A view from the estate “Arcady,” named after a musical composition created by Anne Paul Nevin. Photo courtesy of Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection.
Nov. 10, 2026
Correction: Due to an editing error, the original version of this story incorrectly stated that Arcady was built by Mr. Ethelbert Nevin. It was his wife, Anne Paul Nevin, who built the home. We apologize for the error.
BLUE HILL—This view from Mrs. Anne Paul Nevin’s estate looks toward Blue Hill Mountain. Mrs. Nevin’s husband, Ethelbert, was a popular composer of parlor music who died in 1901. In 1911, Nevin named her home “Arcady” after one of his compositions.
Around this time, Blue Hill became known for its musicians. Conductor Franz Kneisel, having acquired a cottage in the colony, entertained violinist Fritz Kreisler, critic Henry Krehbiel, and other colleagues, many of whom then bought or rented cottages.
The musicians set a tone that attracted artists and academics rather than stuffed shirts and financiers. However, summer residents, as a rule, were still quite comfortable. In addition to the usual run of Bostonians and New Yorkers, there were a number of families from western Pennsylvania and Ohio with money derived from iron and steel.
In the early 1900s, spacious cottages were sprouting up on Parker Point, in East Blue Hill, and elsewhere. Aside from a few grand manses, most displayed an appearance of greater size and extravagance than they delivered internally or structurally.
“BACKSPACE” is a partnership between the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport and The Rising Tide that showcases the unique coastal and maritime history of our towns in and around the Blue Hill Peninsula. For more information about the Penobscot Marine Museum, please visit their website.
