WILLOW CREEK — Willow Creek entered the sharing economy this month when a renovated millworker cottage at 18 Mechanic St. became the town’s first Airbnb listing, offering visitors a lodging option between the Pleasant Lake campground and the rooms above The Dry Dock.
Owner Laura Fontaine, a Bangor architect who inherited the property from her grandfather, spent 18 months restoring the two-bedroom cottage, preserving original wide-pine floors and the cast-iron woodstove while adding a modern kitchen and high-speed internet.
“I wanted to honor the house’s history while making it comfortable for people who aren’t used to an outhouse and a hand pump,” Fontaine said. “My grandfather walked to the mill from this house every morning for 38 years. Now people can stay here and learn about that life.”
The cottage rents for $125 a night and has already hosted five bookings, including a couple from New York City who spent a week hiking and paddling. Fontaine said she has received inquiries about fall dates from as far away as Germany.
The listing has prompted discussion at town hall about short-term rental regulations. Selectwoman Eleanor Vance said the board will take up the issue at its August meeting, noting that other Maine towns have struggled to balance tourism benefits with housing concerns.