Summit Springs Hotel, Poland, ca. 1910
Item 138 info
Maine Historical Society
Although Maine has been a popular American vacation spot for many years, the resorts that the state is famous for have not always been open to everyone, Jews included.
In the early twentieth century there was a rising national trend of Jewish exclusion from hotels and resorts, and Maine was no exception. It was not uncommon for resorts and hotels to deny Jews room and board during their vacation trips up north.
An example of this is Poland Spring, a popular resort that welcomed wealthy Jews during its first half century of existence but turned to a policy of discrimination as anti-Semitism rose nationally in the early 20th century.
Jews, however, were not left out in the cold as other resorts friendly to Jews started to appear. The Jewish-owned Summit Springs, located on the next hill over from Poland Spring, offered wealthy out-of-state Jews an alternative place to stay during their jaunts to Vacationland.
Summit Springs is an example of how the presence of Jews in Maine altered the local culture and how Jews carved out a space for themselves in the face of adversity.
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