Every now and then, life offers up occasions when you need to gather with more people than your home can hold. And if you're visiting Boothbay Harbor, finding a spot for private events can be challenging.

Will your guests have enough elbow room to mingle? Will they roam a too-large ballroom like lost sheep? Will the setting be memorable? How close to the inner harbor will everyone be? Can we have our choice of caterer or are we limited by the venue?

Sally and Bob Maroon, owners of the Chowder House, offer a charming answer to these and other questions: Their historic granary perched at the harbor's edge offers parties of up to 100 guests a private event space.

"It's amazing. I just love the history behind it," Sally Bullard, wedding officiant and former wedding planner told the Register.

"It's a fabulous place, couldn't be more special even in the rain," Abbie Shaw, owner of Fine Cuisine Catering, said.

The building dates back to the 1800s and served as the shipyard of Stephen Sargent. In 1909, it became the property of Harold W. Bishop, according to local historian Barbara Rumsey in a 2015 Boothbay Register article.

The Maroons got it in 1978, the year they married. It provided Bob with a space for his wood carving business, which moved from its original site at Lobsterman's Wharf.

The building was a shell, but had the original floors. Over time, they added to it with Bob building a series of spaces for shops and later creating spaces using old materials and antiques that preserved its past charm.

Slowly but surely, a new business serving food began to take shape and with gratitude the couple explained how Sewall Maddocks originally "outfitted the whole restaurant" with equipment from his used restaurant supplies. The Chowder House restaurant grew into a larger enterprise, at one point employing 36 people.

After 40 years of providing food and drink to restaurant patrons, the Maroons decided to change things up, and in 2018 began offering the historic space as a venue for private events. It became harder to find employees and "all our key people were leaving," Sally explained. She enjoys seeing former employees come back to visit with their children.

Today, the Chowder House can have as many as three events each week during the season, which is from June through Columbus Day. The Chowder House can accommodate 80 guests for seated dining with 20 additional seats around the boat bar on the outdoor deck. To ensure comfort, both the back deck and the boat bar have clear windscreens and awnings.

The Chowder House has seen all types of events: weddings, rehearsal dinners, anniversary parties, celebrations of life, reunions and baby showers. Renters are "usually from away, states like California, New Jersey and New York," Sally said. She recently had a call from a bride-to-be whose sister was married at the Chowder House and who wanted the same.

The Maroons are now taking reservations for next year.

Rental fees for a full day range from $2,000 to $3,500 and provide the booking party with use of the Chowder House and its facilities. The Maroons provide renters with a list of helpful local caterers, bartenders and wedding planners so renters aren't locked into using a particular menu or staff.

"If they want to, a family member can get inside the boat bar and be the bartender for the event," Sally explained.

"It's my number one go-to place for an event when the size is right," wedding planner Wendy Caron told the Register. "It has great functionality and a great feel and has so much character sitting on the water." Caron also said the location, which is walking distance to hotels, makes it very convenient for guests. Her husband Tom provides catering for Chowder House events from his Red Claw Lobster Bakes.

Asked about reactions to the venue, Shaw told the Register, "The clients were overwhelmed with how good the food was and the wonderful view."  She, Caron and Bullard all praise the Maroons for their helpfulness and presence behind the scenes during events. "Sally and Bob are wonderful to work with," Caron said.

The Maroons live above the Chowder House during the season and in Whitefield, New Hampshire in the winter. Their son Casey and his family also live in Whitefield. Although Bob and Sally have both recently had surgery – she to donate a kidney to Bob when he had a transplant – both tackled the spring cleanup and readied the venue for this season. They said they still enjoy the work.

Reach the Chowder House at 633-5761 or chowderhouseinc@hotmail.com. For more information, visit https://chowderhouseinc.com/