This historic Maine canoe shop is now an upscale home for sale

By Zara Norman, Bangor Daily News Staff

DOVER-FOXCROFT — A woman who renovates and resells historic properties in the Dover-Foxcroft area has listed a converted 1800s-era barn and historic canoe shop for sale.

The three-building property, which sits on a spacious lot at the corner of Park and Forest streets, is owned by graphic designer and photographer Brenda Schultz. Schultz and her husband, Rob, have spent the last five years renovating the old house, barn and shop there into a flourishing short-term rental business, and have done something similar with other “architectural gems” in the area, according to Schultz’s Airbnb profile.

Now, they’re selling these three buildings for $500,000. That is more than double the town’s average home value. But the property is newly renovated and the barn and the shop can be rented as individual Airbnbs for $170 and $140 a night, respectively. Listing agent Shirley Wright says the price is a steal.

“She came in at a really good price point,” Wright, an agent with NextHome Experience, said. “Interest has been very high. Some local interest, a lot of interest throughout New England.”

The property has captivated a wide range of prospective buyers, Wright said. It appeals to those who are looking to live full-time in a historic home, those who want to live close to outdoor recreation opportunities, those who want a home with extra room for business or office space, those interested in short-term rentals or those who want to live with family members.

“We’re having trouble finding those multi-generational pieces of property where they could bring in maybe their parents or their grandparents, so that they could have their own living space,” Wright said. “That’s been in much higher demand lately.”

There’s plenty of space in the Dover-Foxcroft property, which offers five bedrooms and four bathrooms between its three buildings. The 120-year-old canoe shop, which until five years ago was unsuitable for living, has been insulated and turned into a beautiful living space with a large loft. The barn’s original floors have been saved, sanded and polished, and the space is now similarly insulated and furnished with high-end fixtures, Wright said. 

“She traveled all over, gathering the pieces to put all of these properties together,” the agent said.

All buildings, including the renovated old house, have new systems, windows, heat pumps and rustic furnishings that could be included with the sale. Surrounding the property are well-manicured gardens, including perennials and mixed flowers, and a stone fire pit.

The property was listed last week, but showings are already booked out for the next few weeks, Wright said. Part of the place’s appeal is its proximity to Sebec Lake and its being sandwiched between the city of Bangor and outdoor recreational opportunities a little farther afield.

“It’s really a hub between Baxter State Park, Moosehead Lake and the Bangor region. It’s central to everything,” Wright said. “And Dover itself is a very well kept, very clean town. It’s a beautiful town.”