Kennebunkport Historical Society
History of Kennebunkport, Maine

Though the exact date of the earliest settlement in the area now known as Kennebunkport is uncertain, historical evidence indicates that it cannot have been much later than that of the founding of the Plymouth Colony. It is known that for many years prior to the first permanent habitation, the islands along the Cape Porpoise shore were used for fish drying and as a summer headquarters by those who came to tap the rich resources of the coastal fishing banks. In 1653, the town was first incorporated as Cape "Porpus" and became subject to the government of Massachusetts. Entirely depopulated by Indian depredations in 1689, the town was resettled early in the 1700's and renamed Arundel by permission of the Massachusetts General Court in 1719. This designation remained until 1821, when, having become a bustling port of entry for foreign trade, with a custom house, the town was given its present name of Kennebunkport.

The building of saw mills and grist mills along the inland streams and the increase in farming after the second settlement caused a shift in the center of town activity from Cape Porpoise to Burbank Hill, site of the present First Congregational Church, of the former Town Hall, and of the present location of the History Center campus.

As the ship building industry on the Kennebunk River began to thrive at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the town center again shifted to its present location along the north shore of the river. The amazing growth of the maritime industry in the town was such that in a single year one hundred vessels were built in Kennebunk River yards. The community became the second richest in the state, graced by the noble dwellings built by the prosperity of ship captains, owners, and builders. After 1861, with the increase in steel ship construction and the embargoes of the war years, there took place a permanent and rapid decline in shipbuilding.

Summer homes and resorts became popular in the 1870's along the scenic coastal areas of town. By the 1880's, its natural beauties and convenient beaches made Kennebunkport one of the more popular and prominent resorts of the Maine coast, a distinction which it still holds. These kinds of summer activities likewise grew in the area of Cape Porpoise, and the nearby beautiful beach at Goose Rocks (formerly known as Beachwood) which quickly made it a sought-after location for summer homes. This lovely summer colony, four miles from the center of Kennebunkport, was almost entirely devastated in the great forest fire of 1947; however, it rapidly recovered to become a more fully organized community with many year-round residents.

Cape Porpoise, home of a large and prosperous fishing fleet at the turn of the century, when the great gray sails of the fishing schooners were a familiar sight, has joined Kennebunkport and Goose Rocks Beach in appeal to summer visitors. On a summer evening, its harbor is dotted with gaily painted and sparkling white yachts, but in even greater numbers, are the sturdy lobster boats which, combined with the fleet in the river, indicate that the fishing industry is still a year-round occupation and that the maritime flavor of Kennebunkport is vibrantly alive.

(c) Kennebunkport Historical Society ~ 2002 ~ All Rights Reserved.