Buyers of vintage Hallowell inn want to create a community hub

The buyers of Maple Hill Farm Inn & Conference Center, at 11 Inn Road in Hallowell, have updates and plans underway to make it a community hub. “It’s not about just being an inn. It’s bigger than that,” said Angela Bovill. Bovill bought the inn with her sister, Shelley Emmons, and their husbands, David and Corey respectively. The sellers were Scott Cowger and Vince Hannan. The price was not disclosed. Financing was provided by Kennebec Savings Bank and owner equity. The quartet is native to Maine, though newer to the central region. “What we have quickly learned is that we are in exactly the right place as Hallowell is an incredibly supportive community and is actively cheering us on,” said Emmons. She added, “We have also learned that thousands of people have made memories here and hold Maple Hill dear — which has them very interested in what we are doing — keen on preserving treasures. So, our task has been to determine what we keep and where we invest.” Century-old building The inn is named after Maple Hill Farm, which occupied land first cleared and settled in the late 1700s. During the era of horse-drawn stagecoaches, Maple Hill Farm served as a stop for watering horses. At some point, a fire destroyed the original farmhouse. The current house was built in 1906. The property remained an active farm until its sale and conversion into a bed-and-breakfast in 1988. Cowger bought the house at a foreclosure sale in 1992. With Hannan, he restored the barn, reintroduced farm animals and expanded the business. Major renovations completed in 2001 added guest rooms with private baths, a lobby and office, a reconstructed carriage house that featured a restored State House window and a porte cochère connecting the buildings. In 2004, the meeting and event center, a commercial kitchen, laundry facilities and a wind turbine were added. The inn, with eight guest rooms and a suite, became Maine’s first certified “Environmental Leader” green lodging establishment in 2005, followed by the installation of a large solar electric and hot water system in 2006. Corporate careers Emmons and Bovill have a close relationship. “For years, we have said, ‘It would be really nice if we could work together,’” said Emmons. Both bring long experience in corporate leadership. Emmons retired in March from Unum in Portland after 33 years; her last position was assistant vice president in client success. Bovill is CEO of Ascentria Care Alliance, a health and human service organization based in Massachusetts, and previously worked for IDEXX Laboratories. A few years ago, they bought a home together to share during the summer and found they operate well together. They began looking for a venture that would utilize their skills and interest, along with those of their spouses. Maple Hill — with 50 acres, an established guest base and a rich history — checked a lot of boxes and felt like it could be an opportunity “to create a place of belonging and hope and welcome and create healing in this world,” said Bovill. ‘Fresh perspective’ The owners are offering the space for community and private events and creating their own events and activities, such as a harvest dinner planned for this fall, community get-together such as mah-jongg, holistic health retreats and use of the property’s trails. Earlier this year, the inn hosted a grief and healing retreat. Plans are in the works to host a first-responder event. “The former owners had done a nice job and they had a good customer base and we wouldn’t be starting from zero,” Bovill said. “But I saw an opportunity for us to bring a fresh perspective.” Renovations so far include creating outdoor space as a center for people to congregate. Employees are trained to go “the extra mile” to fulfill guess needs, she said. A program to renovate rooms and address deferred systems maintenance is underway and could be complete in a year, at a cost expected to be about $100,000. The owners quarters were converted into a guest suite, outdoor amenities were upgraded and replacement of a section of the roof will begin soon. Long-term plan The owners are drafting a long-term master plan that includes significant expansion of the event center, along with a wellness center and additional guestrooms. “We’re getting a lot of requests for events that are larger than we can currently handle,” said Bovill. Marketing includes word-of-mouth, an investment into information technology and a social media strategy that includes videos. Some videos are informational. One depicts Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife personnel checking on an American kestrel nest on the property. An amusing series, called “Inn Side Stories,” includes one that shows David Bovill attempting to set up a projector. The staff has expanded from four at the time of the acquisition to nearly 12 full- and part-timers, with some hired back who had previously worked there — plus the sisters’ mother, who does the bookkeeping and occasional check-ins, and occasionally some of their children. Staff growth is largely due to the increased events program, which has grown about 25% so far this year. The Emmonses and David Bovill are on-site most of the week, while Angela Bovill continues to work in southern Maine and commutes to Hallowell weekends. The community vibe concept is working, the sisters said. “Even when you come to breakfast, we talk to you, we hear your stories, we tell you stories,” said Bovill. “It’s about creating a place that feels like family, a place where you belong.”