The town of Poland is home to several popular lakes and ponds in the area and has been a resort destination for 200 years.
Located west of Auburn and north of Gray-New Gloucester, Poland has a population of about 6,000 and can be accessed through Maine Routes 11, 26, and 122. It is well known for the splendid Poland Spring Inn and Resort as well as Poland Spring Water.
The lakes and ponds in the area include Thompson Lake, Tripp Lake, and Upper, Middle, and Lower Range Ponds. Agassiz Village and Camp Fernwood on Thompson Lake and Tripp Lakes Girls Camp on Tripp Lake are well-known to young summer campers for generations.
Poland is home to the famous Poland Spring House. As early as 1796 the Mansion House was opened as a hotel. When the grandson of the owner claimed it had cured him of a chronic dyspepsia, and the guests began praising the water, the local spring became a major attraction, as did its contents. The Poland Spring House was destroyed by fire on July 4, 1975. On this site now is the Poland Spring Inn & Resorts a popular vacation spot from May to October. The Poland Spring Water bottling plant is also located in close vicinity to the Resort. Many famous faces visited the orignal Inn including Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Betty Grable and the Kennedys.
Also on this site is the Maine State Building which was built to represent the state at the Chicago World’s Fair, known as the Columbian Exposition, in 1893. The building was disassembled, shipped back to Maine, and then reconstructed on its current site. It now serves as an art museum for the public sponsored by the Poland Spring Preservation Society. The All Souls Chapel which was donated many years ago by guests of the resort accompanies the State building and is used today for weddings by locals and visitors alike.
The Poland Spring Golf Course is the oldest resort golf course in America. When you tee it up at Poland Spring you are playing on the same turf where Babe Ruth, Walter Hagan, Bobby Jones, President Taft, Jack Parr, Ben Hogan, and many more celebrities played golf. The first 9-holes were originally designed by Arthur Fenn. Later Donald Ross (of Pinehurst Fame) would redesign the course to an 18-hole championship course. Walter Travis also left his mark on Poland Spring. All three are huge names in America’s golf history.
Visit the town of Poland’s website at www.polandtownoffice.org.