Mon, 07/27/2026 - 8:42am

By James Rayball

The Sprucewold neighborhood in Boothbay Harbor has a small number of year-round houses and residents, with a larger number of April-October cabins. The above-ground water pipes and lack of insulation make winter living a no-go for the cabins.

The year-rounders invest in their homes the same as anyone in any state in the U.S. Those of us in the summer cabins (or “camps” to the locals) also care for and invest in our houses, but sometimes with a different purpose and guided by a unique spirit.

Most of the traditional Sprucewold cabins were built before their current owners took possession, with some dating back to the early 1900s. They share common features, and I believe these physical features reinforce and shape the way we live in, and interact with, Maine and each other.

The big room: All cabins I have seen use a simple and clever truss roof system (posts, tie beams, and the outer walls) to support the roof with few or no columns. This delivers a sense of space and openness to the main living area. Retreating to one’s own room to watch a screen by yourself is not as easy. Screen doors that enable breezes and close with a satisfying thunk complete the vibe. Be proud and vigilant of your truss roof and remember that the heavy lifting is done when you are not there, but the snow on the roof is.

The fireplace: Fashioned from local rocks that are probably gneisses (banded metamorphic rocks rich in quartz and feldspar with thin black mica bands), fireplaces – if usable – warm both your body and soul. Our wood-burning stove insert reduces the mesmerizing visual of the actual flames but improves the heat factor. An acceptable trade-off.

Built-ins: Many cabins have built-in hutches with shelves and lower cabinets, to hold plates, glasses or other household items. They are an example of craftmanship that took time and effort to create. Decorative and not just functional, and made with local wood, they reinforce the concept that nature is beautiful, and that natural beauty is part of daily living in Sprucewold.

Gardens: Gardening is an endeavor that can literally bridge the outside world with that of the inside. It can deliver a feeling of taming nature and temporarily bending her to one’s will. The water needed for success comes not just from the sky, but from the brow of the gardener – an effort that can deliver a tangible sense of achievement and at times even triumph.

Porches: A porch is a feature of every cabin in Sprucewold and is the preferred spot to enjoy a cold cocktail and appreciate the trees, the quiet, and the aforementioned gardens. Porches are optimal for summertime hosting of your neighbors and friends (and mosquitos).

Rocks: Great for fireplaces, but anxiety-inducing now due to long-gone builders using them to underpin cabins and serve as the foundation for posts. I make-up an excuse to not be available when Holly points out the need for someone to crawl under the cabin and inspect that suspect situation.

9.8 meters per second squared x the mass of an object – My physics professor at Rutgers had that permanently written on his chalkboard. It is unknown to many but impactful to all, especially to those with cabins on Crooked Pine and Birch Roads. The Laurentide Ice Sheet of 25,000 years ago left us the dramatic and challenging steep hills and drop-offs that characterize Sprucewold today and deliver spectacular views. But the invisible ever-present force of 9.8 m/s2 x the weight of your cabin takes no heed of our pressure-treated wood columns, extra-long screws, and concrete porch supports. It relentlessly tugs and pulls downward on our relatively puny man-made structures, requiring constant vigilance and resulting in an occasional downward pull on our checking account balance as well.

The physical place where one hangs their hat, dreams big ideas, and cries occasional tears – that place matters. Sprucewold is as fine a place as any for this to happen.

Community Notes:

On Saturday, Aug. 1 at the Linekin Green: