The Holden Frost House, a great extra benefit to residents of The Highlands

A couple of years ago I was at a Bowdoin function and I introduced myself to the man sitting beside me. He said he was Steve Frost, Class of '42 at Bowdoin. When I told him that I live at The Highlands in Topsham, he told me that he had lived in the Holden Frost House for 70 years, that it was he who sold the property to John Wasileski in 2001.



This is the front of the Holden Frost House at 26 Elm Street. The commonly used entrance is a side door just to the left of the vehicle.  The guest suite is on the second floor, at the right of the front. After John's purchase, a wing was added at the rear of the original house, the addition containing ten apartments.

  Extensive history exists about the Holden Frost House. Constuction first started in 1804, long before Maine became a state.  Daniel Holden, the first owner, allowed the ballroom to be used as a Masonic Hall. In 1814 it became a "Public House" and tavern. From 1857 to 1899 it housed the Franklin Family School for Boys, an outstanding educational establishment caring for sons of well-to-do sea captains. Later it was used as an apartment house and finally bought, in 1937, by John Frost who used it as a private home until John Wasileski purchased it from the Frost heirs in 2001. 

The ballroom on the second floor is used for many meetings and social events. It is available for use by any resident of The Highlands. Contact Sandra Hansen at 721-0913 or call Resident Services at 725-2650 to find out about availability and to make reservations.




This is a banquet being held in the ballroom of the Holden Frost House to celebrate Jean Sylvester's 90th birthday on January 16, 2011. Jean is dressed in black, in the middle of the photo.



An appreciatve audience attending a concert in the ballroom in June 2010

Some residents are not aware of the guest suite which is available for $50 per night donated to The Highlands Resident Assistance Fund.  Sandra Hansen is demonstrating the comfortable twin beds.



Sandra is in the sitting room of the guest suite which adjoins the bedroom and the private bath.



In addition to the ballroom and the guest suite, residents can utilize the dining room of the Holden Frost House which can seat a maximum of twelve guests.

A major extra benefit of residing at The Highlands is the genealogy research center which is in one of the front parlors of the Holden Frost House. Here is Louise Hudson at one of the two computers dedicated to this type of research, each with special programs installed.