Earlier this year, alright way back in the spring, I visited the Poland Spring Resort in Poland, Maine, and learned there’s a lot more about this place than just a refreshing drink. For those not familiar with this brand of bottle water, in 1844 after drinking water from the spring on this property for 10 days, Hiram W. Ricker claimed that he was cured of dyspepsia. Alright, so the family had been drinking this water for decades if not longer, and never noticed any medicinal qualities before. Some historians speculate that Hiram may have just been dehydrated. Either way, because of his miraculous recovery, word got out about the health properties of this water, which eventually led to the bottling company being founded in 1845. By 1859 the Rocker family was selling it commercially for its health benefits. Behind me is the original spring house from 1859.
By 1907 they built this bottling facility, which along with other buildings became one of the most modern bottling operations at the turn of the 20th century. This building was used until 1979, when another bottling facility was built on Ricker Hill. Today, during the summer, you can tour these buildings.
Before becoming water entrepreneurs, the enterprising Ricker family were innkeepers since 1794. As travel between Portland and western Maine expanded, so did the family’s inn. Combine that with the sale of its rejuvenating water, and following the Civil War, they were attracting visitors from near and far, especially the social and political elite of the period. This resulted in an even grander hotel, and the name change to the Poland Spring House in 1876. Alright, so as with many grand hotels of that era, it eventually burned down in 1975. But today the Poland Spring Resort continues to welcome guests to this building from the 1960s.
Older buildings from the hotel’s heyday are still on the property including the Presidential Inn built in 1913. While visiting on that spring day, I couldn’t help but be inspired to break into song, because among the famous celebrities who stayed here over the years was Judy Garland! “Forget your troubles come on get happy…”
Alright enough with the singing, back to my tour. Another interesting building on the property is the Maine State Building constructed for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 and rebuilt in this location by Ricker family in 1895. Also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, this building showcased the craftsmanship of Maine with its granite, hardwoods, and slate.
Oh wait, let me take a few steps away, so you can get a better look. If you want an even closer look, today this building houses the Maine Golf Hall of Fame, and is open for tours in the summer. Which by the way, the Poland Spring Resort is also known today for its golf course. But since that’s not dog friendly, I didn’t spend any time exploring it.
What is dog friendly at the Poland Spring Resort is the extensive network of trails! With over 4 miles of trails ranging from easy to moderate, dogs are welcome year round on-leash. However, I didn’t explore the trails that May day either. Instead my family and I enjoyed a stroll on the campus to admire the buildings, including All Souls Chapel built in 1912.
So clearly there’s a lot more to Poland Spring than just water! If you’d like to lean more about the history, or perhaps plan your own visit, go to PolandSpringResort.com.
