May 5-6 2017
Katrina,
You've created such a cozy spot! It is clean, welcoming, & so uniquely created. We appreciate your Crooked Steeple! We came together to celebrate my graduation as a Family Nurse Practitioner! Wish we could stay longer!
Maria & Clay, N. Yarmouth, ME, 29, 42 yo. Teresita & David, Buxton, ME, 65, 62 yo. Ester, Buxton, ME, 87 yo. Marcus, Brooklyn, NY, 26 yo. Danielle, Brooklyn, NY, 31 yo.
Thank you! All ages were impressed!
Thank you for providing such a wonderful house to stay in! This was my second time staying here, but my grandma’s first and sh loved! It was the perfect place to conduct our house hunt and do some sight seeing! Thanks again!
Melissa Pearce, Susan Pearce
Pittsburg, PA
May 6 2017
Dear Katrina,
Your place is beyond perfect. Thank you for giving us a spot to call home when we needed it the most. Getting away from the city was important. We were able to unwind, unplug, cook a ton of food and dance through the rainy nights in your open space. We will absolutely be back soon! Thanks again.
Yelliza
May 5 2017
I'm so glad these stained glass windows are still around. When I first purchased the hall, I had several offers from architectural salvage companies, looking to purchase them. How boring would the building be without these colorful windows?
In total, there are 7 stained glass windows, that run waist height to almost the ceiling. Each window contains 4 panels of beautiful stained glass. Only one bottom set will be removed, to make room for our secondary exit and deck. We can't wait to show you more as it progresses!
The original purchase of Crooked Steeple Hall came in 2013, when I saw a sign on the lawn. It was a 'For Sale By Owner' with only a phone number. I was already co-owner of a property management company and in love with old buildings. This one was singing a siren song to me. This particular building, while originally used as a church, had most recently been a performance hall and music store, Kaler Street Music. Its owners had closed their business and were ready to pass the baton.
What makes one want to purchase an old church building? It was certainly a beautiful building, complete with a typical New England white steeple, stained glass windows, and even a working church bell! The bell was cast in 1872 by Blake & Co, in the same foundry originally owned by Paul Revere. The original church pews and pulpit remained intact. However, history and beauty alone don't always make sense for a business.
While some people, my own family included, saw nothing but a money pit, I saw history, beauty, and potential to once again share this building with others. An apartment in part of the walkout basement helped justify this as a cash-positive venture from the start. I knew that the rental income would help bring in revenue, as the rest of the building was cleaned and renovated over time. What that rest of the building might turn into, was at the time still a mystery. 4 years later, it has crystallized into a strong vision of beautiful weddings and bespoke events, with bookings starting in 2019!
That's a small taste of what has become a 4-year journey, that's still going strong. Keep coming back or subscribe to our blog to hear the rest and see our progress!
I have fallen in love completely in love with this house! Not only is it good location relative to everything, but it is a great place to have local fun! Thank you so much for having this church open for people to have experience in.
Kay & John
April 24 2017
I have fallen completely in love with this house! Not only is it a good location relative to everything else, but it is also a great place to have local fun!
Thank you so much for having this church open for people to have experiences in!
Kaytlyn & John
This was our second stay with Katrina at her house, and is our "go to" AirBnB when we are in Maine. She is so friendly, inviting and hospitable and her house is wonderful. We highly recommend staying there, and everything was perfect.
Anthony, Ramsey, NJ
April 20 2017
This was my first airbnb experience, so I have nothing to compare it to; however, that being said, my experience was truly wonderful! I had to make last minute arrangements, so Katrina had very little notice of my coming (hours, rather than days!) She responded with genuine warmth -- I felt welcome from the first communication. Katrina was quick to reply to my text questions about the area: what to do, where to eat, and so forth, and her recommendations were spot on. Her home is quite lovely and easy to find. The room I had is very large -- plenty of room to move/stretch/whatever, and the bed is wonderfully comfortable! I needed to leave early the next morning, so Katrina set me up with a French Press of coffee the night before -- all I had to do was turn on the water and give the beans a quick grind. I am happy to recommend Katrina's airbnb to anyone who is traveling through the area and needs a place to stay!!
