By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — Many over-sized loads get moved down Maine roads during the wee hours of the morning.

It was sight to see as one such over-sized load — the cupola from the Bay of Naples Hotel — was transported across the Naples Causeway early Thursday morning. The very recognizable cupola was on one trailer bed. Following behind were two trailers containing the cupola’s disassembled roof. 

The cupola has a vibrant history in Naples, as a belfry atop the luxurious turn-of-the-century hotel that overlooked Long Lake. During the time period of 1963 and 1964, the defunct hotel was torn down and burned. However, one of two cupolas ended up in the hands of a local campground owner. About 10 years ago, the cupola was deeded to the Town of Naples. In 2020, residents at Town Meeting decided to relinquish ownership of it. The cupola has caused such passion in residents — some in favor of preserving it through town efforts and some preferring that a private entity pay for moving and restoring it.

In the end, it was a local businessman, Dan LaJoie, who intervened to make certain the cupola would be preserved and returned to its originalappearance. He assumed  ownership of the cupola. He organized the logistics involved in transporting the structure. 

At 5 a.m. on Thursday morning, the cupola was transported via a flatbed trailer and semi-truck from the campground off Route 114, across the Causeway to the front lawn of the Naples Barn. In the lead of the procession was a police vehicle from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), and second cruiser took up the caboose. 

LaJoie was on-hand from start to finish during the transportation. He assisted with getting it leveled when the crane lowered the cupola onto the sauna tubes on his property. The cupola’s new resting spot is on the left-hand side of the Naples Barn.

“I’m just happy it is here — finally, after 56 years of sitting at a campground. I’m glad it’s here,” LaJoie said. “I’m really happy with Double R Crane Services and Phil Audets and the whole crew. It went as good as expected. We were very prepared for it.”

The whole cupola weighs between 17,000 and 20,000 pound. Without the roof, it weighs 10,500 pounds, according to LaJoie.

One aspect of transporting the cupola that drove up the cost was paying the utility companies to remove wires. This was avoided because the tall, pointed roof was removed, reducing the height of the structure.

“I am the one who surgically cut the lady in two to get her onto the trailer. Yesterday, we swung the tops into place and it worked out pretty slick,” said Mike Seymour, of 

Authentic Timber Frames, one of the carpenters involved in the cupola restoration project.

“We have been putting all the boards on the roof. I just secured all the framing. It needs a new roof and plenty of TLC,” Seymour said on Tuesday.

One amazing thing he discovered is that the

“It is a uniquepolygon. There are 14 sides: 14 hips or rafters, 14 windows and 14 sills. There is 14 of everything,” Seymour said. 

In geometry, a fourteen-sided polygon is called a tetradecagon or tetrakaidecagon. 

As expected, the responses from passers-by has been overwhelmingly positive 

“I get a lot of smiles. People seem to dig it,” Seymour said. “It fits pretty good here because it is historical. Dan bought the beautiful farm house years ago and restored it.” 

For an old structure that has been exposed to Maine’s harsh elements, the cupola is in good condition.

“It is in decent shape, Very little rot. It has always had decent air around it,” Seymour said.

LaJoie agreed.  

“For 56 years of sitting outdoors, the thing is really in good shape. For the amount time it was exposed to the weather, it is a really well-preserved structure. You would expect a lot more deterioration,” he said.  

LaJoie reported what work had been done in the days that followed the relocation.  

“The roof is all back on. Now, we are going to be boarding it back up and replacing the wood that need replacing. Eventually, we’ll put the windows in it. Before winter, we want to make it watertight so it gets no snow in it,” he said.

LaJoie said the graffitiwill be removed. His concept is to return the structure to the appearance of a cupola from the late 1800s.

 “We are going to make it as original as possible. We are going to make it look the way it should look,” he said.

When asked if he has plans to open up the cupola as a tourist attraction or charge people an admission fee or donation, once the reconstruction is completed, LaJoie declined to look that far into the future.

“I don’t know what the future will be. The goal is: To preserve it, and not let it deteriorateanymore than it has,” he said. 

“It is under construction. Nobody can visit it. It is something that people can stop and take photos, but we don’t want people hanging out in the cupola,” he said.  

“We are going to have that looking like new in 60 days,” he said. 

Audets is the roofer who is also working on the cupola. He was among the people who saw the structure being transported. He said he was looking forward to repairing it.

“It’s pretty neat restoring something old,” Audets said. “It’ll be a good piece of history to be part of.”