ISLAND FALLS — Pleasant Pond is accessible year-round for those who love to boat or snowmobile, as Birch Point Campground and Lodging has full accomodations.
The Edwards family operate the facility that has been in business for 85 years.
The Edwards’ heritage began on a lakeside farm back in 1875 when Joseph Edwards moved his family from Searsport to Island Falls. This was the beginning of what is now five generations of being part of the tourism industry.
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GOING STRONG — Birch Point Campground has been a fixture on Pleasant Pond in Island Falls for five generations. This year, the camp is celebrating 85 years of business in The County.
“Our grandparents, William and Melvina Edwards, then took over the farm where they summered, wintering in the nearby town of Island Falls so their children could attend school,” said Steve Edwards. “In the 1920s they began building overnight log cabins. Our first state license was issued to W.F. Edwards in 1927.”
The Edwards continued to build cabins through the 1930s and ‘40s. William ran a potato brokering business and operated the cottages and a dance pavilion along with his wife, Melvina. During the big band era of the 1920s the dance pavilion was built (in 1922) and was a major attraction. It was then that Birch Point got its name, from the white birch trees that surrounded the area.
After World War II, Joe Edwards (the second Joe Edwards) came home from the war, married, Delma Noyes Edwards. Together they took over the cottages, dance pavilion and farm while Joe’s brothers continued on with the potato brokerage business.
In the winter of 1955 the character of Birch Point was forever changed with the collapse of the dance pavilion, which was never rebuilt but replaced in 1958 with a campground. The current lodge was built in 1956 with a dining room that offered meals to the clients at Birch Point. A full-time chef was hired in the summer, while family members fulfilled other essential duties.
In addition to campsites and cottages, the late 1950s saw the addition of 30 ice-fishing shacks to supplement wintertime income. Capping off a highly transformative half-decade six candlepin bowling lanes were added in the lodge in 1960, thus completing the modern day makeup of the business.
In 1984, the fourth generation of Edwards – Joe and Delma’s three sons, Scott, Steve and Joey along with their wives – assumed ownership.
Scott and his wife Susan live in Bangor and have two children, Hilary and Gregory. Scott keeps his hand in the business with his accounting expertise and consultations. He is a CPA and a partner in Edwards, Faust & Smith, in Bangor.
Steve and his wife Andrea live in Dyer Brook and have two boys, Andrew and Logan; and Joey and his wife Mellissa have a son, Connor and live in Island Falls at the Point.
In the mid-’80s several new dimensions were added to the already eclectic business interests of Birch Point Inc., winter snowmobiling and a cable TV company. With local snowmobile clubs organizing, the Edwards family began grooming area trails for the state in 1984, one of the first areas in the state to enjoy such levels of trail maintenance.
In recent years the family has returned to the restaurant business with the opening of “The Trails End Restaurant” in 2002 which was renamed The Birch Point Restaurant in 2013.
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SCENIC BEAUTY — The Birch Point Campground offers year-round scenic beauty for patrons.
“We continue the tradition of expansion with the building of a new log cabin finished in the summer of 2010 and the addition of rental sleds, renovations to the remaining cottages, and adding WiFi,” said Steve.
Birch Point Campground has 60 sites with water and electricity, seven sites with full hook-up with a Laundromat on site. Recreational activities include bowling, boat and motor, kayak and canoe rentals, fishing, basketball, and horseshoes. The hours for the restaurant are Friday though Sunday.
In the winter, Birch Point has snowmobile rentals with direct access to groomed trails; ice-fishing shack rental, gas, bowling leagues and cottages open year round.
Birch Point is also a destination for spring and fall weddings.
“We continue to upgrade our facility to meet the needs of our clientele,” Steve added.
With over 100 years in family recreation, 56 years with the campground, 54 years since the bowling lanes were built and 33 years of dancing at the Birch Point Pavilion, the Edwards continue to look for new ways to improve their services and meet the demands of the ever-changing tourist business.
“We look forward to the future of this family-owned and operated business with the fifth generation of Edwards,” added Steve.
