A historic hunting lodge and more than 150 acres in the Somerset County town of Moose River have been donated to Unity College, one of the largest gifts the private college has ever received, officials said.
The multimillion-dollar gift includes 16 buildings, including the 7,500-square-foot Sky Lodge, built in 1929, rental cabins, a swimming pool, an antique auto museum and a model railroad museum.
It was a gift of the Couri Foundation, founded by Elaine and John Couri in 1988.
“My wife, Elaine, and I have long had a very special place in our hearts for Maine, for the Moose River Valley, and for Sky Lodge,” said John Couri, president of the Couri Foundation. “This gift to Unity College continues the tradition on which the Couri Foundation was founded, giving students of all ages an opportunity to explore and learn from all the beautiful resources this state has to offer while providing economic development opportunities for the region.”
Unity plans to continue to operate the property as a business, hosting events such as retreats, weddings and conferences. Students will use it for seminars, retreats, research and hands-on training in running a business.
“At Unity College, we consider Maine to be our classroom, so this is an incredible gift from the Couri Foundation, and we are ecstatic that Unity College was given the chance to steward this historical property,” said Unity College President Melik Peter Khoury.
Unity College has an enrollment of about 700 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. Tuition, fees, room and board total $38,750 a year.
Noel K. Gallagher can be reached at 791-6387 or at:
Twitter: noelinmaine
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