The Lindenwood Inn in Southwest Harbor, Maine, has been sold for $1.75 million, a price significantly lower than its initial $2.25 million listing. The sale occurred approximately two months after the inn's owner, James King, and another man, Randy Murray, were found deceased on the property on May 1. Officials are investigating the deaths, which they are currently classifying as accidental.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two 69-year-old men remains ongoing, with the chief medical examiner's office handling the case. Despite the ongoing investigation, a bank approved a $1.75 million loan on July 17 for Diana Chiriac and Tsvetomir Nikolov, who are now acquiring the three-story inn. The property, situated close to the harbor, spans 7,950 square feet and includes 11 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.
James King, originally from Australia, had owned the Lindenwood Inn for over 30 years, having purchased it in 1993. He had previously attempted to sell the inn in 2018 for $1.7 million, expressing a desire to return to Australia and hoping the new owner would maintain the inn's established style, which included a collection of artifacts and artwork. King had noted at the time that he was looking towards a different phase of his life and hoped for a successor with energy to continue the inn's legacy.
The Lindenwood Inn, originally built in 1904 for sea captain Olas Mills, has a long history as a coastal property and was converted into a lodge for travelers in the 1970s. Even with the recent events, many of the inn's rooms were reportedly booked through September, with prices for August weekend stays ranging from $479 to $939 per night. Travelers who had pre-booked rooms experienced difficulties when the inn temporarily closed following King's death, though it has since reopened.
King had also experienced personal loss in 2019 when his partner, Fred Hallaby, died. King and Hallaby were described as staples in the local community. The current website for the inn now focuses on the property's history and its ambiance as a 'storied escape,' making no explicit mention of its previous owner.