Landscape Information
Beech Nut was designed and constructed in 1917 at the apex of Beech Hill, 500 feet above sea level, with a 360-degree view of Camden Hills and Penobscot Bay. It was designed by Hans O. Heistad as a picnic hut for the Weatherend summer estate.
At the entrance to Beech Hill, Heistad built a timber and masonry gate with arches mimicking those at the hut. A ¾-mile long carriage drive winds in a spiral to the hilltop, gradually revealing elements of the property and ultimately arriving at a full view of the bay, with the hut directly behind. Heistad followed Norwegian tradition by designing a sod roof and a deep porch to shelter the main entrance to the hut, but built from stone rather than wood. Windows in the hut frame specific scenic views. Heistad also designed and built the interior furniture, including tables, benches, chairs, cabinets, and wagon-wheel chandeliers, none of which remain today.
After a period of neglect, the hut’s foundation, walls, and sod roof were rehabilitated, incorporating modern construction methods with historical integrity. The site is owned and opened to the public by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust. Beechnut Hut Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
