5 Lindsey Street
Rockland , Maine 04841
Reservations: 800-523-2145
Business: 207-596-7950
Email: Info@lindseyhouse.com
URL: www.lindseyhouse.com
Your Hosts: Captains Ken and Ellen Barnes
General Description: Imagine a lovely English inn combined with a Maine sea captain’s home, and you’ve got the 9-room Captain Lindsey House. This sophisticated inn combines the attributes of a boutique hotel and a bed and breakfast and is right in the heart of Rockland’s historic seaport district. The fine oak paneling, along with a wonderful collection of pieces from owners Captains Ken and Ellen Barnes’ travels, offers a feeling of worldly hospitality that is the trademark of this inn. Animated storytellers and world-traveled mariners, the Barnes creates a lasting impression with their stories and the inn they have created here. They have been featured in the media, including CBS Sunday morning and the Food Network. Gorgeous antiques and Persian rugs, amidst modern amenities offer today’s traveler that combination of genuine feel with the conveniences of modern times. Above all it is a comfortable, “feet up on the coffee table” place to stay. A library complete with a computer, and printer along with in-room phones, flat screen TV’s, i-pod docs, and wireless internet access make this the ideal home-away-from home for those traveling for business or for pleasure. The Captain Lindsey House is a certified environmental leader in the state of Maine.
Guest Rooms, Amenities and rates: There are nine graciously appointed guest rooms, and you can’t help but feel the presence of the nautical legacy of this inn throughout. Sketches of schooners and life at sea from artist/owner Captain Ken Barnes and his family, along with custom crafted furniture, created or collected by the Captains Barnes give the inn its signature
character. Rooms have twin, queen or king beds, with down comforters and pillows and deep comfortable mattresses. All rooms are spacious with two rooms offering additional sleeper sofas. One guest room offers its own private handicap-accessible ramp and entrance. Five of the nine guest rooms have in-room fireplaces.
All guest rooms offer private baths, equipped with hairdryers, fine toiletries, Egyptian cotton towels and fluffy bathrobes. Two of the bathrooms have soaking tubs. Inn-room telephones, wireless internet access, iPod docs and televisions concealed in armoires maintain the inn’s historic character. All rooms are air-conditioned for comfort in the summer. Daily newspapers are available each morning and chocolates are in the room when guests arrive. Turn-down service is offered if requested. Patricia Payeur and her staff offer their assistance in planning guests seasonal activities and will make dinner reservations. Patricia is conversant in French. Guest will enjoy afternoon refreshments of pie, or cookies or cakes with sherry or tea served fireside in the late afternoons. A well-stocked complimentary guest pantry is always available.
In the quiet season, (mid-October through mid-June) room rates range from $135-$154 per night (double occupancy). For rooms that accommodate three or four, there is a $35 per night charge per person. During the summer season (mid-June through mid-October), the same rooms range from $178 to $215 per night. All room rates include a full 3-course buffet breakfast. Corporate rates are available for business travelers.
Common Rooms: Guests are welcomed by a number of inviting common areas. A large and elegant living room, warmed by a fireplace in winter, and filled with a collection of lovely antiques and artifacts from travels throughout the world, welcomes guests as they enter.
Off the living room is a well-stocked library, featuring a complete collection of National Geographic magazines dating back forty years as well as other books for all interests. Here, there is a desk and telephone for those traveling with computers to log into the internet. And for those with wireless-ready computers, free access is available throughout the inn. The dining room is reminiscent of a luxury yacht, with beautiful wood paneling and tufted, built-in benches. Also off the main living room is a lovely deck and brick patio and walled-in private garden with comfortable outdoor furniture, offering a wonderful place to enjoy morning coffee and breakfast, a quiet afternoon reading, or a cocktail before dinner.
Breakfast: Breakfast is served every morning from 8:00 to 9:30. Coffee and teas are up by 7:00 am. Each day guests are treated to a hearty array of home-made granola, bagels, English Muffins, fresh baked breads and scones, yoghurt, cottage cheese, and dried and fresh fruits and fruit juice. Additionally pancakes, or eggs and omelets cooked to order, or a variety of soufflés, or quiches and frittatas are served with bacon or sausage or ham. Captain Ken’s excellent apple pies are a favorite. Many of the inn’s breakfast recipes can be found in Ellen Barnes’ well known cookbook, ” Taste of the Taber, Classic Maine Coastal Cooking.
History: The house was originally built in 1835, when Captain George Lindsey, a bold mariner and prominent Rockland citizen, set up a kiln to make the bricks for his new home. Lindsey’s father, a veteran of the French and Indian War, had been deeded a large portion of what is known now as Rockland for 14 British pounds. Two years later, in 1837, Lindsey transformed the house into what is believed to be Rockland’s first inn, compete with a livery stable and popular tavern. It soon became the gathering place for locals and the center for political discussions. It remained an inn until the local water company bought it and turned it into its headquarters in the early 1900s. Captains Ellen and Ken Barnes bought it from the water company in 1995, gutted the building down to the original post and beam structure and turned it back into an inn, albeit much more luxurious than it had once been. . The Captain Lindsay House is among the six houses that the Barnes have renovated or updated. While full-time captains of the Windjammer Stephen Taber until 2004, Ken and Ellen Barnes lit the first fire in the living room fireplace in 1995, and have continued to gain acclaim from guests and media ever since.
Accessibility, pets, smoking: Families, couples and single guests are welcome. While most rooms accommodate two people, the inn’s family suites are ideal for those traveling in larger parties. A handicapped accessible room, with a private entrance, ramp and fully-outfitted handicap-accessible facilities is available. Those traveling with pets are advised to contact a local kennel. The inn is fully non-smoking.
Unique Features: Business travelers will find this inn particularly suited to their needs. Not only are rooms equipped with televisions, phones and wireless internet access, but the library offers an additional office-away-from-home for those who’d prefer to not mix business with pleasure in their rooms. A copier is available and Captain Lindsey House also offers corporate rates. Those traveling on business are welcome to invite guests to join them for breakfast at the inn at no additional charge.
Additionally, the wonderful collection of decor, relics, and authentic antiques from throughout the world, combined with its modern amenities give this inn the feel of a boutique European hotel. Add that to the wonderfully interesting stories from owners, Ken and Ellen Barnes, and the warm hospitality offered by their staff, and the Captain Lindsey is a favorite among all. Innkeeper Patricia Payeur is fluent in French, and loves to practice with those from Canada and Europe. The elegant intimacy of this inn provides a lovely venue for small weddings and receptions. Moreover, the inn comes complete with its own wedding officiate. Captain Barnes has officiated many weddings at the inn and along the Midcoast!
Directions: From Portland, Maine: Take I-295 to Exit 28 in Brunswick. Take Route 1 north and follow into Rockland. Continue on Route 1 north onto Main Street. At the end of the stores, turn left onto Summer Street, go one block turn left and then left again onto Lindsey Street. The inn is on the left.
Click here for a gallery of the Captain Lindsey House.
