The buyer of a seaside inn in the York County town of Wells was struck by the ambience lent by the property’s previous life as a church.
“I walked in and it was one of those ‘wow’ situations,” said Scott Payette.
Payette and his business partner, Ryan Sullivan, bought Haven By the Sea at 59 Church St. from Ezzo Enterprises Inc. for $2.03 million. Financing was provided by Maine Community Bank.
Alexandra Diaz and Roger Daigle of Daigle Commercial Group facilitated the sale.
Near the beach
Built in 1920 on one-third acre, the 16,226-square-foot building was the summer mission of St. Martha’s Church in Kennebunkport. Located about 500 feet from Wells Beach, it was converted into an inn in 1982, said Payette. The renovation kept the church’s original hardwood floors, stained glass windows and chandeliers.
The inn has nine guest rooms that are individually decorated, an owner’s one-bedroom apartment and an additional two-bedroom apartment. There are numerous gas fireplaces, cathedral ceilings, common areas, a commercial-grade kitchen, balcony views of the ocean on one side and views of a salt marsh from the rear decks.
Some guestrooms are outfitted with amenities such as Jacuzzi tubs and private entrances. The one-bedroom apartment has a fully outfitted kitchen and a balcony.
An event space includes a dining area with cathedral ceiling, balconies, a baby grand piano, kitchen, prep kitchen and a bar renovated from the church’s former confessional booth. The room seats 50 people, the terrace seats 25 and a tent in the courtyard seats 100. The property’s marketing is aimed at private functions, weddings and fundraisers.
Update potential
Payette works at a technology company and lives just outside of Worcester, Mass.
He got into real estate investment about a decade ago, starting with multifamily properties and then getting into the hospitality side.
Payette vacationed in Maine throughout his childhood. His family used to go to the church that is now Haven by the Sea.
A decade ago, he bought a house down the street from the inn and began to invest in hospitality with the acquisition of a couple of rental properties in Wells.
He and Sullivan were looking at other potential investments in town when Daigle mentioned Haven by the Sea.
The features are striking, Payette said, and include the entryway that has a 40-foot cathedral ceiling and a couple of the vintage church pews.
In addition to the large entertainment space out back, with a deck, a patio and fire pits, Payette and Sullivan added beach carts, towels and chairs that guests can take to the beach. The plan is to get some bicycles that people can rent and to look at other amenities and events.
The year-round property was in turnkey condition but needed a bit of updating, he said.
“It’s a pretty elegant type of decor,” he said.” We’ll probably do a little bit of updating. We’ll bring it into the 21st century but keep the classic charm.”
