Den Danske Landsby - in English, “The Danish Village” - one of America's first motels
“Throughout the 1930s, business flourished,” wrote Frank Hodgdon, for a historical society feature. “At our Willowdale Road home, in the shadow of the Town Hall spire, I remember the familiar sounds of dishes being washed, trash being dumped, and the help on the kitchen steps conversing as they had a quick smoke.
“All of the employees were outfitted with period costumes. Even the groundskeeper, [who] wore a brass-buttoned and gold-braided cutaway coat and broad-brimmed black felt hat, giving him the role of ‘burgomeister’ or mayor,” wrote Hodgdon. “As a 5-year-old in 1936, I recall seeing him alight from his Model T in this regalia as he reported for work.”
The village was taken over by the federal government during World War II as workforce housing, with each cabin split into three and four apartments. In 1947, fire swept through the Town Hall restaurant, destroying the towering spire. The building was then converted to a gift shop, but the complex never returned to its prewar luster. In 1967, the village was purchased by The Milestone Foundation, an organization for recovering alcoholics. However, within a year, another fire claimed 22 of the cottage units and, by 1970, the remaining units followed.
I remember begging Mummy to drive in so I could see the village, this is in the 1950's, wanted to badly to see it but she was afraid that we would be seen in there, I was a kid I didnt' care.
Americans, Americans they don't treasure the places that are built, American Saying is if it's old, don't keep it up tear it down. I had to go to England to see Castles and Manor houses and history Not here in Maine
We could have had a wonderful World War 1 Museum at Fort Williams but rip it down rip it down rip it down, it's the American way just like our lovely Union Station in Portland where as a little girl we went to pick up Nana coming from Derry NH. So yup, Americans don't care about history.