One of the most pleasant features of a classic Maine camp is the screened porch. Screen porches were a "must have" in the classic Maine camps built from the 1930's to the early 70's. In the old days a camp or seasonal home could be built close to the water and screened porches, which all faced the lake, were often only 20 to 30 feet from the water. Screened porches were designed to be used in the good weather. Most screened porches had no fixed windows or access to heat. A screened porch often became an all purpose room that would double as a dining room at meal times, a family room on warm sultry summer nights, a rec room for itchy kids on rainy days and as a dormitory when drop in guests decided to stay the night.Some of my fondest memories of summer life at the camp were those that i... 03/06/2008

From the 1900s to the late 1960s lakefront property owners from away chose to build camps rather than year round homes. Camps are seasonal structures constructed to be used in the "good " weather from Memorial Day to Labor Day. What differentiates a camp from a house is that camps lack one or more of the following attributes found in houses: a well, a foundation, central heat, insulation and/or a proper septic system. In the old days folks thought it was foolish to spend a lot of money on a place one would use for 3 months a year. Back then the thought of coming up to Maine in the winter was a ridiculous notion. How come? In a word, Accessibility.From Poor Roads to InterstatesPrior to the construction of I-95 and the Maine Turnpike the journey from the Boston area to the lakes regions h... 02/21/2008