One of Maine’s most famous homes is for sale after the owners unsuccessfully sought permission for it to become a wedding venue.
‘The Wedding Cake House’ at 104 Summer St. in Kennebunk is a yellow, two-story home frosted with an ornate, Gothic-style white trim. It was built in 1825 by George Bourne, a fourth-generation shipbuilder, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It is popularly known as the most photographed home in Maine, and has inspired a number of books, articles and art pieces. Now, it is on the market for $2.7 million.
The homeowners, Hunt and Katie Edwards, have lived in the house seasonally since 2014. Hunt Edwards wrote in a 2023 column that the famous house had structural deficiencies in its foundation, walls and chimney. The famous hand-carved trim, he wrote, was rotting.
“The wood has outlived its lifetime,” Edwards wrote in the column.
To bring in some extra money for needed repairs, the Edwards applied last year to be able to host weddings and events in the home and potentially use it as an inn, too. But the proposal was shot down earlier this year by the town’s select board.
Members cited, among other reasons, that a business of that magnitude was out of character for the historic Summer Street, which is lined with stately homes. Neighbors were worried about the excessive noise that a wedding venue would bring to the area, although the Edwards’ application would have limited guests to 150 and required events to end before 10 pm
The home was first listed Friday. The listing makes no mention of any of the home’s foundational problems the Edwards disclosed to the select board, but according to listing agent Nate McCabe, the Edwards have done a great deal of work. The only remaining deficiencies can be found in the barn and in the trim on the west side of the house, he said.
“The only thing that’s needed is some cosmetic upgrades,” McCabe said.
It was a family decision to sell the property, McCabe said, and he couldn’t comment on whether that was connected to the failed proposal to turn it into an events space. There’s been an “overwhelming” amount of interest in the few days since it’s been listed, he added.
The property is a short walk to downtown Kennebunk, but sits on a quiet 2.2-acre lot with over 300 feet of access to the Kennebunk River. The house is over 6,000 square feet and has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half-bathrooms. The home’s ornate furnishings and artwork could be negotiated and included in a sale, McCabe said.
It comes with a private 2-bedroom apartment that could be used as a short-term rental property, McCabe said. There’s also a barn and a carriage house on the property that the listing calls a “stunning entertaining space with surround sound speakers.” The new owners will only have to make use of them privately.