History of Ogunquit Beach Inn

Ogunquit Beach Inn was built sometime in the mid 1920's. The above picture was taken in the winter of 1939. House was built on School Street in the village centre. There are many houses on School street that were built in the craftsman /bungalow style of the early part of the 20th century. The Bracey family built the house for their daughter Gladys Eckman. Gladys was a character. She was a "lively" woman that had big Siberian Huskies. She operated a guesthouse and other properties throughout the village.

The house is an American Foursquare craftsman style with a hipped roof. The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural style, interior design, and decorative arts style popular from the last years of the 19th century through the early years of the 20th century. The highlights of the style include a basically square, boxy design, two-and-one-half stories high, usually 4 boxy rooms to a floor, a center dormer, and a front porch running along the front of the house. Most of the rooms in the house have hard wood floors and 5 panel cottage style doors with glass knobs.

The house originally had cedar shake shingles. When we bought the house in 1997 there was yellow vinyl siding covering the shakes. We stripped the vinyl and eventually had clapboard replaced with a green earth tone stain. New roof shingles were added with architectural style shingles. The new wing to the house was modernized in 1997. Michael's father, Fred added the two new rooms: Naughty Pine and Lighthouse rooms. These rooms are on the new wing of the house. Off of the Naughty Pine room site a private mahogany terrace with patio furniture. Both rooms have a private entrance, and all modern features.

Gladys Bracy Eckman, during the 1970's. Gladys died in 1996.

Replacement windows were added, and the original hardwood floors were restored. We are constantly fixing repairing and replacing things throughout the house.