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Chapter I: History and Character of the Town
I. A BRIEF HISTORY
A. THE EARLY YEARS
It is hard to imagine any part of our country which has been claimed by as many "owners" as Kennebunkport, with the "owners" never having set eyes on it. In 1493, the territory which included Kennebunkport and Cape Porpoise was granted by the Pope to the Kings of Spain and Portugal. In England Henry VII, also an absentee "owner" granted it to Cabot in 1495. Francis, King of France, decided to claim it as part of his "New France" in the northern part of America. Because these early grants did not bring any colonists, they had no practical effect.
It was fishing that attracted the earliest settlers. Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, there were already men spending the summer months on the islands of Cape Porpoise. They had come in search of cod, and in the Gulf of Maine had found one of the world's most productive fishing grounds. The islands of Maine, those of Cape Porpoise among them, provided an excellent base from which the fishermen could work. The inner harbors created by the islands made safe anchorages for the ships, and the distance from shore allowed for a certain amount of protection. And, although the islands were small, there were small tillable areas which could produce very welcome vegetables.
Here, on our islands, the fishermen could salt and dry their catches and then pack them away in preparation for the return voyages to England. Stage Island, the easternmost island in the Cape Porpoise chain, very likely received its name from the wooden "stages" on which fish were cured during those early years. It is also likely that the first year-round settlement of Cape Porpoise occurred on the islands when some of these same fishermen decided to brave the dangers of winter in order to deliver earlier, and hence more profitable, shiploads of fish to the mother country.
Little was recorded about these earliest explorers and settlers of the Maine coast. Fishermen then, as today, were reluctant to divulge the locations of their most successful fishing grounds. But fishermen then, as today, had ways of finding out, and as the 17th century progressed, more and more people made their way to this part of the Maine coast.
The increase in population brought with it a higher degree of safety, and soon most of the population moved away from the islands and onto the mainland. In fact, enough people had come to warrant an application for township status from the government at Massachusetts. On July 5, 1653, “Cape Porpus” (original spelling) became the fifth incorporated town in the Province of Maine.
It is nearly impossible to determine just how many people made their homes around the shores of "Cape Porpus" and the banks of the Kennebunk River in those early years. Probably there were never more than 200 at any one time, and those who did live here fished, raised cattle, lumbered and farmed on a subsistence level. None became rich, and the town's economic base was limited to a few small mills. Although the Province of Massachusetts gained in both population and wealth, "Cape Porpus" remained economically depressed.
On December 7, 1689, war was declared between England and France. Armed and inspired by the combatants, hostile Indians began to appear in great numbers. The residents of Cape Porpoise were forced to withdraw to a fort they had built on Stage Island, and those living between Turbat's Creek and the Kennebunk River made their way to Wells, barely getting away with their lives. The town of "Cape Porpus" was left deserted.
After the warring parties signed a truce in 1695, a few people began drifting back to their homes at Cape Porpoise. The peace didn't last, however, and on May 4, 1702, war again erupted between France and England. In the summer of 1703, five hundred Indians, led by French commanders, divided themselves into parties and attacked all of the major settlements in Maine. The Kennebunks were assaulted on August 10 of that year. Many settlers lost their lives, and the area was once again depopulated.
For a decade the war dragged on, and it was not until 1713 that a peace treaty was signed with the Eastern tribes. Slowly, by two's and three's, the hardier settlers began to return to their properties. By 1716, a petition had been submitted to the Massachusetts legislature to restore town privileges to "Cape Porpus". The privileges were restored in 1717. Within two more years, the legislature was again petitioned, this time to change the town's name to Arundel. The wish was to honor the Earl of Arundel, an original proprietor of New England.
Although land titles were often vague or in conflict, houses were built and fields cleared in Arundel. Induced by grants of land, talented men began to arrive. Although Indian hostility was to flare up at intervals, the community was more populous and better organized. By 1735, the population had risen to 300. The 1743 census recorded 50 more.
With increased population came greater security, but life was never easy during those early days. The year 1728 was marked by the fourth of a series of "great earthquakes". (The first had been in 1638, the second in 1658, and the third in 1663.) The fourth, on October 29, 1728, was more violent than the others, "shaking down chimneys and stone walls, and making it difficult to stand unsupported". According to an early historian, "many joined the church".
