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County buys three mid-1800s maps, offers two to local institutions with public-access covenants
Summary
Registrar of Deeds Julie Curtis recommended purchasing three historic maps for $10,000; commissioners approved using the Community Benefits Account and authorized offering the Ellsworth and MDI maps to local institutions with covenants to preserve public access.
Julie Curtis, Hancock County Registrar of Deeds, requested the county purchase three historical maps from Raymond Silsby—one each for Ellsworth, Mount Desert Island and Hancock County—dated to the mid-1800s. Curtis said the maps are in very good condition, proposed paying from her part-time line account, and planned to have them scanned and posted online for public research access.
Commissioner Clark said he would agree to the purchase if the maps were bought from the Community Benefits Account and if the county first offered the Ellsworth map to the City of Ellsworth for $4,000 and the MDI map to the Mount Desert Island Historical Society for $2,500, with both buyers required to agree not to transfer the maps into private hands so the public retains access. The county would retain the Hancock County map in the Deeds office. The board moved to approve the purchase for $10,000 with those conditions and to return sale proceeds to the Community Benefits Account. The motion passed 3-0 (Clark/DiBella).
The minutes record that the Deeds revenue line is currently over $1.3 million year-to-date due to fee schedule increases, and that scanning the maps would make them more accessible online.
