
A caption reads: "In 1883 Bangor entrepreneur Frank Clergue built the Summit House as part of his cog railway operation."
A quote: "A small but comfortable cottage has been erected where one can dine or spend the night." - Clara Barnes Martin, Mount Desert on the Coast of Maine, 1867
Text explains: "Like a giant magnet, Cadillac Mountain's summit has attracted people for thousands of years. Sightseers journey here to enjoy magnificent views of the ocean and islands, and scientists come to record topographical and environmental data. Before the national park was established a series of hotels sprung up on the rocks to provide food and lodging. Today increasing numbers of motor vehicles present new challenges to protecting" this summit's habitat and its unique experiences.
More text lists milestones for Cadillac's Summit through the years:
1853: US Coast Survey establishes a triangulation station at the summit. A rough road is built to haul equipment to the station.
1861: Local landowner Daniel Brewer builds a passable "Buckboard road" to the summit and charges fees.
1867: Brewer erects a small hotel on the summit called the Green Mountain House. A photo shows a plain barn-like structure.
1883: Businessman Frank Clergue constructs the Green Mountain Railway from Eagle Lake to the summit's middle peak.
1883 to 1884: Clergue completes the summit's second hotel, Summit House, adjacent to Green Mountain House and near railroad's terminus.
1884: The Summit House and Green Mountain House burn down.
1885: A third hotel, the Summit Hotel, boasts of three stories and an octagonal-shaped cupola.
1888 to 1889: Green Mountain Carriage Road Company builds a new, alternate carriage road to the summit.
1889 to 1891: US Signal Service opens a seasonal weather station using the Summit Hotel's third floor.
1890: Green Mountain Railway closes.
1908: George B. Dorr facilitates the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations' acquisition of 85 acres of summit area from the Brewer's heirs.
1929 to 1932: National Park Service constructs a motor road to the summit. A photograph shows a motorcar parked on the summit; nearby, a woman sits on a boulder.
