The Ark stands on land shaped by centuries of life. Long before
Europeans arrived on Deer Isle, this was the ancestral territory of the Wabanaki Confederacy, specifically the Penobscot Nation, whose deep knowledge of these waters sustained communities for thousands of years. We honor and recognize their enduring presence and invite reflection on this deeper story.

Since 1793, The Ark has offered a blend of historic character and warm hospitality on Deer Isle. Ignatius Haskell built his family’s post-colonial home here in 1793, with clapboard siding and a gambrel roof. Local residents nicknamed the house “The Ark” for its larger scale, its position on high ground, and its relationship to the surrounding water. Nearly a century later, Haskell descendants converted the home into a boarding house and adopted the nickname as its official name. The family maintained the property until World War II.