"[The Free High School, built c. 1862] was still a one-room school with but one teacher and every year more students came to study. The interests of the widely separated parts of the town were so different that it was impossible to come to an agreement and when the building of a new schoolhouse was suggested it was impossible to agree on a new location. Finally, when the Southwest Harbor citizens demanded new buildings at the village and at Manset, those in the western part of the town decided to separate themselves from Southwest Harbor. This was agreed upon by both sides and the town of Southwest Harbor was incorporated February 21, 1905 [this dividing the Southwest Harbor area from Tremont.]
The new town voted to build a new schoolhouse at the village and raised the sum of $4500 to do so. This sum included the purchase of additional land. The old building stood close to the main road and had but little land surrounding it, and the new one was to be set farther back with a playground in front of it. The old building was sold to George Harmon and moved to the lot south of the school lot where it is now used for stores and apartments." The Harmon Block at 339 Main Street. - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 84-85 & p. 148 - 1938
