Colonial History & French-English Conflict
The colonial history of Hulls Cove is deeply tied to the broader conflict between French and English forces in the region known as Acadia, which included parts of present-day Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
In 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain stopped at Breakneck Stream to collect water during an expedition along the coast of Mount Desert Island. He continued north up the Penobscot River in search of the mythical city of Norumbega, eventually wintering at St. Croix Island.
In 1613, English Captain Samuel Argall attacked and destroyed the French settlement of Saint Sauveur at Fernald Point (now Southwest Harbor), which had been both a French outpost and a First Nation village at the end of the cross-island trail. This incident sparked 150 years of conflict between the French and English over Acadia. The tensions didn’t fully end until 1763, when the British captured Quebec and the Treaty of Paris gave them full control of the region.
Between 1630 and 1700, French fur traders visited Hulls Cove regularly to trade with Indigenous communities, re-supply ships, and stage expeditions. This gave the area the name Frenchman Bay, due to the constant presence of French vessels and activity.
In 1688, the French granted a seigneurie (land grant) to Sieur Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac, which included Mount Desert Island. His granddaughter, Madam de Gregoire, later lived in Hulls Cove and is believed to have been the last island resident of direct French descent.
During this time of unrest, Wabanaki warriors, allied with the French, resisted English expansion in Maine. In 1675, King Philip’s War forced many English settlers east of Wells, Maine to flee or face capture. As a result, English settlement on Mount Desert Island was effectively halted until the mid-1700s.
In 1692, two French spies — Armand de Vignon and Francois Albert — were executed in front of 120 First Nation shell-fishers after revealing French military plans to the English. This event likely occurred near the present-day site of the former Brewer property, at the entrance of the sculpture garden.