A small village under one roof at the Orland Community Center
Deko (right) and Zay (left) of Deko’s Kutz in the Orland Community Center
By Bethany Violette
Off Route 1, the Orland Community Center is a former school that looks like a simple building from the outside but feels like its own small village on the inside. All in one stop, people can work out, grab a coffee, order a pizza, get a haircut, pick up a gift, and so much more.
The town of Orland purchased the building at 21 School House Road in 2011, and a few years later longtime staff members helped turn it into a fitness center with event and tenant rentals. It has been growing as a local hub ever since, becoming a community center in the literal sense as much as in its name. The building now serves as a flexible gathering place: a public playground and dog park, spaces available to rent for everything from birthday parties to meetings, and a fully licensed commercial kitchen with dry and cooler storage available.
At the heart of the complex is the Orland Fitness Center, which offers more than 30 pieces of equipment, including cardio machines, weights, and space for all fitness levels. Weekly classes, including yoga, Seniors in Motion, and indoor pickleball, run out of the fitness studio and gym, making fitness accessible to local residents.
The halls of the center feel like a small downtown. Orland Variety anchors the building and is the kind of place where it’s easy to grab a last‑minute item before heading home. The store carries the essentials, and its pizza is a local favorite—with delivery available within ten miles. Ebee’s Sweets fits right into that village feeling by keeping the building smelling like fresh‑baked cookies, with a display case full of treats you can enjoy with a coffee or order ahead for your next holiday or event.
The Fearless Fork is a registered dietitian practice that helps people navigate nutrition in real life, especially those managing chronic health conditions. Nurse Practitioner-owned School House Health is a primary care clinic and registered counselor Stephanie C. Francis provides professional “play therapy” sessions in another office. Kim Burgess Tax Prep helps individuals and small businesses sort out paperwork and filings, while Hancock County Habitat for Humanity keeps a presence in the building as part of its local work on housing and community projects.
On the personal‑care side, Curls & Crosshairs specializes in hair services, Deko’s Kutz offers classic barber services, and Nurtured Nail & Sole focuses on nails and foot care. Just down the hall, Lady Bug Gift Shop sells hand‑sewn items for kids and collectors.
A number of trade and creative businesses are based here as well. Leighton Video handles video production work, while Orcutt Builders keeps an office for its construction business. Over the Bridge & Beyond Realty helps people who are buying or selling property.
All together, more than a dozen businesses and organizations share the space, supporting one another by sending customers down the hall, grabbing coffee from Ebee’s between appointments, or splitting a lunchtime pizza from Orland Variety. The result is a center of commerce that meets the multiple needs of customers: Someone might come for tax prep and leave with a haircut scheduled, or show up for the gym, purchase an item at the gift shop, and order a pizza for later.
The businesses inside the Orland Community Center are sponsoring this spotlight together, and the best way to thank them is to drop by, walk the halls, and see how many different needs you can meet without ever leaving the building.
Websites or social media accounts for individual businesses are linked above in bold. Contact information for businesses without a either a social media presence or website can be found below:
Kim Burgess Tax Service: 910-447-2186 | kburgesstaxprep@gmail.com
Nurtured Nail & Sole: 207-356-9341
Sponsor Spotlights are paid features that provide an opportunity for The Rising Tide to highlight our local business supporters across the Blue Hill Peninsula and Deer Isle/Stonington. By sharing these stories, we aim to strengthen community connections and amplify the passion, service, and heart that local businesses bring to our region. If a Sponsor Spotlight sounds like a good fit for your business, reach out to bviolette@risingtide.media to learn more.
