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 Inn at the Rostay Bethel, Maine Home About Us Rooms Rates Specials Groups Bethel Winter Activities Summer Activities Maine Guide Service Area Dining Mountain Explorer Weather Contact Us Directions Quilt Shop
1-888-SKI-0072 |
  Bethel,
just over 1 hour north of Portland, 1.5 miles from the Inn
at the Rostay and 5 miles from Maine’s most popular ski
area, Sunday River, is a year round resort community nestled
in Maine’s Western Lakes and Mountains Region.Bethel is a town where the common is uncommon; where Brooks Bros. sells pliers and wrenches, Victoria’s Secret is a chocolate raspberry dessert and the Timberland Outlet is an exit for logging trucks. Astride the Androscoggin River, nestled at the base of Paradise Hill, Bethel is truly “just this side of Paradise.”  Most
rural villages are one-industry towns. Bethel is a rare
blend of farming, forestry, woods product manufacturing,
education, and tourism. In the past decade, the community
has become home to active retirees, eschewing the world of
Sun City and professionals who have chosen the small town
lifestyle over that of the megalopolis. Settled in 1774 by land grantees from Massachusetts who had fought in the campaign to conquer Canada in 1690, Bethel’s original name was Sudbury Canada. Farming was the mainstay of the region until 1851 when the country’s first international railroad connecting Portland, Maine to Montreal was built. The trains brought  summer
visitors from the cities to breathe the fresh air and
partake of homegrown food. The railroad carried lumber and
milled wood products back to the urban markets. The town is a significant educational center thanks to the generosity of William Bingham II (a modern day patron saint) who endowed Gould Academy and whose foundation continues to provide funding for educational and social purposes in the community. In the early decades of the 20th century, Bethel was home to Dr. Gehring’s famous clinic for the treatment of nervous disorders.  The
National Training Laboratory, now known as the NTL
Institute, was established in 1947. NTL specializes in human
dynamics and organizational development, attracting
participants from around the world. In 1981 Hurricane Island
Outward Bound School for outdoor experiential education
established its Mountain Center in nearby Newry. In 1959 a group of local businessmen formed the Bethel Development Corporation. To develop four-season recreation, their first project, funded by local shareholders, was Sunday  River
Skiway. Over forty years later, Bethel is busier as a
tourist destination in the winter, thanks to the success of
Sunday River Ski Area, than the summer. The townspeople continue to embrace innovation while maintaining their small town culture. Bethel was one of the first communities in Maine connected to the Internet. They built the World’s Tallest Snowman and continue to host the National Wife Carrying Championships. 186 Mayville Road - Route 2 Bethel, Maine 04217 1-888-SKI-0072 207-824-3111 |
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