The Parish House stands at 27 Kennebec Street in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine, in a sturdy, renovated historic building with three floors and a gable roof, and there's wood siding and shingles all around, so you know someone took care when fixing it up, and it's quite well maintained. The community itself has 25 rooms total and includes the CHOM PARISH HOUSE subdivision, and out of those, there are 8 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms coming to about 12,014 square feet, not counting the 6 one-bedroom units of permanent supportive housing for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, which gives it a feeling of privacy and a bit of peace. The whole place sits on a single lot that's about 0.36 acres, which isn't huge, but the garden and outdoor spaces with walking paths let folks get some fresh air and a little time with the birds.
The Parish House has a heat pump for heating, so it keeps warm in winter, and you'll find the common areas and rooms fully furnished, with housekeeping and linen service provided, which is always a relief. There's Wi-Fi internet, cable TV, and telephone service in the rooms, which helps people stay in touch and keep up with things, and they've got an emergency alert system too, which gives everyone a little more peace of mind. Assisted living support is available, with help for bathing, dressing, transferring, and healthcare staff around all day and night for supervision, along with staff to coordinate with doctors and health providers, handle medication management, and help with daily activities, so the needs of those living there are met pretty well.
Meal prep and dining services fill the on-site dining room every day, with menus that support diabetics, people with allergies, and other dietary restrictions, and most folks seem to enjoy the homestyle meals, since they don't have to cook or clean up. The Parish House also arranges transportation for medical appointments and offers parking, so getting out and back in is easier, and daily scheduled activities in the community space, like movie nights and community-sponsored events, help keep life interesting. Folks who need non-ambulatory care or use wheelchairs will find things accessible, and there's always 24-hour staff on hand for supervision and daily assistance.
There are community programs for outreach, connecting residents to food security services from pantries like Bar Harbor Food Pantry and Westside Food Pantry, plus Share the Harvest and Bar Harbor Backpack Program for extra help, especially when groceries run low. The Parish House provides access to mental health and counseling through Acadia Family Center for substance abuse and mental health outpatient services, which not every place offers, and there's a variety of general and emergency financial assistance, from local programs like those out of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Cranberry Isles, Southwest Harbor, MDI Community Campfire Coalition for heating, and state or county-wide resources. Housing assistance partners include MDI & Ellsworth Housing Authorities, Island Housing Trust, Emmaus Shelter, Families First Community Center, and Hancock County Habitat for Humanity, covering folks who need more than just a place to sleep.
The building's in excellent physical shape, built in 2017 and renovated since then, set right within the Bar Harbor Public Schools and Mt Desert Community School District, and it works with certain web browsers and Facebook's platform for digital needs, which helps some families stay connected. Move-in coordination services help people settle in, and if someone needs short-term or respite care, that's available as well. The Parish House provides a safe, clean, steady place in Bar Harbor with many practical services, amenities, and connections to area resources and support, and while nothing's perfect, there's a dependable foundation here for living day to day.
