BETHEL — Kerry Rasor was 15 when her father, Richard “Dick” Rasor, bought The Bethel Inn.
“Oh my God, I think my dad robbed a bank. It was so amazing, all these buildings,” she said of her first thought upon arriving at the 100-acre property overlooking the White Mountains. “It was so pretty and charming. Bethel is magical.”
The Saco resident recently shared memories of that life-changing event and the people who worked for her father for 43 years before his death last April. His death prompted her and the other owners — her sister, Elizabeth, her sister-in-law, Kathy, and General Manager Allen Connors — to sell the inn late last year to Giri Hotel Management, a real estate developer based in Quincy, Massachusetts. The company owns 46 other hotels in the Northeast, including four in Maine.
“It was ultimately Allen’s decision,” Kerry Rasor said. “We would never have moved forward if Allen wasn’t on board.”
In 1979, Dick Rasor was burned out from working long hours in the advertising business in New York City and went looking for something different. He bought The Bethel Inn, which was built in 1913 and in receivership.
Selectmen soon met with Rasor, whose plans included improving the golf course, redecorating the main dining room, expanding the old carriage house, installing lights on the tennis court, expanding the Songo Pond beach house and installing window awnings.
Rasor did $7.5 million in renovations, bringing the inn back to life by expanding the golf course from nine to 18 holes and adding townhouses and condominiums, forming a partnership with Les Otten, owner of Sunday River ski resort.
As a teenager, Kerry Raxor worked a string of jobs during her summers at the inn, including bussing and waiting on tables, washing dishes, doing prep work for cooking, working the front desk and doing occasional bus tours along with other staff members.
“They loved my dad,” she said. “He could be tough, but he was very generous and very loyal.”
An advertisement for Thanksgiving dinner at The Bethel Inn & Country Club features a photograph of waitress Macky Chapman in November 1989. Archived photo
Macky Chapman was a longtime staff member, working at the inn from 1969 to 1990 and off and on after that. For much of the time, she worked beside her mother-in-law, Ida Chapman, a beloved waitress and hostess for more than 20 years and for whom a wing of the inn is named.
Macky recalled the wait staff served meals on a plate that sat on a hand-painted Bethel Inn charger. Each one cost $100. They set out finger bowls, bread and butter knives and real silverware.
“The buffet always had shrimp piled high in a bowl and lobster meat,” she said.
Chapman also trained many staff members.
“I was a stickler,” she said. “It was important for them to know the proper etiquette — who gets served first and what side to serve from.”
Much of the staff lived at the carriage house, The Oaks, The Pines and across the street at the historical house. Some went to Florida from November to June to work at another hotel.
Among the many famous people she served: Former-Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, Paul Newman, John Glenn and Maria von Trapp.
Von Trapp “was the worst tipper ever,” Chapman said.
By the time Rasor bought the inn in 1979, all of the silver and china had been sold.
Rasor introduced lobster bakes served on the lawn by the recreation center, featuring lobster, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and strawberry shortcake.
“I’ll always be so grateful for my dad for bringing me to Maine,” Rasor said. “He didn’t just want the inn to do well. He wanted everyone to do well. He was really committed to Bethel. He wanted to see Bethel thrive.”
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