Mansion House

Historic Poland Spring

The Mansion House as depicted in the 1850s

The Mansion House, originally known as the Wentworth Ricker Inn, was first constructed and opened in 1797. After the Ricker family decided to open their doors to travelers upon the western Maine route (now Route 26), the family began planning the construction of a more suitable house and large stable in order to accommodate the growing numbers of settlers, merchants and other travelers that flowed by.

A side view of the Mansion House, circa 1885

The inn remained in its original design until the mid-19th century when the stables were moved and a section of the house was renovated. By 1850, the inn became known as the Mansion House. In 1875, prior to the construction of the Poland Spring House, the Mansion House was enlarged and remained, after the opening of the Poland Spring House in June 1876, a year-round hotel.

Mansion House Dining Room

By the turn of the 20th century, the inn was once again enlarged and the new wing, which was updated and much larger than the rest of the inn, was opened (1905-6). The Bath Department was opened in 1915 to meet the demand of massage therapy and spa treatments that were offered at similar establishments in the country.

One of the treatment rooms in the Bath Department

As the needs of guests changed, the amenities offered by the elder inn proved to be inadequate. When Saul Feldman purchased the property in 1962, he decided to use the Mansion House as overflow or special needs only and built the Maine Inn to replace the bed space.

Sadly as time went on, the inn was scheduled for demolition and over a two year period of time, pieces of the building were removed. Finally, in 1978 the remains of the building were consumed by fire, removing the old Ricker homestead from the hill.

Miss Nettie Ricker with Sandy the resort mascot in front of the Mansion House