Swan's Island: Six miles east of ordinary

Seaside Hall was built by the Atlantic Improvement Society in 1905 or 1907. At that point in Swan's Island history, people rarely traveled outside of their own communities. A resident of Atlantic would rely on Atlantic stores, the school, post office and church.

When it was first constructed, Seaside Hall served as Atlantic's library. It was consistently used as a community center, hosting events such as church sales and dances. Movie reels were played on the hall's projector. In later years, it was used as a museum.

In the 1970s, the hall housed the 'Coffee Shop," a place for teens to hang out. Arthur Stinson started the Coffee Shop and served as chaperone. Arthur's wife Marion remembers his time there: "...he’d go over around, oh I don’t know, six or seven at night and come home at ten. He loved that. And the kids all—and he told them, he says, “If you break anything, you bring it back new.” Somebody broke a little window, I can’t remember who it was now, but anyway he says, “When I come back tomorrow night, the window will be in.” And it was." The hall had a pool table, foosball, and other games for the kids.

Seaside Hall's location on the shore proved to be problematic with time. The tide gradually eroded the land underneath the building, and the town voted to sell the building in 2006. In 2007, the hall was cleared out and in May of 2009 the entire building was moved to its current location at 65 Atlantic Loop Rd. It is now owned by James Fastook and Sue Simpson.