Nancy, Denmark, ME
April 16 2017
We had a great time exploring Fort Knox and hiking in Acadia! Your home was very relaxing!
CM
April 14 2017.
Thank you so much! Though we stayed one night, it was truly the best night of our whole trip! The area and house are so lovely and we are thankful for how much work you’ve put in to make Crookes Steeple the cutest, most welcoming little place!
April 13 2017
Staying at Katrina's place was such a wonderful experience! She is one of the most warm, caring and considerate people you will ever have the opportunity to meet. She thinks about every detail of your stay along with suggesting fun and creative ways to add to the amazing memories you will have after your time at the Crooked Steeple. Lots of great/fun places to visit and local restaurants: The Bacon Tree, Winterport Pizza (both on Main St nearby). Take a drive to Bangor for lunch at The Friar's Bakery (if you enjoy delicious home-cooked meals - they make outstanding breads and simple desserts). Try the Irish pub (Paddy Murphy's). Stop over on Verona Island for breakfast at Rise and Shine restaurant. Tasty! Don't forget to include fun exercise activities: Fort Knox Park and Observatory Tower near the bridge (if open for the season), Bucksport's waterfront walkway (gorgeous (Website hidden by Airbnb) name a few.
Belinda, Haverhill, MA
April 11 2017
The Crooked Steeple was wonderful! We got and opportunity to check out Winterport, Acadia and Maine. It was lovely to meet you and your family for dessert. Hope we can stay again!
The Toomey Family
April 8 2017
What a cute, comfy place the Crooked Steeple place turned out to be, just what we needed for our quick overnighter. Hope to return again in summer with friends!
Tim & Joanne
Waterford, Maine
April 2 2017
Dear Katrina,
Thank you for providing such an amazing, cozy and restful environment for us to relax in. You are such a generous and thoughtful person who pays attention to evry little detail. We truly appreciate the time you spent us and will always cherish those memories with you.
April 1 2017
Can't say enough how COMFY the bed was! A warm welcome for two weary spring break road trippers. Katrina and her family were friendly hosts and more than accommodating to us. Our first time staying at an AirBnB and we couldn't imagine a better stay. We would love to come back sometime!
Deneé, Craftsbury, VT
Mar 30 2017
My friend and I stayed at Katrina's home for one night. Even though we got in pretty late and left early morning, the area is very clean and specious. The shared areas were also clean. Would definitely reccomend!
Karolina, Middletown, CT
Mar 19 2017
We were only at this AirBnB for a few hours (arrived later after a conference and had to leave early the next morning), but everything was terrific. Katrina was very flexible with our check in and check out times, and provided us with some great restaurant recommendations for our evening in Bangor. The rooms were exactly as described, clean, and had little "extras" like a candy bowl and electric water heater so that you can make tea/coffee in the morning. Overall a great value and not too far from Bangor.
Aaron, New Haven, CT
Mar 16 2017
Katrina was a super friendly and accommodating host, and the house a lovely 205-year-old gem (I'd never been in a house anywhere near that old that wasn't a museum!). The room is very spacious and comfortable. We very much enjoyed our stay.
Sebastian, Cambridge, MA
March 10 2017
My first Airbnb stay with anyone. I was quite self conscious about living amongst a family, but Katrina's affable personality and a couple of glasses of wine disarmed me quickly. Before long I was competing (and losing badly) on computer games with her youngest son. Great value, very cool historic home with good access to some of the most picturesque spots in Maine. A great mom who is doing a fine job of organizing her life in a way that she can spend lots of quality time raising her two nice young sons. There is truth in advertising in how Katrina describes the stay. If you wish for solitude after a long trip, there's a big room with a comfy bed waiting. If you're looking for an interesting chat, Katrina will be there with a glass of wine and a funny story. I travel extensively, and it was a very good experience for me.
Feb 24 2017
Al, Morgantown, WV
