History

Melvin Village Marina is an integral part of our picturesque small town, Melvin Village. We are located on the beautiful, sparkling bay of Lake Winnipesaukee. To know about us, you must know a little about our home. Why the name "Melvin Village"? Amazingly, no one really knows for sure. One long-time resident and the unofficial historian of the town for many years, believed the first settlers found the work or name "Melvin" carved into a nearby tree. Could that be true? Well, history (and that little old lady historian) tell us that in the early 1700's, Captain Lovewell and his men passed nearby on their way north (near Fryeberg, Maine) to "fight the native inhabitants". History also records that two of his men were brothers with the last name of Melvin, so who knows!

The early settlers were farmers and loggers, and the population grew at first. However, before the Civil War, the population of the area began a long, slow decline because of poor soil, and hard winters. The 19th century also brought something else: The railroad, steamboats, and summer visitors from the cities to enjoy the cool summer breezes and the sparkling water of Lake Winnipesaukee. The railroad bypassed this side of the Lake (as did I-93 many years later), but steamboats brought businessmen, writers, poets, and their families from the railroad in Laconia to the landing in Melvin Village Marina. Without the railroad, this side of Lake Winnipesaukee developed little industry. The year-round population stabilized, and the area changed slowly. Even the telephone company remained independent. Our numbers beginning in 544 means that we are not part of Fairpoint, which covers all the towns around us. After World War II, improved roads and automobiles brought more people and homes. Melvin Village Marina today looks much as it did 100 years ago, and the Lake still sparkles.

It was in this quiet village in 1954 that Robert and Priscilla Moulton bought an old house and barn on Melvin bay. Over the years, Mr. Moulton was a gunsmith, school bus driver, owner of a Laundromat, and began a Marina and boat dealership. Originally operated as "The Trading Post", slips were added in the 1960's, and the name changed to "The Melvin Marine Basin". In the 1970's, the Phelps family took over and expanded the slips and added storage space. They also changed the name to its present "Melvin Village Marina". Not exactly a catchy name, but one that seems right.

In 1981, new owners Tom and Mary Young moved their family into the same old New England house that the former owners occupied. Tom left his engineering career to chase his dream of being in business for himself. The hours were long, but Tom was fortunate to be taught much of what he needed to know about this business by 25+ year employee Jerry Heald. Jerry had over 20 years experience in the business. Over his many years at Melvin Village Marina, Jerry was Service Manager, builder, and salesman. In 1982, the business was changed slightly to "Melvin Village Marina, Inc.", when the business incorporated. More significantly in 1982, we met one of the owners of a small, almost unheard-of, Mid-West boatbuilder. Four Winns boats (there really are a father and 3 sons named Winn) wanted to expand into New England. Melvin Village Marina and Four Winns took a chance on each other, and in 1982 on a bitter cold December evening, the first new boats arrived. Sales began slowly, but by 1986 Four Winns Boats and Melvin Village Marina were building a reputation for quality boats and service. Over the years, through good times and bad, Melvin Village Marina has grown steadily. You can find our boats at docks all over the sparkling water of Lake Winnipesaukee and elsewhere in New Hampshire.

Today, Tom has retired, and son Matt Young has taken over the day-to-day operations. Matt has the boat and motor line experience, and most important, the skilled and caring staff to lead the business into the future. We have grown over the years, and, like Melvin Village, some things have not really changed. We got our start primarily by offering service and repairs. Currently, sales are a larger part of our operation, but we haven't forgotten our roots. We are dedicated to providing the best service possible to our customers. Our Service Department still has more technicians than we have salespeople. Our dedication to service has been recognized over the years by repeated awards, including "Dealer of the Year", and the Customer Satisfaction award. Matt has also moved to reduce our footprint on the environment. We want the sparkling waters of Melvin Bay and Lake Winnipesaukee to be there for future boaters to enjoy.