House of the Month 86 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine the knowles co After World War II, The Strawbridge family snatched the mansion up. The Campbell’s Soup heirs freshened the house, and in the playful spirit of the pre- vious owners, gave it a new name, Villa Ponte di Paglia (a pun loosely translated as ‘House of Strawbridge’). Mrs. Strawbridge was the former Margaret Dorrance, daughter of the founder of Campbell’s Soup. hint of attic stuffiness is to be found here. In spite of her world-class venue, the frivolous life of a Bar Harbor socialite–end- less rounds of parties and entertainments– was not for Kate Ladd. For much of her life a semi-invalid, her favored diversion was an afternoon musicale and tea. Many noted musicians of the era played at these recitals. Then there were the medical pursuits. Named for Kate’s philanthropoist father, who’d died young of typhoid fever, the Jo- siah Macy Jr. Foundation was created in 1930 to further the causes of Science and Health Research. The foundation’s first grant was in support of bring Alfred Ein- stein’s assistant, Walter Mayer, to the Unit- ed States. W alter Ladd came from a mid- dle-class family in Brooklyn, and Kate’s mother objected to their engagement, finally relenting by 1888 when they were married. In 1891, Ladd listed his occupation as ‘Insurance Broker.” By 1893, that occupa- tion had changed to “Gentleman” when Ladd liquidated his own business holdings to devote himself to the management of his wife’s fortune. His chief hobby was yacht- ing. In 1915, he commissioned the Wenonah from the Lawley shipyard. TIME AND TIDE Walter died in 1933 and Kate in 1946. War and the Depression had diminished the market for huge Bar Harbor summer cot- tages, but in the optimistic post-war era, George Strawbridge snapped up Eegonos. Strawbridge was a member of the Phil- adelphia family that owned the fa- mous Strawbridge & Clothier store. Mrs. Strawbridge was the former Mar- garet Dorrance, daughter of the found- er of Campbell’s Soup. The Strawbridges freshened the house, and in the playful spirit of the previous owners, gave it a new name, Villa Ponte di Paglia (a pun loosely translated as ‘House of Strawbridge’). Mrs. Strawbridge died in 1953, but in those few short years, the world around the house had changed dramati- cally. The great forest Fire of 1947 burned many of the large estates in the neighbor- hood, and big cottages were once again out of fashion. Nearby, Buonriposo was demol- ished the following year. Thankfully, Villa Ponte di Paglia met a sweeter fate. In 1954, the house was pur- chased by Dr. Richard Gott, a native of Brooklin, Maine, who taught French at the prestigious St. Mark’s School in Southbor- ough, Massachusetts. Dr. Gott also pur- chased La Selva, the neighboring estate that had once sheltered Mrs. John Jacob As- tor IV. He combined the two into a luxu- rious campus for his new summer school, l’Ecole Arcadie: “An intense six-week sum- mer program for boys and girls aged 13-18. All classes and activities are conducted in the French language. Salt water swimming, tennis, cycling, and sailing complete a de- lightful summer. European staff.” ADIEU TO ALL THAT L’Ecole Arcadie closed in the early 1970s. The 1960s and 1970s were a dark time for Bar Harbor cottages. A roll call of the es- tates demolished in those decades reads as a requiem to an era. But the house was once again to be lucky. Canny Celebrity