In the late 1920s, inventor Buckminster Fuller believed Maine islands would beco

• Main Author: Purinton, Randy
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Portland Public Library Digital Commons 2006
• Subjects: Islands; Fuller; Buckminster; Bear Island
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/news_island/381

In the late 1920s, inventor Buckminster Fuller believed Maine islands would become sites for his first manufactured lightweight, portable, affordable 4D tower houses. In his youth, he spent summers at his family's retreat on Bear Island in East Penobscot Bay, and he thought the bay would be an appropriate incubator for the houses. He envisioned the tower being carried to the site by a zeppelin and a bomb being used to create a crater for the foundation. He was convinced the buildings would be a worldwide architectural phenomenon and that real estate values on islands would increase dramatically. The house was pictured on stamp in 2004 commemorating the 50th anniversary of Fuller's geodesic dome patent.