Housing
This section of the BDN aims to help readers understand Maine’s housing crisis, the volatile real estate market and the public policy behind them. Read more Housing coverage here.
A former U.S. Coast Guard life-saving station on Little Cranberry Island that was turned into a unique home just feet from the ocean went on the market Friday for $6.5 million.
It was built on the 200-acre island off Mount Desert Island in 1880, strategically located on a prominent southeastern point of land with a commanding view of boats sailing off the coast. Until the base was decommissioned and sold in 1946, it was manned year-round by men who kept an eye out for vessels that might go astray.
“It was a pretty rugged life,” said Story Litchfield, the listing agent of the property known as “The Station.”
Since the end of World War II, the turreted building has been maintained as a private residence. Its current owners operate it as a short-term rental property in the summers, Litchfield, the principal broker with LandVest Inc.’s Northeast Harbor office, said.
It’s a unique property that includes more than just the home, which has three bedrooms, 2,000 feet of shorefront and comes furnished. It also has a two-bedroom guesthouse and a 1.5-acre island. On the other side of Little Cranberry Island, there is a private deepwater dock and boathouse. Altogether, the property offers a little 13 acres with a conservation easement on surrounding lands.
“It’s an incredible opportunity, and having that boat house and a dock makes a huge difference,” Litchfield said.
The property has a rich history. It was built on a shipping lane that took fish and lumber to New York, southern states and the Caribbean, while rum, sugar, molasses and other goods came back on return trips, according to a history by a local author. The rugged coastline often wrecked boats that were looted by locals before insurance companies got to them.
Because The Station is on a pebble beach with 360-degree views, living there feels like being on a boat, Litchfield said. The Station has been recently renovated and includes amenities like a large granite fireplace, tower bedroom and wrap-around deck overlooking the ocean. The guesthouse, a short walk away, includes a three-car garage and loft living area.
While they both have wells and septic systems, The Station and guesthouse are seasonal properties that would need serious renovations for year-round living, like many other properties in Cranberry Isles. The island, accessible only by boat, has a post office and school, but it’s quiet in the off-season. A small but vibrant community congregates there each summer.
“It’s not isolated, but you’re on an island, and it’s just different,” Litchfield said. “The air smells better, the sky is bluer. That’s what it’s all about, in my mind.”
