Poland Spring Beach House facts for kids
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Poland Spring Beach House, (Former)
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | SR 26, 0.1 miles (0.16 km) east of its junction with Skellinger Rd., South Poland, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Part of | Poland Springs Historic District (ID13000595) |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001191 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 24, 1999 |
| Designated CP | August 13, 2013 |
The Poland Spring Beach House is a special old building in South Poland, Maine. It was built in 1909. This house was once part of the big Poland Spring Resort.
What makes it unique is that it used to float! It was on pontoons on Middle Pond. Later, in the 1930s, it was moved onto land for good. In the 1980s, it became a private home. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
What Does It Look Like?
The old Poland Spring Beach House is on the south side of Maine Street (Route 26). It sits on a narrow strip of land. This land separates two ponds: Middle Range Pond and Lower Range Pond.
The building has two stories and is made of wood. It has a central part with a sloped roof. On each side, there are smaller, one-story sections. These also have sloped roofs.
Special Features
A small tower, called a cupola, sits on top of the central part. There are wide porches on both sides of the main section. These porches have fancy, carved wooden decorations. You can see them on the railings and under the roof edges. The porch facing the lake has been closed in.
Inside, the side sections used to be changing rooms. Now, the walls have been removed. This created bigger living spaces. Even with these changes, the house still has many original features. These show styles from the early 1900s.
A Bit of History
The Poland Spring Resort started in the late 1800s. It was built near Middle Range Pond. People believed the spring water there could help them feel better. The famous Poland Spring water bottling company still uses this spring today.
The main building of the resort, the Poland Spring House, was very grand. But it sadly burned down in 1975.
The Floating House
The beach house was built in 1909. It was first designed to float on Middle Range Pond. During the busy summer months, it would be on the water. In the 1930s, it was moved to its current spot. It stayed a beach house until the 1970s. Then, it was turned into a private home. This building is one of the few old resort beach houses left in Maine.
