Perched on the beautiful shores of Pemaquid Lake, Lakehurst Properties, in Damariscotta, Maine, is the ideal location to escape the distractions and chaos of everyday life. The lake features a private, safe, and shallow sand beach that is perfect for swimming, sunbathing, or simply relaxing and enjoying the picturesque view. Lakehurst Properties is the perfect retreat for the authentic “Maine Experience” throughout the year due to the all-season rental cabins. Lakehurst also features a rustic timber-framed barn facility that is the perfect country setting for any event. Lakehurst has been called “rejuvenating”, “restorative”, and “simply stunning” by past guests.

Lakehurst has a quaint family history which creates a truly authentic, family-oriented vibe. The Pinkham family business began in the 1920s, when the property was bought by Dr. James Cook and his nephew Lawson Pinkham, my grandfather. The property was originally a camp for boys and then transformed into cottage rentals and a dance hall in 1935. In 1965, the property once again went through a transformation when the younger generation of Pinkham’s bought the property and over time doubled the number of cottages on the property, including an island cabin purchased from my grandmother called “The Honeymoon Cabin”. Weekly dances stopped in 1980, and the dance hall became a premier event space. In 2015, my brothers and I, along with our respective spouses, purchased the property and now run it with our parents. It has always been clear that business runs in the Pinkham family!

My parents taught me and my siblings hard work, family values, and how to care for Lakehurst at an early age. I remember being enlisted as a helper for whatever chores needed to be done around Lakehurst, including cleaning up after large events, yard work, washing windows, and helping turnover the cottages. I vividly remember the dances that were popular in the mid-1960s and 1970s. My dad and uncle would shave solid bars of Gulf paraffin wax so that the shavings would fall onto the dance floor and act as lubrication for the shoes of the dancer, which helped the dancers glide across the floor and would wax the floor at the same time!

Many lessons can be learned from a family business that has grown, evolved, and had continued success for over 100 years. I know that family businesses are a lot of work, but it is extremely important to work together and focus on everyone’s strengths in order to be truly successful. From its beginning, Lakehurst Properties has been a labor of love, family loyalty, and proof that determination and hard work lead to success.