The owners of a massive 200-year-old Maine estate have raised its price to more than $2 million, even though it has failed to sell the four previous times it was listed. 

Merrill House, a 16-bedroom historic home on South Arm Road in Andover, has officially been listed for $2.2 million by the family that has owned it for an astonishing eight generations, according to Bangor Daily News.

In total, the estate features seven buildings, including three barns, two sheds, and two homes - the expansive yellow-and-red main house and a four-bedroom 'caretaker’s cottage.'

With family members living across the country and struggling to manage the upkeep, the owners decided years ago to place the property on the market.

From 2019 to 2023, the property cycled on and off the market, listed at prices between $1.2 million and $2.3 million before being withdrawn again.

The owners now seem committed to a $2.2 million price tag, admitting they realized they had severely underpriced the estate in earlier efforts to sell it. 

'We’ve had a fair amount of interest over the time we’ve tried to sell it, but we honestly didn’t know how to price or market it,' Nick Chandler, co-owner of the property, told the outlet.

He explained that determining a price had been challenging time and time again because there are no comparable properties in the region to measure it against.

But even with the price set at more than $2 million, Nick said the estate is still listed 'at a pretty aggressive discount,' noting that the next owner will likely need to invest in renovations. 

'We're looking for somebody who enjoys the history, the region and wants to sustain the property,' Nick said. 

'We have some good interest now, so hopefully we'll find a good buyer,' he added.

The estate - now 9,000 square feet on 126 acres - was first obtained by Massachusetts native Ezekiel Merrill in 1791 following his service in the Revolutionary War. 

What eventually became known as the Merrill House began as a simple log cabin on the property, before the veteran’s grandson, Henry Varnum Poor, and great-grandson, Henry William Poor, took over the project.

Throughout the 1800s, both men expanded the home through multiple additions, with the final expansion completed in the 1890s.

Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the home is so impressive that it was used as a set for parts of the 1997 film The Myth of Fingerprints.

Both Chandler and his brother Peter pointed to the Great Hall - the newest addition in the home’s complex expansion - as its most spectacular feature. 

Architects Stanford White and Frederick Law Olmsted are believed to have played key roles in the estate’s construction, with White reportedly designing the Great Hall and Olmsted - famed for designing New York City's iconic Central Park - shaping the surrounding landscape. 

'It's breathtaking,' Jason Clark, the listing agent, told Bangor Daily News. 'There's nothing like it.'

The space features a large fireplace, cathedral ceilings, chandeliers and an enormous window overlooking the surrounding landscape. 

The estate’s grounds are impressive, boasting fields, wooded areas and trails with spectacular views of the mountains and the Swift River accessible from the comfort of the home. 

As an added bonus, the property is just a 30-minute drive from major ski destinations like Sunday River Resort and Black Mountain. 

Its history runs even deeper, with several legends and rumors tied to the home - including a supposed ghost, a tunnel that has never been found and a secret room concealed behind bricks. 

'The place is so filled with legend, lore and tradition,' Peter told the outlet.

'It's a goldmine for someone who can appreciate the history of it,' he added. 'My heartfelt with is that it be preserved as a landmark for early American life.' 

The main building on the property is considered a three-season estate, as it lacks heating. However, another section of the house can accommodate eight guests, making it suitable for year-round use. 

For generations, the family used the home as a lodge for skiing and fishing trips, though in recent years it has primarily served as a short-term rental for events such as corporate retreats and weddings.

But now, with the next generation uninterested in taking over ownership, managing the estate as a rental property has become increasingly difficult.

'It's a lot to manage the rental business,' Chandler told the outlet. 

Meanwhile, his brother revealed that they would be open to a buyer interested in using the estate as a year-round family home, though he reiterated the belief that renting it out for large events would likely be the more practical use.