Entire home

Amazing Maine Get-Away - Maine's Western Mountains

Amazing Maine Get-Away - Maine's Western Mountains

Photo gallery for Amazing Maine Get-Away - Maine's Western Mountains

West Face
Property grounds
Property grounds
Exterior
Exterior

Overview of Amazing Maine Get-Away - Maine's Western Mountains

Reviews
9.8 out of 10 Exceptional
16 bedrooms5+ bathroomsSleeps 32836 sq m

Popular amenities

  • PoolPoolPool
  • FireplaceFireplaceFireplace
  • Breakfast availableBreakfast availableBreakfast available
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen

Check out the area

Map
Andover, ME
  • Popular LocationBlack Mountain29 min drive
  • Popular LocationSunday River31 min drive
  • Popular LocationSunday River34 min drive
  • AirportBerlin, NH (BML-Berlin Municipal)80 min drive

Rooms & beds

16 bedrooms (sleeps 32)

#1 Master Bedroom

#2 Moose Room

#3 Great Hall Suite - twins

#4 Great Hall Suite - Queen

#5 The Den

#6 The Loft

#7 The Metalluk Room

#8 The MollyOckett Room

#9 Merrill Suite - Twins

#10 Merrill Suite - Queen

#11 The Poor Room

#12 Aunt Grace's Room

#13 Richardson Room

#14 Rangeley Room

#15 Bald Pate Room

#16 Flat Rocks Room

5 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Bathroom 4

Bathroom 5

Bathroom 5

Bathroom 7

Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Amazing Maine Get-Away - Maine's Western Mountains

Historic country lodge in Maine's beautiful western mountains with private swimming pond and beach on property, close to lakes, streams and mountains. Nearby world-class fishing (Rapid River, Magalloway, Kennebago, Androscoggin & Swift Rivers, Rangeley & Richardson Lakes), golfing (Bethel Inn & Sunday River), and ski areas (Sunday River, Saddleback, Mt. Abram, Black Mountain).

The house is partially un-heated. Mid-winter rentals are limited to 10, including 2 each in 3 queens, and 4 in twins. Early-Spring into April and late-Fall into October limited to 14, including 2 each in 4 queens, and 6 in twins.

Note that there isn't an option to check off having a private swimming pond with beach, so we check the swimming pool box and describe the pond in the listing. There's no pool - it's a nice, spring-fed pond with beach that is lovely for swimming right across the lawn from the house. There are several great swimming holes and a lake with a beautiful public beach nearby as well.

Magnificent setting with broad lawns and pastures overlooking mountain valley in the northern end of the Mahoosuc range. Pond & river on property. Trails on property and access to 4000 footers. Plentiful outdoor activities: swim, boat, fish (stocked pond, great fishing throughout the area including some of the nation's most pristine wild trout waters), hike, bike, ride, berry pick, you name it. Nearby Bethel Recreation Area & Sunday River golf and ski resorts. 3 hours from Boston.

This is a truly unique vacation and recreation spot - comfortable and gorgeous with deep history in a friendly old-New England town. Built in 1792 by the first homesteading settler in the valley; renovated in the late 1800s at the peak of the railroad era into a private summer retreat with design contributions by Stanford White and Frederick Law Olmsted. Wonderful interiors including breathtaking Great Hall, several salons, Grand Dining Room. Long views that defy words.

Rates quoted are for family vacation rentals with the indicated seasonal overnight guest maximums. Event and other rental rates quoted upon request.

Requested minimum booking 5 nights Summer, 3 nights Spring and Fall, 2 nights Winter. Minimum stays are guidelines. We can do shorter stays but may need to add for heat and other fixed costs. We will discount for longer stays. Please ask.

Keywords: Sleeps 25+ in warm weather, 10+ in cold weather. Summer and winter rentals available. 2 kitchens, 2 dining rooms. Catering & event services available. 15 fireplaces. Contemporary utilities & amenities including wireless internet. Elegantly furnished.

Weddings, reunions, special events, family vacations, corporate and group retreats. Destination Weddings. Ceremony and reception site. Trophy trout, salmon & bass fishing. Two golf courses nearby. Amazing for leaf peeping weekends. Downhill and XC Ski. Snow-mobile. Hunt. Hike the Appalachian Trail. Relax.

Property manager

Nick Chandler

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Outdoor space
Breakfast available

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Events

Events allowed: family gatherings and weddings
Max overnight 32. Max event outdoor guests 200.

