our history
Flanders Bay Cabins and Tea Room… established in 1930.
While families have enjoyed visiting the Flanders Bay Cabins for nearly a century, its humble beginnings had a more laborious bent.
In 1906, the property sat adjacent to the Hanna Brickyard whose craftsman produced bricks to be shipped by sea to Bar Harbor, Boston and budding towns up and down the east coast in support of the turn of the century construction boom. Remnants of the original shipping wharf and old bricks are still visible in the brook that borders the property.
In order to house the many brick workers onsite, primitive shacks were erected in the early 1900’s and served as the precursor to the original Flanders Bay Cabins. As the brickyard prospered so did the need for more substantial lodging. To meet that need, the first generation of cabins were built on the property in 1930 followed shortly by the construction of a Tea Room which was situated at the entrance of the property on Route 1. At its peak in the 1960’s, there were 13 cabins onsite along with the Tea Room serving travelers and vacationers heading up and down the coast. ( You may have noticed the current cabins are numbered 8 through 13. The original cabins numbered 1 through 7 were sold off in the 1980’s and occupied the space where the Christmas tree farm and honeybee apiary currently stand).
Through the 1940’s, travelers enjoyed the cabins and Tea Room during the summer vacation season while the fall and winter seasons saw hunting guides serving sportsmen on the grounds.
At the tail end of the 1950’s, our family stumbled upon this scenic jewel. Toby’s grandfather orchestrated the first family vacation to Flanders Bay Cabins in 1959 and it’s been our family’s late summer vacation destination ever since.
In the 1980’s, a shorefront house and Chalet were constructed on the property to accomodate growing demand. The Tea Room, which for decades served both visitors to the property as well as travelers along Route 1, was moved from its roadside location to become the den on the of the newly constructed shorefront house. During this timeframe, a two family dwelling along with a freestanding commercial building utilized as an open air antique hall were constructed directly adjacent to Route 1.
In 2018, Toby’s brother was visiting the area and noticed the property was up for sale and asked his four brothers if they would be interested in purchasing. Toby, with his wife Kelly, took the plunge and are happy to be the current stewards of the property. We’ve made many renovations during our tenure most notably being the conversion of the antique hall to Flanders Bay BBQ. Join us for some tasty homemade barbeque and weekly live music during your stay!
Five generations of our family have enjoyed this property through the years and we’re proud to share this special place with all who take the opportunity to visit. Cheers!
