Tarry A While's History
More Than a Century of Maine Hospitality
For more than a century, Tarry A While has welcomed summer visitors to the shores of Highland Lake, creating a place where generations of families have gathered, friendships have flourished, and summer memories have been made. Its story is one of family, hospitality, and a shared love for the natural beauty and peaceful charm of Maine.
The Abbott Years: A Summer Tradition Begins
The story of Tarry A While began in the late 1800s, when visitors from the cities began seeking respite in the fresh air and beautiful surroundings of Maine’s Lakes Region.
Around 1891, Forrest Abbott moved from Harrison to a spot known locally as “the ridge,” where he built an elaborate home for Mrs. Sanders, a wealthy woman from Providence, Rhode Island. Forrest and his wife, Lizzie, lived in a white Cape at the top of the driveway. After the larger home burned to the ground, Mrs. Sanders sold the property to Forrest.
Around the same time, Forrest’s parents, Charles and Sarah Abbott, were feeling lonely in Harrison. Forrest arranged for their home to be rebuilt in the pasture behind his own. The resulting house, which is now the Inn, proved larger than Sarah needed, so she began welcoming summer boarders.
As more visitors discovered the appeal of the ridge, caring for the growing number of guests became too much for Sarah. Recognizing the opportunity, Forrest renovated his parents’ home to better accommodate summer visitors around 1909. In 1910, the guests gave the property its enduring name: Tarry A While.
Forrest and Lizzie welcomed guests for the next 30 years, continuing the tradition until 1940, when their son Arnold and his wife, Ethel, took over. The next generation of Abbotts was ready to carry the tradition forward.
Arnold & Ethel Abbott: The Golden Years of Summer Boarding
As the third generation of Abbotts to operate Tarry A While, Arnold and Ethel ushered in a period of growth and lively summer traditions during their 26 years at the helm.
Several of the property's beloved buildings took shape during this time. The Social Hall became a gathering place for guests and local residents, hosting weekly socials, poetry readings, and musical performances. Four of the five cottages were built, and the Abbott Cottage served as Arnold and Ethel’s seasonal home. The former boathouse, now privately owned, was transformed into a bathhouse where guests could change into their swimwear before heading to the lake.
Life at Tarry A While followed a delightful rhythm. Three meals were served each day at set times, and guests often returned year after year to the same rooms and dining tables. Many stayed for the entire summer, developing lasting friendships and becoming part of a close-knit community. In those days, children stayed with nearby families rather than overnight at the Inn, and a letter of recommendation was required for newcomers to join the Tarry A While tradition.
These were summers shaped by simple pleasures, familiar faces, and the special feeling of returning to a place that felt like home.
Hans & Barbara Jenni: A New Era Begins
In 1966, Tarry A While entered a new chapter when Hans and Barbara Jenni purchased the property. Hans, originally from Switzerland, had arrived in Bridgton in the 1950s and became the first ski instructor at Pleasant Mountain. Barbara was from New Jersey, and together they brought fresh ideas and a new vision for the resort.
Unlike the previous owners, the Jennis had no experience operating a summer hotel, but they embraced the challenge and introduced some exciting changes. They opened Tarry A While to the general public and established the Stübli Switzer Restaurant, welcoming a broader community of visitors to enjoy the property.
Over the next 27 years, they made numerous improvements and modernizations. Hans built the Jenni Chalet, added private bathrooms to many guest accommodations, and installed some of Bridgton’s first air-conditioning units.
Their years at Tarry A While helped bridge the property's traditional summer-boarding roots with the more modern resort experience guests enjoy today.
Nan & Marc Stretch: A Place to Call Home
In 1994, Nancy “Nan” and Marc Stretch became the next stewards of Tarry A While. Nan was born in Bridgton and had learned to ski at Pleasant Mountain under Hans Jenni’s instruction. Marc, originally from New Jersey, discovered Maine—and Nan—while attending Fryeburg Academy.
The couple was vacationing on Highland Lake when they saw that Tarry A While was for sale. Drawn to its beauty and character, they purchased the property and spent the next 19 years caring for it as both a business and a home. The Stretches maintained the resort to the highest standards while raising their three children on the property. In 1997, they built the beautiful post-and-beam home on the hill above the Inn, with Marc personally hewing each of the beams. Throughout their ownership, they worked to preserve the tranquility, natural beauty, and welcoming spirit that had defined Tarry A While for generations. Their dedication ensured that its historic charm remained an essential part of the guest experience.
Dan & Roseana Richards: Honoring the Past, Welcoming the Future
In 2013, Dan and Roseana Richards purchased Tarry A While Resort from the Stretch family, beginning a new chapter in the resort’s long history of lakeside hospitality.
Dan is a Bridgton native who grew up alongside Hans and Barbara Jenni’s sons, while Roseana grew up in Woolwich, Maine. After graduating from the University of Maine as mechanical engineers, they moved to the Atlanta metropolitan area. Still, their hearts remained close to Maine, and they returned to Bridgton each summer to enjoy time with family and friends.
Since taking ownership, Dan and Roseana have made numerous improvements to the resort, including adding the waterfront Gazebo and eight bedroom Chickadee Cottage. They have plans for more in the years ahead. Their vision is to continue enhancing the guest experience while preserving the natural beauty, timeless charm, and welcoming spirit that have made Tarry A While a beloved lakeside destination for generations.