The History Behind This Remote Hotel In Maine Is Both Eerie And Fascinating

A winter trip to Maine must include some snow activities, like skiing or snowshoeing. But, if you're headed to Sugarloaf this season, you'll also have the chance to add some history and intrigue to the mix! Instead of making your next ski day a day trip, plan on staying overnight in Kingfield to have the opportunity to experience this historic hotel. It's not a swanky as the ones you might find in Portland, but the stories these walls could tell are worth the journey off-the-beaten-path!

The Herbert Grand Hotel might not be located in a major city. It might not see the national attention that many other Maine hotels receive. But, what you'll find here is something even better - a piece of Maine history.

The story begins in 1830 when a boarding house was built in Kingfield. In 1871, the boarding house burned and a new hotel was build to replace it.

The hotel was built in 1918 just between Sugarloaf and Saddleback mountains.

The hotel was named for its owner, a local lawyer and state representative, Herbert S. Wing. Wing also owns the local bank, mill and electric company. He had dreams of becoming Maine's governor and used the hotel as a way to lure other politicians to his side.

The best way to do that during Prohibition? Booze!

It was a go-to spot for meetings between Prohibition-era Maine politicians, allowing them to indulge all the things they couldn't in larger Maine towns.

The hotel was also the first hotel north of Boston to have in-room and table side telephone service. Things were looking great for Mr. Wing!

That is, until he lost the Republican primary for governor in 1925. Things didn't improve for dear Herbert after that. In one story, he becomes so angry with the local towspeople that he shuts down the town's electricity for days to teach them a lesson.

Later he became so maniacal that he feared the New Deal Democrat might ruin his hotel. Beginning in 1933, he changed the hotel's policy and only allows people who can prove that they are members of the Republican party.

In 1934 he decided that the hotel business wasn't for him and turns the house into a private home for himself, his wife and a housekeeper. Eventually, in 1956, the hotel was sold and Herbert Wing died on Christmas Eve of the same year.

But, the hard-partying politicians are rumored to still roam the halls, waiting for their next good time.

Over the past 100 years, the Herbert Grand Hotel has changed its image. No longer a place to come and drink bathtub gin, the hotel welcomes snowmobilers, skiiers and those straying from the Appalachian Trail.

Inside, things are cozy and welcoming.

And the bar? It's still there! Now called "McGregors Bar," it just attracts a slightly different crowd.

But the welcoming vibes are the same.

The rooms here are comfortable and decorated in a way that makes you feel you're visiting someone's home.

It's lovely for a night or an entire weekend of skiing or simply trying to find the ghosts of Maine's past.

The Herbert Grand Hotel is located at 246 Main St., Kingfield, Maine. You can learn more about the hotel's history by visiting their website. Give them a call on 207-265-2000.

For more Maine history, consider a trip to this church in Kittery. It's the oldest in town and one of the oldest in the entire state!