Perry's Nut House
Nuts, fudge, and curiosities since 1927

Perry's Nut House has been referred to as a Maine Institution since 1927 when I.L. Perry first opened his doors to sell pecans and other assorted nuts. Mr. Perry took advantage of a bumper crop of pecans in Georgia, bringing the taste of the south to the folks of "Down East". He also had added some curios and museum pieces collected on his travels. This was so successful that Mr. Perry needed a larger shop to do business in, so he moved Perry's to his, then cigar factory.

As Perry's reputation grew, both for the unusual as well as the tasty nuts, such notables as Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Waldo Pierce, Faye Emerson and Pierre Monteux were counted among their many customers. I.L. Perry was now placed in the same breath with promoters Ziegfield and P.T. Barnum.

Over the next 13 years the collection of curios grew larger and more unusual. When wandering through the now expansive shop, you could gaze upon stuffed alligators, trick mirrors, boxing bear cubs and a water buffalo shot by Teddy Roosevelt...just to name a few. In 1940 I.L. Perry died and Perry's fell under the management of Joshua Treat III.

Mr. Treat fell in step with Perry's lead, taking great care to retain the "amazement" of the originator's vision. When Mr. Treat returned home from a stint with the Navy during World War II, he brought home more than himself. He added a huge man-eating clam, an albatross from the South Seas, a gorilla from Africa and many more curios were added routinely. Perry's Nut House had become a "must see" attraction around the world.

Many years passed and the business found new owners. In 1997, many of the curios and museum pieces were auctioned off in a plan to develop the bay-view property into condominiums. This plan never came to pass though. So many people still came looking for Perry's, along with it's unusual displays and odd merchandise that the business was kept going.

It has recently changed hands once again. New owners, George & Ellen Darling, along with their daughter, Kim O'Brien, are making strides to rebuild the business' reputation of years gone by. Although only a few of the original curiosties remain, the intention is to turn back the hands of time and recreate an unusual, yet fun environment with an updated appeal, combined with pieces from the past.

Above: Photo of a recently discovered record book. This particular page is dated July 28th, 1930.

Perry's Nut House  45 Searsport Avenue (U.S. Rte. # 1)  Belfast, Maine 04915
1-888-6PERRYS   nuthouse@midcoast.com