Photo / Courtesy, The Jackson Laboratory
In 1955, students of the lab’s summer program relax at HighSeas.
Updated: September 5, 2024
Above the high seas, the HighSeas mansion of Jackson Lab will be getting some TLC
Photo / Courtesy, The Jackson Laboratory
HighSeas, a residential and educational building for the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, is due for some refurbishment.
A century or so of salt air can really take a toll on a building. So it's no wonder that a 112-year-old mansion belonging to the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor is due for some refurbishment.
Earlier this summer, the biomedical research institute launched a $750,000 fundraising effort for HighSeas, a 40-room estate overlooking Frenchman Bay and since 1951 serving as a residence for alumni, researchers and students.
Renovations are along the lines of basic maintenance to ensure the use of the facility over the long-term, said Gina Rodriguez, the lab’s vice president of advancement.
The facility has been consistently maintained over the years, Charlie Wray, the lab’s vice president of education, told Mainebiz.
But the building envelope needs to be addressed, with the roof, wood trim and windows all due for regular updating.
“It’s time,” Wray said. “The roof is a particular concern.”
The mansion — within walking or biking distance from the lab’s main campus, Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor — was built in 1912, using granite that was quarried locally and bricks bought in Philadelphia.
In 1951, it was donated to the lab and immediately put to use as housing for high school summer students taking part in the lab’s summer student program.
Summer students had been coming to Bar Harbor since the mid-1920s, at one time housed in “tent colonies.” HighSeas was a big improvement, the lab said.
Today, HighSeas is used 10 to 11 months out of the year.
Still the home of the summer student program, the estate houses about 40 undergraduate and high school students each year, chosen from all over the U.S. They participate in an ongoing research program with the support of a scientific mentor and develop an independent project. At the end of the summer, they present their findings to researchers, other students and parents.
The program had its 100th anniversary this year. Anniversary events included hosting alumni from across seven decades for a dinner, plus other events in Bar Harbor.
During the other months, HighSeas houses graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty from around the world taking part in courses and workshops in a range of genetic topics. In addition to the residential space, there’s a third-floor classroom that seats 40 and has been outfitted over the years with various technology.
More recently, HighSeas has been hosting short-term college programs in January.
Photo / Courtesy, The Jackson Laboratory
A 60th class reunion of the summer program’s class of 1962 was held at HighSeas two years ago.
The goal for the renovations is to update the building with modern materials while retaining its historic character. The refurbishment is in the specification and fundraising phase, and some gifts and pledges have already been dedicated to the project. Depending on money raised by the end of the year, construction could start next spring or summer.
The facility would remain in use while exterior work is underway, Wray said.
“It is a historically significant building for Bar Harbor and for JAX."
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