The first social club in Bar Harbor was called the Oasis Club (1874), located on the corner of Mount Desert and School Streets. In 1881 the club moved into the Veazie Cottage on the shore close to Birch Point. It was renamed the Mount Desert Reading Room and promoted social culture and reading. The cottage was removed and in 1887 a new building, designed by William Ralph Emerson was constructed. The Reading Room prospered until World War I, then after the war membership declined. The building and pier were bought by Maine Central Railroad, which leased the property to the Bar Harbor Yacht Club in 1924. In 1932 the Yacht Club left the property and it was reclaimed in 1933 by a group of hotel owners who created the Shore Club. The property was again sold in 1948 to the Bar Harbor Hotel Corporation. The Bar Harbor Hotel was opened in 1950. In 1987 David J. Witham bought the hotel and renamed it the Bar Harbor Inn. The entire area was remodeled in 1999.