Just Around the Corner...
We are working hard to be a regular destination for locals as well as those from surrounding towns, and a known stop for those just passing through. Sullivan House Bakery continues to grow and change, with expanded hours and plans for new products and programs down the road. "Just around the corner" we plan to move toward additional lunch items, in the form of ready-made specialty sandwiches on bakery-made breads, and simple salads that will pair beautifully with our daily soup or sandwiches. We also plan to expand our community programming and donation programs as our business grows. Please visit the Community page to see some of our current programs and partnerships. Check back frequently to see what's new at Sullivan House, and look for us on Facebook and Instagram @sullivan House Gorham.
Our Story
we love what we do
After 30+ years in the insurance industry, a few years baking in a small Vermont bakery on the side, and a short 2 year stint owning a country inn in Vermont, The Sullivan House was destined to open.
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The owner, Nancy Ames, always knew that something food/baking-related was her passion. It wasn't time to get serious until she lost her job and the universe converged to make it more obvious. Once she chose to pursue a bakery more practically (during the pandemic) things seemed to fall into place.
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A supportive Town of Gorham, a flexible landlord, eager people showing up wanting to work, local artists, local partnerships, and a husband with mad creative, design, construction, and carpentry skills......there would be no turning back.
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We hope to deliver really wonderful baked goods. We want our space to be used by the community. We want to teach inclusion through food cultures. We want to learn from each other.
Why "The Sullivan House"
Through many generations, one heard at the dinner table "if you don't like what's on your plate, you can go to The Sullivan House."
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It was never really known whether this was a good or bad thing. Was it an orphanage? Was it a real neighbor? Did it really exist?
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Nancy knew that if she ever did something in the restaurant/cookbook/catering arena, it would be called The Sullivan House.
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So, when the bakery became something real...researching the history of this veiled threat became important. Come to find out through family conversations that The Sullivan House was a real residence on Beacon Hill in Boston.
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Multiple generations before, her great-great-grandfather would say at the dinner table to his wife and 5 children "If I don't like what I'm served, I'll just go to The Sullivan House."
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In the late 1700s The Sullivan House was built by Hepzibah Swan (and her two business partners.) This partnership basically built Beacon Hill. In this era, a woman in a partnership like this was unheard of. Hepzibah built homes for each of her three daughters. Sarah Swan married John Sullivan and their home became known as the swankiest place on Beacon Hill for great parties, dancing, free-flowing liquor, etc. in the early 1800s! 15 Chestnut Street in Boston is The Sullivan House.
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It was highly unlikely that Nancy's great-great-grandfather, a resident of West Roxbury, would have been welcomed. However, he did have fine taste.
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So, just go to The Sullivan House.