Spacious historic home on 20 acres with beach, boathouse activity center & piano

This home was built for New York Metropolitan Opera superstar Olivia Fremstad in 1915-16 and named "Nawandyn." In 1926, Eleazer Clark, a shipping and banking magnate, and his wife bought Fremstad’s property and then added acreage, landscaping, a large boathouse with a ballroom (which we now use as an activity center), two homes and other facilities for their large family. They created a 40-acre private estate/resort that Clark’s grandson and granddaughter-in-law recently restored and updated.

There are three homes on the 40-acre Nawandyn Estate property, each within a 5-minute walk of a beach and there is a road that abuts the largest sandy beach for those who prefer to drive. Each residence has its own yard and is visually separated from the others, primarily by trees and other landscaping. The estate includes 1,100 feet of mainland waterfront with two sandy beaches on warm, clear Highland Lake in Bridgton, Maine; part of the nearby island; a 40-foot pier; an oversized swim raft; a clay tennis court; a grass volleyball/badminton court; three fields for sports; many gardens; approximately 30 acres of woods with many bird species and animals; etc. The property is fully furnished including all linens, beach chairs, non-power boats, sports equipment, indoor and outdoor games, books, cooking equipment, dishes, etc. A golf course, designed by Tillinghast, is across the street and available for use by our renters. Usually, all three residences are rented by one, large group under the VRBO listing #328745. When Ms. Fremstad’s House (aka “Main House”) is rented separately from the other residences (VRBO #4864567), its renters get exclusive use of the Main House, about twenty acres of land PLUS exclusive use of the southern half of the largest sandy beach and the 2nd floor activity center in the Boathouse along with half of the non-powered watercraft, sports equipment, outdoor games and the grand piano. Main House renters also get shared use of the clay tennis court, grass volleyball/badminton court, swim raft and island. The Main House can sleep up to 14 people in 5 bedrooms and the “Sitting Room.” If additional bedrooms are desired, ask Owner whether one of the other houses is available for rent during your stay.

Ms. Fremstad chose this land because she loved its sandy beaches and views and felt peaceful and creative here. She hired John A. Gade to design her “dream home.” Gade had previously worked for the firm that designed the East and West Wings of the White House, the home of U.S. Presidents. Fremstad wanted to be able to entertain large groups and develop new operas in this home. Accordingly, Gade designed a grand living room with perfect acoustics and space for opera rehearsals and her grand piano as well as a dining room that can seat up to 28. He made the kitchen, pantry, and laundry large enough to manage many guests. Gade included porches for comfortable enjoyment of the outdoors and arranged windows to maximize fresh air flow and enable occupants to hear the soothing sounds of nature. The home was located to maximize its view of Highland Lake, Mt. Washington (the highest mountain in New England) and various other mountains in the neighboring state of New Hampshire. Most rooms have at least one wall with lake and mountain views. The home’s detailing reflects the Scandinavian heritage that Fremstad and Gade shared.

Nawandyn Estate is within several miles of two grocery stores including Hannaford Grocery, a seafood store, a specialty wine store, a specialty food store, a Reny’s department store, a book store, a women’s clothing and accessories store, several home décor and gift stores, several antique stores, a yarn shop, a bait and tackle shop, a beauty salon, a barbershop, a chocolate shop, two ice cream parlors, two banks, two gas stations, an EV charging station, at least 13 restaurants, two bars, a pub, an art gallery (representing about 40 artists), the “Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity” with a gift shop, a live music venue, a movie theater, a drive-in theater with two screens, a hospital, an urgent care center, two pharmacies, an optician, and more.

PLEASE consult Owner for specifics relevant to your interests and needs BEFORE you “request to book.” We want to be sure that all of your questions about this unique property are addressed to your satisfaction before you push the "request to book" button that triggers a 24-hour countdown to VRBO taking a deduction from your credit card.

VRBO now uses a defective artificial intelligence program to generate some content in its listings, resulting in false and/or misleading statements regarding distances, airports and significant local landmarks. This program calculates what VRBO “distance to Highland Lake.” However, the distance is NOT to the water’s edge but rather to some unidentified place in the lake. The home is just a 5-minute walk or shorter drive to Nawandyn’s beaches. The AI program misdirects prospective renters to airports that are NOT served by major airlines. Portland International Jetport (PWM) is the closest airport that is served major airlines; it is just 42 miles from Nawandyn Estate (63 minutes via Routes 114 & 107).

Reviews of Nawandyn Estate are available under HomeAway listing #328745. Prior guests have described their Nawandyn Estate experiences as “magical” and “heaven.” The reviews are limited to those from groups that rented through VRBO's website.