Kennebec Journal/Waterville Sentinel
Central Maine Newspapers
Life & Leisure Cover Story
Sunday, June 30 2002
Homestead takes on a new life
Belgrade's Old Yeaton Farm Restored
by Mechele Cooper
Staff Writer
Staff photographer
Central Maine Newspapers.
From behind the wheel of his black Plymouth sedan, Clarence Tabor, an architect from New Jersey who loved old homes, pointed to the front entranceway.
"He said 'Look at that doorway, look at the fan, it's hand-carved,' then he went on about the house," said Parker.
"For all these years I have not driven past this house without remembering my dad's comments, never dreaming I would ever own it."
The wooden fan has since been stripped of the layers of paint brushed on by the descendents of Paul Yeaton, the man who built the house between 1828 and 1830.
His father, Paul, a Revolutionary War veteran from New Hampshire, was one of the first settlers in Belgrade. The newly-formed Congress of the United States, in lieu of a soldier's bonus, granted him land in Belgrade.
Gold leaf now glints in the early morning sunlight above the indigo door.
Two years ago, Parker and her daughter, also named Connie, bought the old Yeaton Farm located at 298 West Road. The Parker family owned a summer camp on Long Pond. After her daughter spent a whole summer at the camp, she decided not to return home to New Jersey, but put down roots in Maine. They immediately began to search for a year-round place.
Parker, a retired teacher, said they originally purchased the 40-acre homestead as a residence.
The youthful 77-year-old said they had no intention of opening a bed and breakfast, even though the previous owner restored the farmhouse for that purpose.
But after thinking it through, they realized what a great idea it would be, especially since a championship golf course was only five minutes down the road.
In the May issue of Golf Digest, the Belgrade Lakes Golf Club ranked high on the list — at the top in some categories — as one of the best public golf courses in the country.
With the help of local antique dealers, the Parkers filled the house with vintage furniture dating back to the 1820s and 1830s. Some the items came from their camp. Parker's daughter, who is referred to by her mother as Connie II, said the house still has the original shutters, doors and doorknobs, and nine-over-six window panes.
Connie Parker II
An old carriage house, which will eventually be restored along with the barn, is attached to the house.
Connie II said they want to bring the farm back to its heyday, and plan to plant an organic garden in the back along with apple trees and grape arbors.
Currently, they are in the process of relocating and expanding an old cooper's shed on the property so it can be used as a separate rental unit next spring. It's being designed so floor boards in the living room can be pulled up to reveal a bathtub. Guests will be able to bathe in front of the fireplace.
Connie II said the bed and breakfast caters to professionals and well-educated people.
Off the main road surrounded by woods, the quiet accommodations — guests only hear the twittering of birds and moose bellowing in the morning — can be a rejuvenating experience, Connie II said. Guests who come to the Yeaton Farm Inn Bed & Breakfast are greeted by Teddy, a Labrador-shepherd mix, and a black Labrador named Liberty. Connie I and Connie II are not far behind in welcoming their guests.
The mother and daughter team go out of their way to make guests feel comfortable. Connie II said one guest was so wound up when he arrived that he could hardly speak. By the time he left, the serene surroundings had calmed his nerves. He was more relaxed and social when he left.
Connie II said a well-known architect from Boston has stayed at the inn along with wildlife photographers, a wildlife illustrator and bird watchers — more than 1,000 birds come to their feeders. Many of their guests are parents of children attending Colby College in Waterville, the New England Music Camp in Sidney, and the Maine Golf Academy in North Belgrade.
"We tend to have an educated group of people who want a restful and quiet place where they feel really comfortable, away from the stress," Connie II said. "I'll run interference on the phones if they want so they can try to get away from the number of calls that come in. I grab the phone and give them a break."
There are three guest rooms at the inn, each with a carved wooden fireplace and private bath, and an expansive kitchen with a massive brick fireplace that still has its original beehive ovens.
Breakfast is served at the 1850's workers' table in front of a crackling wood fire. Organic food is used in all their cooking. They even have on hand soy milk for guests. Connie II said her mom, who is in charge of the kitchen, will prepare vegetarian dishes and is happy to customize any menu.
Only top quality meats from Ballards Meats & Seafood in Augusta are served, she said. The butcher grounds up a special breakfast sausage for the inn called bubble and squeak, an English pork sausage with potatoes and peas.
She said her mother's famous blueberry pancake meal is a spectacular breakfast served up with warmed maple syrup and melted butter, sliced ham, and bacon along with fresh fruit.
"It's (blueberry pancakes) our most requested recipe," she said.
In addition of fresh muffins and most any kind of omelet or cereal, the inn offers Salmon Steak with a cream and caper sauce for breakfast.
Connie II said their guests make reservations for a return trip to the inn before they leave. There's so much to do here, directing guests to special events and activities in the area is part of their service, she said. The Belgrade Lakes area has a number of wilderness trails, along with cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, water recreation and country dining.
Parker has created a website, www.yeatonfarminn.com, that provides people with a history of the inn and what it has to offer.
The price is $135 a night and that includes a hot breakfast. They just opened up the third bedroom, so they have some availablity.
"We're excited," she said. "We're preparing to deliver top level bed and breakfast services. That's what we're gearing up for. We know they're coming."
Next to the Yeaton Farm Inn Bed & Breakfast sign is a smaller version that says "golfers understood here." Connie II said she keeps a list of golfing jokes filed away in her computer for guests who have a tough day on the course. They accommodate golfers' tee times and leave out cookies, lemonade and juice for when they finish their round, she said. Home baked goods are also served with beverages during most afternoons.
— Mechele Cooper, staff writer.
Central Maine Newspapers