Photograph by Susan Cole Kelly

This old house looks so perfect and natural in its surroundings, it’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t there. One of the state’s oldest structures, built in 1750, the former tavern sits in the middle of a venerable village in the first incorporated community northeast of the Piscataqua. So it’s surprising to learn that this building was actually built on the old King’s Highway (Route 1) in Wells, disassembled, stored in a barn, then moved up the road in 1941, only landing at its current location in 1959. A pub on the main route of travel between Portland and Portsmouth, it no doubt witnessed great moments in history — the first soldiers in the Continental army from Maine likely sat in the tavern here, discussing the abuses of the king, before they marched south. Certainly many discussed the case of Mary Nasson, accused of witchcraft, before she was buried in the “Witch’s Grave” adjacent to the building. And Mark Twain probably had a drink or two here, too, as he summered just up the road. Have you ever been to this timeless tavern? Send us a note at P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843; fire off an email to editorial@downeast.com; or post a comment at www.DownEast.com if you can identify the building and the town in which it sits.