Cape Cottage

Cape Elizabeth was already a well-established town when Maine became the 23rd state of the union March 15, 1820. A decade or so later, the town became one of many tourist destinations along the eastern seaboard. The continuing popularity of its location combining sandy beaches with the rocky shoreline prompted several businessmen to form a company they named The Cape Cottage Company.

The company’s sole purpose was to purchase desirable land fronting the shore and construct a brand new building featuring private rooms, dining rooms, wide verandas and the latest in furnishings to attract the traveling public.

The Cape Cottage was constructed in 1836 near Maiden Cove. The building featured a mansard roof and dormer windows on the third floor. Advertising promoted the facility as a “very large and very grand hostelry” with visitors from as far away as Europe, Canada and other portions of the United States.

“Fine cuisine and hospitality” was a drawing card enabling the new hotel to become an immediate success. After two devastating fires, the facility was rebuilt and flourished for about 45 years until it once again burned to the ground.

After 70 years of catering to tourists, the Cape Cottage ceased to exist. The name Cape Cottage now refers to the immediate neighborhood of private homes in that area.

During its hey-day, Shore Dinners offered at 75 cents included steamed clams, fish or clam chowder or lobster stew with a main dish of fried clams. Add the pickles, crackers, rolls dessert and beverage, and you have a substantial meal.

Also offered as daily specials were several choices of other seafood or chicken dishes and many desserts. A note at the bottom of the menu states “One portion served for two persons is 10 cents extra.”

Ocean House

A competitor, Abia Chamberlain purchased 115 acres of land in the southern end of town near a sandy beach referred to by several names, but is presently known as Crescent Beach. Construction of the Ocean House began in 1848 dedicated to family styled vacations.

Ocean House measured 32 feet by 62 feet in size with an attached ell of 25 feet by 46 feet. Each section was three floors high. A large cupola centered on the roof of the main building gave the structure an imposing appearance.

Amenities included 16 guest rooms, two ladies parlors, one large gentlemen’s parlor and a dining room. The menu offered hearty meals with a large selection of fowl, various preparations of beef and, of course, seafood, baked, fried, steamed or poached. All meals were served without the addition of any wine or liquor.

Vacationers staying at Ocean House reached it by means of a horse-drawn barge resembling a boat on wheels traveling from the city of Portland, across the bridge spanning the Fore River before proceeding along Ocean House Road to the new hotel. A one-way fare cost 75 cents, a round trip charge was $1.

A large portion of the acreage was cultivated to provide fresh fruits and vegetables in season. The many outbuildings included a horse stable, a four-lane bowling alley, fish house and icehouse. A herd of cattle roamed the fields.

Once again, history repeated itself. A fire was discovered at 5:30 on the morning of Dec. 16, 1892, with destruction so great the entire building and most of the contents were completely destroyed. No attempt was made to rebuild. The last surviving outbuildings were removed three years later.

The only visible remains of this popular destination are the scattered portions of the stone retaining wall built between the road and the beach.

Crescent Beach Inn

The last on our list of interesting vacation destinations was formerly named The Green Gables Inn and Casino. Early in 1920, Mr. Dresser sold his farmhouse to C.T. Swett for a summer home. Swett then moved the building closer to the cove and winterized the structure.

After World War II, H.J. Johnson purchased the property renaming it Crescent Beach Inn. Nine small cottages were added between the main building and the cove; upstairs rooms were converted to private guest rooms. The main floor included public dining rooms, one featuring a wall of windows overlooking the shore; a small cocktail lounge featured a working fireplace.

An ad congratulating the town of Cape Elizabeth on its 200th birthday in 1965 announced “Crescent Beach Inn will be open all four seasons for you to enjoy the seacoast scenery. Our three dining areas overlook Crescent Beach, Seal Cove and Richmond Island. Heated hotel rooms are available when friends visit you.”

Many new hotels and casinos built during the nineteenth century were intended for a specific use whereas Crescent Beach Inn was a remodeled farmhouse that still retained its character and small town ambience including facilities for large private parties or wedding receptions.

The dining rooms were dimly lit; the tables polished to a high glossy shine; dark oaken floors and wainscoting presented an old country charm all its own. The flat front lawn provided a large green space for the Obstacle Golf challenge.

An extensive menu featured fresh lobster, several additional choices of seafood, plus beef and chicken entrees. Each served with a salad, fresh vegetables grown on local farms, an assortment of homemade bread and rolls and topped off with homemade desserts.

Crescent Beach Inn remained the only hotel on the Cape Shore until the late twentieth century. After the property was sold, the new owner required the building be razed. The Cape Elizabeth Fire Department conducted a training exercise with a controlled burn of the main building. The cottages were moved elsewhere and the site became the location of the new Inn By The Sea.

From the archives of the Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society.