La Rochelle is a Georgian Revival mansion built in 1902-1903 and is the only brick estate built on the ocean side of West Street in Bar Harbor. 

The architect was Andrews, Jaques and Rantoul of Boston and the estate was built for George Sullivan Bowdoin. The 41 room, 13,000 square foot lavish chateaux had 12 bedrooms and 9 full bathrooms on 2 acres of land. 

Noted Landscape Designer, Beatrix Farrand designed and planted the original gardens at La Rochelle which can still be viewed to this day.

In the early 1940's native son and speculator Bun Cough purchased La Rochelle and the caretakers cottage across the street.  In 1944 Tristram Colket of Philadelphia and his wife Ethel Dorrance Colket, daughter of John Thompson Dorrance, a chemist who invented condensed soup and eventually became president of Campbell Soup Company, acquired La Rochelle from Mr. Cough. 

Tristram Colket  gave the property to the Maine Seacoast Mission in 1972 and it served as their headquarters for the next 50 years.

In 2019 the Bar Harbor Historical Society purchased the estate with a desire to preserve the building and grounds for future generations and to display their wonderful collection of local artifacts for public viewing.