On the National Registry of Historic Places.

The first house was built by founding father Jebidiah Holt in 1830 and burned in 1835. A small Cape-style house was built in its place, this would be the birthplace of Effie Hinckley Ober. Effie remodeled the cottage into what is now Barncastle. She retained the framing and windows of the porch exterior walls, the original roof timbers can be seen in room 1. Effie married Virgil Kline, John D. Rockefeller’s lawyer and advisor to President Garfield. Barncastle was originally named “ Ideal Lodge” and was listed on the Social Register as the Kline’s summer residence (a list of names and addresses of the preferred social contacts of prominent families.) Virgil Kline defended the small oil refinery of Teagle and Schurmer from takeover by the Standard Oil monopoly, making it the only refinery to so survive.
Effie Ober Kline founded the Ideal Opera Company in 1879 for the specific purpose of putting on a production of “H.M.S. Pinafore” in Boston. It was such a success that they decided to continue. They later became known as “ The Bostonians”. It disbanded in the 1904-05 season due to internal strife.
Effie and Virgil are buried in Cleveland’s Lakeview Cemetery, final home of the President Garfield and John D. Rockefeller. 

Barncastle was designed by George Clough, (a Blue Hill native and Boston city architect.) Clough also designed the Blue Hill Town Hall and his own summer cottage that was located downtown, just above the Congregational church. His rock wall can still be seen from the church parking lot. His home was later moved to the shorefront in East Blue Hill and was completely restored. Clough’s design was derived from notable buildings of his more famous contemporaries: the massing of the main block was based on a cottage by W.R. Emerson and the landmark arch-and-turret link between the kitchen and carriage barn strongly recalls familiar works by McKim, Mead and White at Narragansett Pier and Mamaroneck. 

Barncastle was originally painted a classic barn red with a cream colored trim like its neighbor parker house. Barncastle had the first bathtub in Blue Hill. The tub is made of solid cast iron and took 10 men to carry it to the second story. It is still in use in room 5. Musicians used to play in the interior bay window, which can be seen from the foyer and is part of suite 2. The acoustics are wonderful.

The Cottage has changed hands many times over the years, a few of its incarnations include…

*Home of the Countess of Eulalia. Santa Eulalia is located on the Isla de Ibiza off the coast of Spain and is allegedly the wealthiest town in all of Spain.

*Year-round home to president Garfield’s grandson and family in the 1960’s. It was dubbed Barncastle by President Garfield’s great granddaughter. 

*A Lincoln dealership. The barn was once a five-car showroom.

*A bed and breakfast in the 1980’s and early 90’s called Arcady Down East. Guests included Billy Joel and Christy Brinkley after their Brooklin wedding. Their Boat, the Alexa, was also built at the Brooklin Boat Yard. 

*A marriage counseling retreat.

*A community haunted house at Halloween.