This lovingly restored schoolhouse is a unique mixture of historic charm, warmth, character and modern ease. Make memories together in the school's large classroom which is an impressive gathering spot for the whole group with the modern kitchen, massive dining table and comfy living room. Gather outside on the 7 acre property for a cookout, chat by the fire or relax in the hot tub after hiking, swimming, boating, skiing, dining or shopping - all within minutes of the school. Quiet & peaceful!
OVERVIEW
Far from a little one room schoolhouse, this 2400 square foot space built in 1861 feels bright and open with its 11 ft ceilings, open concept living area, 4 comfortable bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. It is the perfect mix of old and new. Natural light streams in through the massive original windows and the wood floors and butcher block counters and furnishings make it feel warm and homey. The school boasts unique features such as the original chalkboards and "good morning" staircase - well traveled by hundreds of little feet from the nearly 100 years that the school was open.
The property is a peaceful combination of fields and woods in a quiet, private setting. The outdoor space allows for grilling, roasting s'mores over the large seasonal granite fire pit or relaxing after a day of swimming, hiking, shopping or skiing in the 7 person year-round hot tub while looking at the stars.
BEDROOMS
There are four bedrooms in the house with an additional upstairs common area with a daybed that can be used for sleeping. The downstairs has one bedroom with a king bed with a comfy hybrid memory foam mattress. Please note there are 3 steps up to this room. The remaining bedrooms are on the second floor. One room has a queen bed with memory foam mattress, another has two twin beds and the primary bedroom includes a king hybrid memory foam bed plus a daybed. In total, the schoolhouse sleeps 10 comfortably.
BATHROOMS
The schoolhouse has three full bathrooms. One is located downstairs between the great room and king bedroom. The other two are located on the second floor, one for the queen and twin bedrooms to share (includes a full tub) and the other as part of the primary suite.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is located in the open concept great room and boasts a large island for gathering or prepping food with bar stool seating for 6. It is well stocked with cookware, bakeware, dishes and utensils as well as a toaster, blender, 2 crockpots, and electric skillet, some spices and cooking spray or oil. The gas cooktop is perfect for the chef in the family and the wall oven and microwave make cooking easy and convenient. There is plenty of storage.
We built a coffee and tea bar with the coffee lover in mind! Drip and French press coffee can be made to allow you to enjoy the perfect cup your way. A variety of tea is provided as well as regular and decaf coffee beans for grinding. While we provide enough to get you going for a few days, longer stays may require a trip to the grocery store to replenish the supplies.
The dining and living room areas are also in the great room. Enjoy meals or games as a whole group around the massive Restoration Hardware dining table. Gather in the living room for conversation or a movie on the 65" Roku tv with streaming apps and cable tv.
THE OUTDOOR AREA
Just outside the inviting sunporch is a small deck that leads to the 7 person hot tub. The hot tub is open year round and has a new pergola over top to protect you from rain! Down the steps is 2 picnic tables with umbrellas. Also in this area is the firepit made from large granite blocks with seasonal seating for 10 around the fire. This will be a favorite spot to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature! We do not supply firewood as a rule, but there may be some left behind from others and may get you started on your first night. Dry fire wood bundles can be bought at the Irving station about 6 minutes away and are generally about $8.
**Please note that the yard and outbuildings at the school are a work in progress! We have a barn, garage and sheds that all will be beautified over time, but currently aren't the prettiest to look at! We trust you will understand that it takes time to bring a rundown and neglected historic property back to life and we hope you forgive the appearance of some of our currently unused outbuildings.**
Guests will have access to the schoolhouse and surrounding yard. As the outbuildings are currently unfinished, we ask that guests do not enter these structures. Guests are welcome to enjoy the yard, field and woods. Please keep in mind that this is Maine and there is wildlife in our area including ticks.
While I won't be available in person I do live nearby and am available to answer questions!
The Schoolhouse Retreat is located near many of the area's best attractions including:
Downtown Bridgton - 9 min
Naples Causeway - 10 min
Pleasant Mountain Ski Resort - 16 minute drive
Sebago Lake State Park - 16 min
North Conway - 42 min
Portland, Maine - 1 hr
Sunday River Ski Resort - 1 hr
Boston - 2.5 hrs
There are many wonderful restaurants close by in Bridgton and Naples. The closest restaurant, Campfire Grill (nothing fancy but so good!), is a 6 minute drive. The schoolhouse is also in the middle of many lakes and ponds including Long Lake, Sebago Lake, Moose Pond and Highland Lake with many places to swim, minutes from great hiking trails, the twin drive-in and a movie theater as well as shopping and all the White Mountains and North Conway have to offer.
Parking - 5 spaces. Please plan to car pool if necessary. Please note, the schoolhouse is up on a hill and one part of the driveway is steep - we block off the steep part during the winter for safety. We do our best to ensure the driveway and parking areas stay cleared but winter in Maine is unpredictable and there are times when we have to wait our turn to be plowed or shoveled out. Please reach out if there is any issue with snow and we will send someone as soon as possible.
***Rental contract and photo ID required for every booking! To be sent to guest upon booking with the 48 hour zero penalty cancellation period.***
***We require all guests (unless children accompanied by a parent) be at least 24 years old.***
The Schoolhouse Retreat is perfect for larger families or small groups of friends to relax and enjoy vacation together. It won't be the right place for you if you are interested in having an all day and night drinking fest. We trust you will treat this old girl with the respect she deserves!
*****Sorry, no pets, no parties or events and no smoking or vaping of any kind ($300 fine).******
Cooling in the summer is currently provided by in room air conditioners in the great room and all bedrooms. We hope to have heat pumps installed by summer of 2024. Each of these rooms also has a ceiling fan. Maine summers are rarely oppressively hot for any length of time and we trust you will find it quite comfortable.
Maine is home to ticks, mosquitoes, black flies, ladybugs, stinkbugs, spiders, deer, turkeys, bats, racoon, skunks, bees and more! While our housekeepers and pest control service work hard to keep things very clean and tidy, the reality is we are a 160+ year old building in the country in the mountains of Maine - so you may encounter some wildlife!
Please note that while we have a quiet 7+ acre property, the schoolhouse is located in a small rural Maine neighborhood with homes of all types and ALL conditions. There are a couple neighbors you can partially see through the woods and occasionally cars drive by. If your group does not also rent the Tiny Library (coming Spring 2023!), there will likely be guests there during your stay. It shares the property (but not any amenities - it will have its own private hot tub and fire pit). The Library is about 100 ft away from the school on the side of the house opposite of the hot tub and firepit. There may a small church service on Sunday evenings across the street (closed in the winters) - you'll be treated to the beautiful sound of church bells!
There are a few things we ask guests to do for checkout -
-load and start the dishwasher
-close any open windows, turn off lights and lock doors
-any full trash bags can be placed in the bin outside by the parking area
