Naval Security Group Activity, Winter Harbor was a radio station of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

that operated from 1935 to 2002.

History

In the early 1930s,

Otter Cliffs Radio Station U.S. Naval Radio Station Otter Cliffs was a United States Navy radio receiver facility located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, south of Bar Harbor, Maine. The station was commissioned on August 28, 1917, under the command of Lt. A ...

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; ) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the List of islands of the United States by area, 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in th ...

was literally falling apart.

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist. Rockefeller was the fifth child and only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of th ...

, then developing the infrastructure of

Acadia National Park Acadia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor, Maine, Bar Harbor. The park includes about half of Mount Desert ...

, sought to locate the park's main loop road through the Otter Cliffs area. The Navy was willing to meet Rockefeller halfway on the removal of the radio station from Otter Cliffs, agreeing to relocate if a suitable site could be found on the coast within of Otter Cliffs. Big Moose Island, at the tip of

Schoodic Peninsula The Schoodic Peninsula is a peninsula in Down East Maine. It is located four miles (6 km) east of Bar Harbor, Maine, as the crow flies. The Schoodic Peninsula contains , or approximately 5% of Acadia National Park. It includes the towns ...

about across the mouth of

Frenchman Bay Frenchman Bay is a bay in Hancock County, Maine, Hancock County, Maine, named for Samuel de Champlain, the France, French explorer who visited the area in 1604. Frenchman Bay may have been the location of the Jesuit St. Sauveur mission, establish ...

from Otter Cliffs, was determined to be an ideal location for the relocated radio station, and agreement was reached between the Navy, Interior Department, and Rockefeller for the relocation. Rockefeller, wishing the station's buildings to be compatible with others designed for the park, retained

Grosvenor Atterbury Grosvenor Atterbury (July 7, 1869 in Detroit, MI – October 18, 1956 in Southampton, NY) was an American architect, urban planner and writer. He studied at Yale University, where he was an editor of campus humor magazine ''The Yale Record'' After ...

, the New York architect who designed the park's gatehouses, to come up with plans for the radio station. Atterbury's plan for the new station included a beautiful residence hall similar to Mr. Rockefeller's residence at Seal Harbor. Artisans from all over the world contributed to the project. This building, and the adjacent power station which was also designed by Atterbury, were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2013. On 28 February 1935, the U.S. Navy Radio and Direction Finding Station Winter Harbor was officially commissioned with Chief Radioman Max Gunn in charge of a complement of an 11 personnel crew. The station's name has changed several times over the years. In 1944, it was changed to Supplementary Radio Station, U.S. Naval Radio Station Winter Harbor. In 1950, it became known as U.S. Naval Radio Station (Receiver). The present station name, Naval Security Group Activity, Winter Harbor, became official on 9 June 1958. In 2001, the base transitioned from an operational posture to focusing on the closure process, with the ultimate goal of transferring the Schoodic parcel to the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

. The last System Maintenance Training Course graduated in July 2001. The

AN/FRD-10 The AN/FRD-10 is a United States Navy circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA), built at a number of locations during the Cold War for high frequency radio direction finding Direction finding (DF), radio direction finding (RDF), or ra ...

Wullenweber Antenna and Classic Wizard antennas came down in August. The last service was held at the Chapel 2 September 2001, and the Foc'sle Galley served its last meal on 28 September 2001.

Redevelopment

After the base was closed in 2002, the National Park Service (NPS) acquired the land and established the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC). The SERC campus is managed by the nonprofit Schoodic Institute and the NPS in a public-private partnership as one of 19 NPS research learning centers in the country. The center is dedicated to supporting scientific research in the park, providing professional development for teachers, and educating students who will become the next generation of park stewards.

Commanders

*Radio Direction Finding Station:CRM M. C. Gunn, CRM O. C. Coonce, CRM F. L. Freeman, CRM J. W. Pearson, CRM/LTJG M. C. Gunn, LTJG L. A. Lankford *Supplementary Naval Station:LTJG H. I. Maltz, CRE L. A. Newbury, LTJG M. C. Gunn, LTJG C. M. Smith, LCDR H. L. Kisner *Naval Radio Station (Receiver):LCDR F. V. Mason, CDR K. B. Kohler, CDR S. E. Hazelett, LCDR I. E. Willis, LCDR M. C. Morris, LCDR J. L. Koon *Naval Group Support Activity:LCDR J. L. Koon, CDR T. J. Quick, CDR C. G. Lawrence, CDR S. T. Faulkner, CDR T. F. Hahn, CDR H. J. Davis, CDR J. F. Williamson, LCDR D. K. Layman, CDR G. C. Lawrence Montgomery Jr., CAPT J. D. Wood Jr., CAPT A. D. McEachen III, CAPT M. J. Whelan Jr., CAPT R. K. Lunde, CAPT T. F. Stevens, CAPT E. R. Dittmer, CAPT H. W. Whiton, CAPT J. T. Mitchell, CDR E. J. Kurzanski, CDR S. K. Tucker, CDR M. S. Rogers, CDR E. F. Williamson, CDR J. W. Guest

References

{{Navboxes , list = {{US Navy navbox {{Hancock County, Maine {{FmrMEMilitary Military installations in Maine Buildings and structures in Hancock County, Maine Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine 1935 establishments in Maine 2002 disestablishments in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Hancock County, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Acadia National Park Communications and electronic installations of the United States Navy Winter Harbor, Maine Military installations closed in 2002 Closed installations of the United States Navy

History

Redevelopment

Commanders

See also

References