PART 1
This place has so much history swirling around it that it’s going to be hard to reel myself in. We have Inns, a chapel, ties to the Chicago Worlds’ Fair, many accomplished relatives, museums, golf, ghosts and let’s not forget the water or the absolute best sideburns/mutton chops I have ever seen! Seriously, I was just looking for a dog friendly hotel in the area and stumbled so hard onto this hidden-in-plain-sight gem that I had to go back twice. All I knew about Poland Spring prior to my arrival was the water and there was a hotel there. That's all.
Let’s start with Jabes Ricker. He owned land alongside Shaker Village in the late 1700’s but traded it to the shakers for land that is now known as Poland Springs and went on to grow an enterprise with the help of many accomplished children, grand kids, in-laws, pretty much the whole family should be proud of themselves.
The Rickers decided to get into the Inn business when travelers began to knock on their door looking for a place to stay. This was apparently the thing to do back then. Every story I have read or written on hotels start out with weary travelers knocking on the doors of strangers in wooded areas. My, how things have changed.
The hospitality business was booming when Hiram Ricker, the grandson of Jabes, decided to dip his head into the natural spring one hot day and thought it was so good he was going to keep on drinking it. Wait until you see a pic of this guy…he should have also sold it as hair elixir. Seriously, can’t get over the beard. Before he knew what hit him, he had been relieved of the dyspepsia that had tormented him for years. Clearly this natural spring water had medicinal qualities and Hiram got to work marketing and selling the bottles of miracle water. This only helped bring business into the Inn, but why stop there?!
Over the next fifty years, not only did Hiram and his three sons enlarge the already existing Inn, but they also built a whole new resort. The Poland Spring House would hold over 350 guests and included a dining room and kitchen, bowling alley, music hall, writing room and more! Not only this, but the supposed miracle water was being prescribed by a doctor in Portland for varies diseases. (See, kids? Put the soda down-drink more water. It’s as simple as that.)
One of Hiram’s sons, Hiram W- who from this point forward will be referred to as Hiram-Dub-yah- oversaw many more renovations to the already extravagant Poland Spring House. He also added trails, more buildings, a deer park and game rooms. Then in 1893, Hiram-Dub-yah took the miracle water to the Chicago World’s Fair where he received a medal for its purity and medicinal properties. Because winning a medal for water and having a gold mine of a resort wasn’t enough, he also decided to dismantle the Maine Building Exhibit at the fair and had it moved to Maine where it now sits. More on that later.)
(<---- Maine Building Exhibit from Chicago World's Fair)
By 1896, the Rickers had the original Inn (called the Mansion House, just to give you an idea), the fabulous Poland Spring House, a work of art building built specifically for the Worlds’ Fair, trails, parks, a magical water spring, game rooms galore, and probably a ton more that I am forgetting to mention. So, what do they do next? A golf course, of course. (See what I did, there?) This golf course was one of only 80 in the nation at the time and drew in the likes of Arthur Fenn and Harry Vardon.
Then, Hiram Dub-Yah wins ANOTHER award for the water at the Worlds Fair in St. Louis nearly ten years later. Let me say, this spring should probably just be declared the fountain of youth…it’s won awards, cleared up some medical problems and TRUST ME, it tastes a hell of a lot better than whatever is pouring out of the actual fountain of youth.
They go on to build ANOTHER building and later dedicated it to Theodore Roosevelt since he loved to stay there. Because rubbing elbows with golf greats and the Roosevelt’s wasn’t enough, they also drew business from the likes of Judy Garland, Taft, Boxing great Liston, Joe Louis, Robert Goulet, and the list goes ON.
Then, after eons of fundraising they also had a chapel built for the workers and guests staying at the resort. This was the only building on the property that didn’t freak me out. We will get to the chapel in a couple of weeks.
Finally, in 1907, someone had the idea of building a new spring house and bottling facility. I am not sure why it took them DECADES to focus on their simple money making miracle, but they built showers for the workers to clean off all their stank before working to ensure the purity of their water, since just showing up and going to work is somehow much filthier than dunking your head in and taking a drink. Maybe I’m missing something. In any case, it is gorgeous and fascinating to walk through. In addition, you walk thru the facility-now museum-and see just how great it must have been for whoever was involved with or visited the resort. The Rickers’ hard work and perseverance paid off, that’s for sure.
Then it all went to Hell.
In 1933, the last of the three Ricker brothers died. A few short years later, the resort was sold due to massive debts. The buying and selling of the resort went on for decades, as well as more buildings being constructed and renovated. In the seventies the Poland Spring House burned, leaving the current owners with some hefty work to do. I would say they did alright with rebuilding, although it is a shame that the original building was destroyed. This may explain why the entire area feels so oppressive to me.