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Requested minimum booking 5 nights Summer, 3 nights Spring and Fall, 2 nights Winter.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings and weddings) are allowed on site; maximum attendees: 32
Note from host: Max overnight 32. Max event outdoor guests 200.
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock

We should mention

A car is required for transportation to and from this property

About the area

Andover

Located in Andover, this vacation home is in the city center and on the beach. 49 Franklin and Bethel Historical Society are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Black Mountain and Sunday River. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Andover, ME

What's nearby

  • Black Mountain - 29 min drive
  • Sunday River - 31 min drive
  • Sunday River - 34 min drive
  • Grafton Notch State Park - 37 min drive
  • Angel Falls - 44 min drive

Restaurants

  • Little Red Hen Diner & Bakery - 20 min walk
  • Andover Wood Prod Coffee Shop - 3 min drive
  • Knotty moose tavern - 5 min drive

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 6 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 7 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 7 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Chudala H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Reunion
We rented the Merrill House for our family reunion. We had guests ages 7 months to 73 years (a total of 26) that came from near and far. Everyone loved the property. The house and its history are amazing. Many enjoyed exploring the house and its artifacts. It was well equipped with everything we needed. The location is beautiful with lots of outdoor adventures near by as well as plenty to do on the grounds. Other highlights included the fire pit, the pond and plenty of space for everyone to spread out or gather as desired. We enjoyed games of croquet and frisbee golf and relaxing on the porches. The weather cooperated for us with only one day that was really hot and it also was cool enough to enjoy a fire in the great room. The only negative we would express is that the mattresses are in need of being updated. Overall our group appreciated the charm of this house and left with many fond memories. We didn't want the time to end.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Retreat
This beautiful home gave my friends from my phd program feel like we had a home away from home to bond, explore, and enjoy the outdoors
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Som G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fun trip
Due to the hot weather, sleeping at night were little difficult specially the third floor bedrooms. However, sufficient fans supported a lot. The beautiful surroundings make you feel a real vacation.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Unexpected
Unexpected positives: -The great hall looks amazing. (Not unexpectedly, the scenery around the house does too.) -Despite being a New England summer, the house was cool through the day. -Despite being a New England summer, there were fairly few bugs. Unexpected negatives: -The house was a bit chilly the first night. (We didn't think to ask about the custodians about the heating system when we arrived because it was summer; it worked fine when we did.)
Stayed 3 nights in May 2019
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

What a special retreat!
Our family had an amazing week at Merrill House. We found the house incredibly inviting and quite spacious for our group. We enjoyed cooking amazing meals in the old kitchen and savoring them in the Dining Hall, which seated all of us. Our evenings were spent in the Great Hall, with games, puzzles and dancing. The children had an amazing time in the swimming pond, particularly jumping in from the rope swing. We bought kites and spent a wonderful afternoon flying kites. The grounds allowed us to set up various games, such as a volleyball/badminton net and relay races. One of us is a painter who found numerous spots to set up and spend the afternoon painting. The drive to nearby parks for hikes were worth the trip, but we certainly enjoyed 'staying home' relaxing at the Merrill House's porch. It was an absolutely wonderful experience for all. Thank you!

About the host

Hosted by Nick Chandler

Host profile image

What makes this property unique

Merrill House (c.1792, on the National Historic Register) looks across “Snow Valley” onto the tail end of the White Mountains in western Maine. Located in Andover, under ½ hour from Bethel and Sunday River Ski area, and surrounded by fields, forest and trails, Merrill House is immersed in natural beauty. The Appalachian Trail passes through Andover, and there are excellent X-country trails and sled runs just outside the door.
The home has been in the family for over two hundred years, since its original construction eight generations ago. The homestead was the first colonial settlement of the valley.

Ezekiel Merrill, Revolutionary War veteran, and his wife Sarah and their young children first trekked in by canoe and foot over 50 miles to spend the winter in a one-room hut that the local Pequaket Indians helped them make. They were under-provisioned and had to trade for food and furs with the native Americans, living largely on potatoes that first winter. The family survived and stayed to establish their farm.

Generations passed and the homestead grew into a working farm with barns and pastures. At the end of the 1800’s Ezekiel’s great grandson Henry Varnum Poor and his son Henry William – made wealthy by the railroads – renovated the farmhouse into the lodge we have today, and the pastures into botanical gardens, with walk-paths and many other features.

Today the Merrill House is available for rent for weddings, retreats, reunions, and seasonal parties. We hope you will enjoy its comfort, charm and its unique piece of American history as much as we do!
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