A Landmark At The Center of A Community
The First 100 Years
In 1916, Leon and Dorothy Spaulding purchased 100 acres in East Sebago, Maine, for $100 from the Fitch brothers, a local prominent family. With 850 feet of frontage on the western shore of Sebago Lake, the second largest lake in Maine, the Spauldings built a magnificent estate. Leon, along with his brothers Huntley and Rolland (who would later both serve as governors of New Hamphshire), owned the Spaulding Fibre Company in Rochester, N.H., which was the source of the family's great wealth.
Together, Leon and Dorothy oversaw every meticulous detail of the construction of Rockcraft, employing local carpenters and over 30 skilled masons from Italy. It was Dorothy who designed the two fireplaces in the great room, indicating on a hand drawn design the type and origin of each stone.
After Leon's untimely died in 1924, Dorothy stayed at Rockcraft until her death in 1963. The stone mausoleum where the two lie buried is located on the estate, surrounded by lovely rhododendron bushes almost 100 years old.
When Dorothy passed, the property went to her niece, who could not maintain it, and ultimately deeded it to her local chapter of the United Church of Christ, which then deeded it to the Maine Chapter of the United Church of Christ.
For a period of nearly 50 years, from 1964 to 2011, the Church operated a conference center and conducted activities for the community on the property year-round. It also rented Rockcraft to individuals and organizations for retreats, weddings, and other events. A carriage house, a boathouse used for lakeside gatherings, and other buildings remained on the grounds.
The Next Chapter
Karen Markson and her brother, David Russell, purchased the property from the Church in 2011. As a preservationist and lover of old homes, Karen’s intent was to restore this historically significant property to its original grandeur as a single-family residence and estate. David, who oversaw the restoration, spent many hours researching the history of the property. He poured over photographs and written records and used them as a guide. After a period of several years, the renovation was completed and the next chapter for Rockcraft began.
In the following years, Karen and her husband, Larry, have used Rockcraft primarily as their second home, and have occasionally hosted fundraisers and rented the property to families for vacations and gatherings. In 2024, Karen and Larry purchased from the Church the remaining 80 acres of land that had been part of the original estate.
Contact us.
inquiries@rockcraftlodge.com
9 Rockcraft Rd
Sebago, ME 04029