At the front of the property is the Presidents Inn, where we stayed. Originally called the Riccar Inn and built in 1913, it was rumored to house the chauffers and servants working at the resort BUT the family put the kibosh on that rumor, insisting the hotel was for guests who had the means to use their very own automobile for travel, since it is right on the road. Each room is dedicated to a former president or first lady. (I’ve had the Barbara Bush and the Laura Bush room) The Inn was so quiet that I would swear we had the whole building to ourselves. We roamed thru the hallways and into the game room/lounge that had “The Shining” written all over it. If you take Fido with you, this is the building where dogs are allowed.
While the place is beautiful and HUGE, I did not see or hear one other single person in the entire building during my exploration. However, I always felt cramped like someone was breathing down my neck the whole time I was inside, no matter what room I was in.
The Maine Inn at the top of the hill is the pride of the resort. We sat on the porch watching the golfers argue…yes, argue. Actually it was just one redneck-y dude raising his voice at an old man, likely getting pissey over losing…shame on you, by the way. While others seemed to think my dog was part of the resort. Before he knew what hit him, my dog was upside down on the porch, belly up, grinning from ear to ear getting belly rubs and scratches from anyone and everyone who saw him. (He has no shame.) One lady even said he was the best part of the tour….(sorry Hiram).
When I was finally able to go inside the Maine Inn, there wasn’t a soul around other than a man in a brown suit looking at a portrait of an old man with the coolest mutton chops out there….someone bring them back please. Turns out this was a portrait of Hiram Ricker. I walked around to the sitting area to make my way to the library (yes, they have an extensive library), but stopped to look at some of the older décor and furniture they had. From the corner of my eye I could see the man turn and walk towards me, as if to cross in front of me, so I stepped back out of his way, “Said, excuse me,” because I’m polite like that, and waited for him to cross. No one came. I turned to see where he went and he was nowhere. NO ONE was anywhere. I was completely by myself. I turned back to look at this massive mirror/bench thing and there he was, coming thru. I stepped back again and turned to look at him as he approached, but he decided to walk around behind me instead. I turned all the way around, complete 360 turn and there was NOBODY. I decided to move on to the library but on my way I stopped to take a picture of the portrait on the wall. My phone decided to reboot itself just as I hit the shutter button, so I’m standing there like an idiot who can’t stay off their phone. I stood there staring at my crappy phone, waiting for it to get its act together, when the man came by to check out the portrait again, but when I looked up, gone. (I’m nuts, I’m telling you.) Sick of this game of hide and seek, I tilted the phone up, took a quick snapshot and walked off towards the library.
Now, the library is a bit of a walk from the lounge. You’re going down narrow hallways, dark hallways in some cases, stairs and corridors before you realize they stuck the library in the furthest, darkest corner known to man. I started to walk in the opposite direction and I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING HOLY I heard someone say “over here.” But it was like a train engineer saying “ALLLL ABOARD!” as if someone was hard of hearing or his patience was being tested. I turned around to find out who had the badly behaved child since I could have sworn I was alone on my venture. No one was there, but the library was, like I said, tucked away as if it were an afterthought.
I don’t know. I just don’t know. So, I tried again the next day because….books. I walked up the steps, up and down the corridors, towards the corner and into the library as if I owned the place. Then I turned around and walked out. No books for me.
With all the love that poured into this family business, it’s no wonder the place is haunted. It is said that Hiram Ricker still wanders through from time to time to make sure the guests are happy and everything is as it should be. He is not a malicious spirit, (sorry for those of you looking for a good spook), just someone who loves his legacy and doesn’t quite want to leave it behind. Let me just tell you, it’s not just Hiram wandering about….
This is when I decided I was done exploring the Maine Inn and would just walk around the gorgeous resort, down some trails and take it easy for the remainder of the stay. After all, this place wasn’t even why I had come to the area. This is when I realized ALL THE RICKERS ARE BURIED ON THE PROPERTY. If anyone’s brain ever actually exploded from sensory overload, it would have been mine right then and there.
I am absolutely amazed by this family. I had been trying to write about this place for over a year now, but whenever I start I learn more and more and more, and it is incredibly difficult for me to keep all the names and relationships straight. If anyone out there is into building family trees, this one should be a heck of a project.
So, as I said earlier, I had to break this up into parts because I loved every building and every THING about this place. So next week we will continue with other areas/buildings/landmarks that are just too fantastic to NOT have their own story as well as the spirits still working there.
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