Bridgton, Maine
This spectacular, 40-acre estate is located on clear, warm Highland Lake in Bridgton, Maine, halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The extensive grounds provide a private, peaceful, park-like setting which fosters relaxation and engenders a sense of well-being. The property includes 1,100 feet of mainland waterfront with two sandy beaches, part of a small nearby island, a two-story boathouse with a 2nd floor activity center, a 40-foot pier, a clay tennis court, a grass volleyball/badminton court, three large sports fields, extensive woods, wildlife, and thousands of flowering plants.
Nawandyn Estate was designed to comfortably accommodate large groups. There are up to 16 bedrooms for up to 32 guests, including 4 bedrooms on the 1st floor. Guests may choose between a king or two twin beds in most bedrooms, since we tailor bedroom layouts to guests wishes. There are multiple rooms where your entire group may dine and/or socialize together in addition to a multitude of outdoor venues. You whole group can socialize and enjoy music in the huge living room with perfect acoustics and a grand piano. One dining room seats 28 (with overflow seating on the adjacent screened porch). The Event Center will accommodate everyone for dining, dancing, indoor games (e.g., classic games and mini pool), watching sports, conducting meetings and/or otherwise socializing. There are many places for small groups to gather and individuals to have time for themselves.
Nawandyn Estate makes available a multitude of activities on site which enable you to spend quality time with each other. Bring your swimsuit and favorite suntan lotion and let us provide beach towels, beach chairs, non-power watercraft, beach toys, fishing poles, etc. so you may kayak, paddle board, sunbathe on the swim raft, fish, float on foam mattresses, explore the lake and its islands, paddle a rowboat to a favorite fishing spot or throw your line off a pier, photograph wildlife, lounge on the beach, build sandcastles, play spike ball, count ducks, find frogs and turtles, etc. You can rent a power boat locally should you want to go water skiing, tubing, wake boarding or cruising and then tie it up at our 40-foot pier. When you need a break from the sun, you can play piano, ping pong, giant junga, cards or chat and do puzzles in the boathouse activity center. Unlike other waterfront properties there are many activities available on land, including volleyball, badminton, tennis, softball, football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, corn hole, croquet and, nearby, golf. There are lots of opportunities on site or nearby to stroll, jog, run, bike (if you bring one), hike or mountain climb. At Nawandyn, you can literally smell the flowers, listen to birds sing, star gaze, watch deer frolic, watch sunrises and sunsets, etc.
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. Yet, the homes are close enough to together that children will hop, skip and jump across the lawn from one home to another. The property is fully furnished including all linens, books, cooking equipment, dishes, BBQ’s, etc. The first and largest home was built for an opera superstar, Olivia Fremstad , in 1915-16. The architect was John A. Gade, who had previously worked for the firm that designed the East and West Wings of the White House, the home of U.S. Presidents. Fremstad sold her property in 1926 to Eleazer Clark, a shipping and banking magnate, and his wife who doubled the acreage and added substantial landscaping, the spectacular two-story boathouse and delightful Carriage House in 1927. Subsequently, a clay tennis court and Guest House were added. The Guest House was designed by Caleb Hornbostel, who beat Eero Saarinen and Louis Kahn to win the Museum of Modern Art’s first architectural contest. Clark’s grandson and granddaughter-in-law have recently restored and updated the property, adding among other things the Event Center, high-speed internet, A/C and heating via heat pump systems to the Guest House, Carriage House and the Event Center, and more gardens.
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 VRBO’s 24-hour countdown to 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 calls “distance to Highland Lake.” However, the distance is NOT to the water’s edge but rather to some unidentified place in the lake. The homes are just a 5-minute walk or shorter drive to Nawandyn’s shoreline. 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 by major airlines; it is just 42 miles from Nawandyn Estate (63 minutes via Routes 114 & 107).
Reviews of Nawandyn Estate are available under VRBO listing #328745. Prior guests have described their Nawandyn Estate experiences as “magical” and “heaven.” In recent years, VRBO limited reviews to only those groups that rented through its website.
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This property had everything my daughter wanted for her wedding. The host were so helpful with anything we needed. The estate was beautiful with flowers blooming daily. There was plenty of space for everyone. Wish we could have stayed longer!
We spent a wonderful family reunion week at Nawandyn with 25 people. Plenty of space for both gathering and private time. Ages ranged from 2-83 and all felt comfortable. We spent most of every day at the sandy waterfront, using the provided kayaks, floats, beach chairs/towels, and paddleboards. We rented a Sunfish locally and also brought our own pontoon boat and fishing boat, which we kept at the private dock. The beach, although a pretty long walk from the houses (most took a car, but it's only a 1/4 mile or so), was outstanding and by itself made the week successful. The houses are beautiful also, and the recent addition of a central dining/play room in the Carriage House made a great gathering place for afternoon lawn games (many provided, but we had our own as well) and dinners. This room is air-conditioned, but the other two houses are not. The weather was in the 90s most of the week, and for some this was an issue, but fans were provided and it wasn't too bad. We got to hear the loons at night that much better! Finally, Diane and Hopewell, the owners who live onsite (and keep very busy maintaining and gardening the well-kept grounds), were extremely attentive and responsive to any question or concern that we had. They are lovely people and we felt like honored guests all week.
