What is now Mountain Star Estate
From 1833 to 1836, John, James, and Luther Hoar II purchased various properties from Squire James Rangeley to create a single large block. The resulting property is located at the spot where every local governmental unit comes together, Dallas, Sandy River Plantations and the Town of Rangeley.
Farmhouse c. 1850
In 1899 the land was acquired by Nathan Ellis who purchased it from the heirs of Luther Hoar (who changed their name from Hoar to Nile). It was named Lake View Farm, but it is usually referred to in the recent past as the Ellis Farm.
From 1899 until 1917 Nathan Ellis operated Lake View Farm as a major sheep farm; at its zenith, the farm had 3000 sheep. During that time, Nathan added to the fields and barns until there were a total of 12 or 13 barns and outbuildings on the property.
The large portion of the farmhouse, which was originally a barn, was finished in 1903. Nate had eight sons and one daughter. His seventh son, Lynwood purchased the Farm from the estate, brothers and sister in the year 1917. Lynwood and Marion (Oakes) had 6 sons and 6 daughters. He continued the farm as a sheep farm and in the late 1920’s he had fourteen single room tourist cottages built near the lake for the tourist trade. He also established a central dining room in the Big House. In the early 1940’s Lynwood purchased four other competing dairy units in the area and went into the dairy business on a large scale, supplying Rangeley, Stratton, Eustis and Kingfield with dairy products. The farm grew to a high point of nearly 300 head of cattle, 100 hogs, 200 chickens and 10-12 horses. Walter (#4 son) purchased a quarter interest in the Farm and modernized the operation and produced homogenized and pasteurized dairy products for the surrounding towns. The pasteurization operation occurred in what is now the Honeymoon Cottage. He operated it jointly with his father until 1959. Eventually the family dairy business could not survive and the entire dairy, equipment, animals and business was sold. Walter and family moved to Massachusetts and sold his interest in the farm to Lynwood.
From 1961 to 1973, Lynwood raised 30 beef cattle as a retirement enterprise. Lynwood and Marion sold their first house lot on the high hill for $400 per acre. Roads were started and subdividing the land was begun.
Farmhouse Inn History
Paul (son #5) and Barbara bought the Farm in 1973, totally rebuilt both the original farmhouse and the attached large portion of the farmhouse, creating an attractive Inn. Subdividing the land continued with more roads and underground power and water rights going with each piece of property. In 1986, the Inn and 10 acres of land were sold to Richard and Anne Walker. They managed The Farmhouse Inn for two years and then sold it to Rick and Meg Godaire. During the years that the Godaires have owned The Farmhouse Inn, they have sold some of the land and removed the last of the barns. Presently, there are over 100 homes on the original farm land. The beautiful homes with fantastic views are enjoyed by full-time and seasonal residents.
Early in 2007, the Godaires sold the Farmhouse Inn to a young couple, Mike Flewelling and Tina Marie Falasco, who opened a full service restaurant. They had been visitors to the Rangeley region for many years and now their dream of living here and owning the historic Farmhouse Inn had come true. After a few years, Mike and Tina Marie decided to move onto other adventures.
In 2013, the property was sold to Shane & Stacey Vorous. This energetic couple along with their 4 children, continued the century-long tradition of hospitality at The Farmhouse. The renovations continued. “We are reviving it with new infrastructure while preserving and recreating the ambiance of this historic property.” In 2017, they expanded the property with the addition of an event facility and created The Mountain Star Estate (www.mountainstarestate.com) The structure had been built with reclaimed beams that are rich in color and character. The Mountain Star Estate is an upcycler’s dream. This was a big asset in the community of Rangeley.
In 2020, Shane and Stacey Vorous sold the beautifully restored property to Nathaniel and Rebecca Picard (Aisling Farm LLC) which operated as a wedding venue.
In 2023, the property was sold to Traverse and Sharon Fournier (Farmhouse Suites, LLC) who both grew up in Maine and have visited Rangely for over 25 years. They will continue to run Mountain Star Estate as a venue and offer off season Suite rentals in the Farmhouse. They are excited to share this wonderful piece of history with its many guests for years to come.