Oldfarm 8: Sieur de Monts National Monument

Oldfarm's flower garden

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

44.374255, -68.192761

Sieur de Monts National Monument

The Antiquities Act of 1906 was a groundbreaking piece of legislation that gave U.S. presidents the authority to designate national monuments on federal land to protect “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest.” Although originally intended to safeguard Native American archaeological sites in the Southwest, the Act quickly became a powerful tool for conservation across the country.

By 1913, more than 5,000 acres of land had been assembled on Mount Desert Island, thanks largely to the efforts of George B. Dorr and the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations. After three years of negotiation in Washington, President Woodrow Wilson, using the power of the Antiquities Act, signed a proclamation on July 8, 1916, officially establishing Sieur de Monts National Monument. This marked the first time federal protection was granted to land east of the Mississippi River for its natural and scenic value.

This designation came just seven weeks before the creation of the National Park Service, marking a pivotal moment in American conservation history. Dorr’s work didn’t end there; he continued advocating for greater protection, eventually leading to the monument’s redesignation as Lafayette National Park in 1919, and finally its renaming as Acadia National Park in 1929.

A self-guided video tour of the Oldfarm site at Acadia National Park.

Duration:

47 seconds

Station Eight of the Oldfarm Video Tour