Snow Pond Symphony 2016 Season

The Lodge, Center of
Life at Snow Pond
Although the Bowl in the Pines is arguably the
most iconic building on the Snow Pond property, it is the
Lodge where almost everyone who attends any of the programs
here eventually congregate. It is also one of the oldest
buildings on the property, and preserving its historical
integrity, while also meeting the needs and codes of today
has been a particular challenge. With the recent renovations
on this wonderful building, we thought it would be
fun to look at its history.
The lodge was one of the original buildings on the
property when a group of musicians leased the property
in 1931 and established the Eastern Music Camp. But
the building itself was built at some point prior to 1928
and was operated as a kosher Jewish resort hotel called
Big Moose Lodge. Both the lodge and an adjacent building,
which is used as a dormitory-style building for camp
programs, were built by the Frank A. Rumery Company
of South Portland. Interestingly, Frank’s great-grandson
Scott, raised in Cape Elizabeth, attended NEMC as a
camper in the 1980’s, and only then learned of the connection
to the property! Scott returned to camp as a counselor,
head counselor, and guest conductor, and both of his
daughters, Anika and Claire, have been campers as well.
Actually, Claire is here this summer working as a counselor
and lifeguard. The Rumery connection continues!
The lower level of the Lodge has not changed significantly
in almost 100 years. The main dining room continues
to be the center of almost all of the meals served at
Snow Pond, and the porches and smaller dining room provide
additional seating. The small lounge continues to be a
gathering place for staff and guests alike. But these spaces
have offered a variety of creative uses throughout the years
as well. Prior to the construction of Alumni Hall in 1963,
recitals were held in the main dining room, as were dances.
The lounge has also served as the camp canteen, laundry
distribution center, and even now is the central operation
center for the New England Adult Music Camp in August.
The two upper floors continue to house faculty and staff
during all of the summer programs, providing a variety of
individual rooms and small “apartments”.
Much of the work that has occurred in the Lodge
over the past few years is not readily visible to the general
public. The entire building has been insulated, re-wired
(there were miles of cloth-covered wire in the walls!) and a
fire-response system installed. New windows were added,
and the original wood floors have been restored. The first
floor is now heated and air conditioned, allowing for yearround
use. New bathrooms were added for the staff, and
most of the furnishings were updated. More easily seen is
the beautiful new patio that was completed last summer,
and the new landscaping. And now, the kitchen has been
fully remodeled and modernized, new ADA accessible
bathrooms have been added to the main floor, one of the
porches has doubled in size to allow for additional seating
and use, and a magnificent sun deck has been added to
the second floor. And yet, from the outside, this historical
building still looks very similar to the original Rumery
construction.
The Lodge is now a fully functional year round building.
In addition to all of the summer programs, there are
weddings, meetings, and even pond hockey tournaments
that find a comfortable, functional, and spectacular location
overlooking the shores of Messalonskee. As stewards
of this special place, we hope it will continue to be a welcoming
host to many more generations of guests. What a
wonderful tribute to that builder from South Portland!
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