NEWRY – A multimillion dollar home under construction on the top of Powder Ridge is wrapped in tree bark.

“None of us have ever seen it before,” said project manager Ray Hanian of the poplar bark shingles that were first manufactured by Highland Craftsmen Inc. in North Carolina in 1990 and have now become a staple of what is called the Bark House style.

“It’s costly, but over time less maintenance cost plus the look works very well in the mountain setting,” said Sophia Bilinsky, the Pennsylvania owner of the new luxury home which is called Ski Esta. “We liked the fact it was a natural product.”

Ski Esta is a six- to 10-bedroom home which sleeps 24 to 38 people on the top of Powder Ridge in Newry. The luxury vacation rental property has a commanding view of Sunday River’s eight peaks, particularly from the sauna located in the tower of the north side of the home.

Construction of the home, which involves local workers and craftsmen, is expected to be completed in November. Despite the spectacular amenities, it is the exterior bark shingles that are stirring much interest, even at the Newry Town Hall where they proudly display one of the shingles that was acquired by the building inspector during a visit to the mountaintop construction site.

Hanian said use of the bark shingles are popular in the western part of the country.

Using conventional building wrap with felt paper placed between each layer of shingle, the bark shingles are secured with 12 common nails in a specific nail pattern. Hanian said common nails are used so that the heads of the nail rusts naturally blending into the bark. The shingles vary in size from about one-foot to two-feet wide.

Kevin Bedard of Kevin Bedard Contractor in Biddeford did the framing, roofing and the siding of the house, including the installation of huge timber trusses, which Bilinsky said were “quite a challenge to install after the house had been framed and roofed.”

Figures were unavailable from Highland Craftmans as to how many homes in Maine and even New England have used the bark shingles.

“Only time will tell,” Hanian said.

With an indoor heated pool, built in spa and waterfall, home theater room, two steam rooms, two game rooms, an eight-foot log pool table, roof top deck, fire pit on the main deck and even a dog shower, this is not a vacation space for the penny pincher.

Bilinsky said the home was built for her large family and available to rent by other extended family groups. She owns two other luxury rental homes on the Outer Banks of North Carolina called Sea Esta with her husband Walter Shevchuck.

Although the rental rates for Ski Esta are not available yet, Sea Esta rates run as high as $12,950 in the summer weeks – not a bad deal when you divide it 20 or 30 ways, reminds Bilinsky.