Treat Peirce House
Photo by Corinne Botz
When I tell people where I live, their first question is often, “What’s up with that house?” Prominently located on the sharp corner of Route 1A and the Loggin Road, the mansard commands your attention. You have to slow down when you pass it. You have to take it in.
Yard sale items inside the Treat Peirce house
*This asterisk is here to share the hard news that Dana Geel, the incredible human at the center of this story, passed away shortly after it was published. I learned so much from Dana during the many hours I sat with him on his porch during his yard sales over the years—he was a magnanimous human, a showman full of generosity and hospitality. He was kind, gentle, hilarious, and brimming with ideas for projects and a deep appreciation for spontaneity. I continue to learn from Dana (and his family and friends) even after his passing and am grateful for all he and the Treat Peirce house have given me to think about.
An enormous thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to talk to me for this project.
This 157-year-old Second Empire house is full of stories—more than could fit in the short article I wrote for Maine Homes by Down East.
A few years ago, I decided to learn everything I possibly could about the house, interviewing current and former owners, people who lived in it, and anyone who had a tale about it to tell.
A short piece about one aspect of this storied house is in the summer 2022 issue of Maine Homes by Down East.*
Many questions remain…
Did Diana Ross really buy a bathtub from the house?
Where did the piano go?
Did you or your family purchase any of the original pieces from the house when they were auctioned off? Did you sneak inside the house as a teenager? Have you heard ghost stories or experienced hauntings while there? Did you participate in a ghost-hunting expedition in the house?
I’d love to hear from you. (That includes you, Diana Ross.)
