Scamman’s Home & Garden Showplace closing doors after $3.5M sale

STRATHAM — A beloved town staple for nearly four decades, Scamman’s Home & Garden Showplace will soon close its doors following the sale of the property.

Karl Scamman, owner of the garden center at 57 Portsmouth Ave., has sold the 6.5-acre property to Chris Lane. Scamman said Monday the business will officially close by January.

“It’s time to retire,” Scamman said.

Lane, co-owner of McFarland Ford in Exeter, purchased the commercially zoned property in August for $3.5 million. He said Tuesday he’s not sure how the property will be used in the future.

“It’s got great visibility on Portsmouth Avenue … it’s a high-traffic road with a lot of frontage,” said Lane. “It seemed like a good place. We’re doing our due diligence on it right now … we’re trying to see what might be feasible there.”

Previously, the property was part of the 206-acre Scamman Farm next door, owned and operated by Karl Scamman’s parents, Doug and Stella. On Wednesday, Stella Scamman said they separated the 6.5-acre parcel when Karl decided to open the garden center.

“The farm is still ours,” she said, noting all activities there will continue.

Scamman Homes & Garden Showplace will remain open throughout the holiday season with a storewide clearance sale of up to 50% off. 

The Scammans are a prominent family in town, known for their community involvement both locally and across the state. Karl Scamman’s father, Doug Scamman, was a speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2004 to 2006. 

The farm has served as a campaign stop for numerous Republican presidential candidates, including Mitt Romey, who announced his run for president there in 2011, and a visit from former President George W. Bush in 2004. The farm was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.