A view of Ellsworth captured nearly three decades ago has found a new home … right here at City Hall.
On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, the City of Ellsworth was honored to receive a painting by artist George Stave, generously donated by his wife, Mahbubeh (Mahboubian) Stave.
The oil painting, titled Ellsworth, Maine, was completed in 1998 and depicts a familiar view of downtown, looking toward City Hall and the Congregational Church. Stave painted the scene while visiting the area during a trip to Acadia, after previous visits to Maine to see family on Isle au Haut.
The painting made its journey back to Ellsworth with Karl Kusserow, Stave’s son-in-law, who delivered it on Mahbubeh’s behalf while visiting Maine. Kusserow is the John Wilmerding Senior Curator of American Art at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Princeton University Art Museum
Here is some information about George Stave:
- https://www.george-stave-paintings.net/
- https://patch.com/new-jersey/eastwindsor/artist-george-stave-is-remembered-by-wife-three-daughters
City Manager, Charlie Pearce didn’t waste time finding a great home for this special piece. The painting was hung at City Hall shortly after its arrival and it wasn’t long before a small crowd of City staff gathered to take a closer look.
And there is plenty to look at.
The painting offers a wonderful snapshot of Ellsworth in 1998: the familiar brick façade and cupola of City Hall, the church across the way, cars lining the street and a downtown landscape that is both immediately recognizable and noticeably different from the one we know today.
Nearly 30 years later, the painting is now hanging inside one of the very buildings it depicts.
We are incredibly grateful to Mahbubeh Stave and the Stave family for choosing to share this piece with the City of Ellsworth, and to Karl Kusserow for personally bringing it to its new home.
What a special gift — and a beautiful piece of Ellsworth history to preserve and enjoy at City Hall for years to come.