We were 21 in our group for a family reunion. The age ranged from 5 to 88. We had rented the whole property for four days and were overall very comfortable except for my father in law who had difficulty climbing the stairs.. The place was clean with well equipped kitchen. It was wonderful to relax on the porch in the Main House. We used their kayaks and boat every single day. The boat could have been cleaner. I only wish there was a bedroom on the first floor for an older/handicapped person.
Picture yourself arriving at Nawandyn Estate: You turn on to a driveway marked by stone pillars and lined by pine hedges that extend as far as the eye can see. As you drive ahead, your excitement builds. Then, at the end of the hedges, your jaw drops as you behold this private haven of incredible natural beauty. You are welcomed by abundant flowers, singing birds, fresh air, clear water, sandy beaches and so much more! There is calming visual harmony. Everywhere you turn there is another beckoning vista to explore. The stress and chaos of daily life are quickly forgotten. It is no wonder that my friends and I keep coming back to this unique and wonderful place. The surprise is that the owners continually find ways to make it even better. This year, they transformed the previously unused ground floor of the Carriage House into a huge, inviting great room complete with wet bar/small kitchen and full, handicapped-accessible bathroom. It is ideally suited for weddings, retreats, workshops, as well as simply hanging out. This space became our group’s central gathering place, when we weren’t at the beach. The comfortable furnishings can be moved around to suit the desired purpose. There are windows on all four sides, even all along the wall of doors that open onto landscaped grounds. The views are amazing. When you are inside, you feel completely connected to the outside. Whatever the weather or time of day, this is a great place to be. Here we lounged, dined, played indoor games, held a movie night and watched members of our group play sports on the lawn nearby. The photos of Nawandyn Estate at www.MaineLakeEstate.com are wonderful, but they don’t do the place justice. Nawandyn’s many pieces fit together in some way that makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. May you be fortunate enough to stay at Nawandyn Estate.
We rented Nawandyn in July 2017 for a week-long college reunion group, including spouses and kids, and had a fantastic time. At 28 guests, we had plenty of room to spread out, yet the main house was sufficiently large to accommodate all of us for dinners inside or on the lawn overlooking the lake. The main attraction is definitely the lake (a 5 minute walk from the main houses), with a terrific beach and boat house and plenty of water craft, on a lake that’s large enough to tube and ski but secluded enough to feel nearly empty. But we also took advantage of the sprawling grounds for group activities including croquet, volleyball and tennis. Diane and Hopewell were extremely attentive hosts, with detailed knowledge of the lake, surrounding area and activities. They also arranged a cook to prepare dinners for our large group, which worked out splendidly. We highly recommend Nawandyn and hope to come back someday.
We have held our annual family reunion at Nawandyn for a number of years and we keep coming back. The kitchens are well equipped and quite functional. The location is gorgeous with gardens, tennis courts and a lakefront beach. The multiple buildings give our large group plenty of space to spread out. Nawandyn has loads of charm and history. The estate was built by an opera singer in the early 20th century, and has a lovely room with a grand piano, which is kept in tune (in case you have musical needs). Last summer we hosted an operatic recital in the room and the acoustics were fabulous. The property large and old, but very well maintained. The owners are available to help out if needed and have always been quite responsive and eager to please.
My partner and I held a celebration of our marriage with a small gathering of family and friends here. The property was amazing and Diane was so helpful! The place lends itself to group activities (highlighted by the incredible boat house) or just quite conversation in small groups. We had a memorable weekend here and would recommend it to everyone.
We could not speak more positively about Nawandyn. It has been a fabulous destination for our extended family reunion for three years running. The houses, the land, the lake, the service all are top notch; everything from pristine water to kayaks to tennis to ping pong to a grand piano! Nothing is missing. As there's such a wide variety of activities on site, everyone from 5 years old to 78 was able to find just what they wanted to do during our stay. This helped make the family reunion a joy for all generations. You have found a gem!
The peacefulness and beauty of Nawandyn make it feel like you're stepping into another world. Warm, clear, water; beautiful flowers and tall trees; well-maintained grounds and pristine living space...allowed our large family group to spread out and enjoy the many amenities that this amazing property has to offer. The onsite owners were extremely cordial and helpful--I highly recommend Nawandyn!
The Nawandyn Estate is a serene piece of heaven in the Maine woods. Sitting amongst beautifully maintained grounds full of flowers and tall trees, Nawandyn was the perfect place for our big family reunion. We had guests of all ages, from 75-newborn and this property handled them all with aplomb. The main house is big and airy with gorgeous lake views. Kitchen is gigantic. Property is clean and well maintained. Diane, was a great and clear communicator throughout the booking process - she even arranged for extra cleaning and cooking staff we hired. The private lake access is really the crown jewel of this secluded, expansive property. A 5 minute walk down a private wooded path and you are on your own private beach on an uncrowded lake. The property's boat house has all the toys you could ever want - boats, floats, toys, fishing rods, etc. There are lounge chairs and a picnic table and wonderful smooth sand at your feet. I'd highly recommend Nawandyn for anyone looking for a break from the norm and especially those looking to gather a large group and make memories that will last a lifetime.
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