AUGUSTA, Maine — Members of the military wounded in combat, disabled veterans and their families soon will have a scenic retreat in central Maine where they can relax and recuperate.
The Maine Chance Lodge overlooking Long Pond in Rome, once owned by cosmetics pioneer Elizabeth Arden, was purchased Friday by the Travis Mills Foundation, a philanthropic organization for wounded veterans. The lodge, built in 1929, will be renovated to become a retreat for injured and disabled veterans, Christine Toriello, executive director of the foundation, said in a Tuesday news release.
“Upon completion of extensive rehabilitation, the property will become the nation’s first fully-accessible, ‘smart home’ facility dedicated to serving the recreational and reintegration needs of combat-wounded veteran families,” Toriello said.
“It’s in significant disrepair,” she said about the current state of the building, which was purchased for $460,000 along with 17 acres. “It’s going to need to be completely rehabilitated.”
The property once was part of Arden’s estate that spanned more than 1,200 acres and employed hundreds of people during the height of the Depression, Toriello said.
“The lodge served as Ms. Arden’s private home and as the nation’s first elite spa serving celebrities such as actress Ava Gardner, entertainer Judy Garland, author Edna Ferber, and former first lady Mamie Eisenhower,” the news release states. “The property is a well-known landmark in central Maine, once employing generations of Mainers and providing a bit of glitz and glamour to the area with its serene setting atop a hillside overlooking pristine Long Pond.”
The veterans retreat “is the vision of retired U.S. Army [Staff Sgt.] Travis Mills,” a member of the 82nd Airborne who was critically wounded in 2012 while serving his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. Mills is a motivational speaker and advocate for veterans and amputees.
Mills’ wife Kelsey got a call in December “from a friend who said that the property was available and they had just reduced the price,” Toriello said. “We really think the property is perfect for our needs.”
The foundation that bears Mills’ name also operates a camp, the National Veteran’s Recreation Center, on Salmon Lake near Belgrade.
Fundraising efforts have begun to renovate the historic lodge in Rome.
“Our goal is to raise the $1.7 million required to complete the renovations of this incredible property so that it may become a fully [disabled]-accessible, year-round recreational and therapeutic retreat for veteran families,” Toriello said.
For more information or to make a donation, visit the foundation’s website at travismills.org.