In 1721, all pine trees measuring two feet in diameter two feet from the butt were reserved as the property of the King, to be used as masts for the King's ships. The penalty for cutting one down was 100 pounds sterling. Bears were a continuing nuisance to the early residents, and William Buland had to attack one with a hoe to save his hog. As late as 1784, the town was paying a bounty for killing wolves.
It was decided that the State Bird would be the Chickadee, though many residents since have considered that the mosquito should bear that title. The rule for survival was "pray for a good harvest, but continue to hoe".
B. THE SHIPBUILDING YEARS
Fewer than 600 people lived in the town of Arundel when, in 1775, John Mitchell's eight-ton vessel slid down the ways and into the river. A new era had begun, one that would lift the community from poverty to riches. By the turn of the 19th century, the population had tripled. Six ships, a bark, 20 brigs, a snow, 16 schooners, and 12 sloops all hailed from the Kennebunk River, and all were in active commerce.
On May 22, 1776, more than a month before the Declaration of Independence, the town voted that "If the Honourable Congress should, for the safety of the colonies, declare themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain we, the inhabitants of Arundel, do solemnly engage, with our lives and fortunes, to support them". When the Declaration was received, it was recorded in the town book. Benjamin Durrell, John Whitten, Gideon Walker, John Hovey, and Charles Huff were chosen a Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety. The population of Arundel at that time was 1,143.
After the surrender of the British army under Lord Cornwallis, it became evident that the government in London had given up all expectations of conquering their former colonies. On September 3, 1783, a treaty of peace, recognizing the independence of the United States, was signed in Paris. With peace at hand, the more adventurous citizens could build careers as sailors and captains. Some grew wealthy, and most were able to make significant gains over the lifestyles known by their forefathers. With a sound economic base, an ever-increasing population could be supported.
Real estate values soared, with some land selling for more than $1,000 an acre. Newer and larger homes were built. In the area surrounding Durrell's Bridge, seven shipyards rose on the banks of the river. "Here," Kenneth Roberts tells, "between 1800 and 1820, were built 30 ships, 97 brigs, 27 schooners, 11 sloops and a large number of smaller craft. All the roads to that busy spot were cluttered with material needed by shipwrights." In fact, the area became so successful as a shipbuilding and trading center that, in 1800, Arundel was established as a separate customs district with its own customs house (the building which now houses the Graves Memorial Library).
In one way or another, the entire population linked its fortunes to the sea. It took many skills to build a ship, and virtually all of the labor was done by experienced craftsmen. Carpenters, sailmakers, blacksmiths, caulkers, painters, and adzemen were only a few of the skills required by the yards. These were not easy jobs, but they were jobs a man could be proud of. To be considered the best trunnel-borer, plank-liner, or rigger was a mark of distinction. In addition, as this local industry grew, so did the demand for supporting goods and services. Merchants were able to create healthy businesses, traders found a ready market for their goods and farmers could easily dispose of their crops.
High quality granite was being quarried by several local companies in the early 1800's and hauled by ox team to Goose Rocks Beach for shipment to many destinations. During this period, Kennebunkport became one of the busiest ports in Maine. Between 1800 and 1825 more than $1,000,000 in duties were collected on cargoes being imported.
As commercial activity increased, the citizens followed the retreating forests inland and built towns on the rivers down which logs were floated to the coastal shipyards. Ships built in Kennebunkport carried lumber, ice, lime, and fish all over the world. They were helped by the fact that Maine is ideal for seafaring. The distance between Kittery and Eastport is 250 miles as the crow flies. The shoreline accessible to the sailor, however, is roughly 2,500 miles because of the broken coastline. There are more than 3,000 streams and rivers bringing water to the shore and serving as avenues for commerce inland. The average tide is 8.7 feet.
The years passed, and the size of vessels being built on the Kennebunk River gradually increased. In 1805, the first vessel of more than 300 tons burden was built and floated downriver by means of an ingenious system of locks. A decade later, vessels of 400 tons were being launched and it became necessary to move many shipbuilding operations from the Landing to the lower end of the river.
Kennebunk was well known in the business world by the year 1820. However, the towns of Wells and Arundel, which comprised the commercial district, were largely unknown. As a result, in 1821, Arundel took the more awkward name of Kennebunkport.
In 1874 the "Ocean King", the largest sailing vessel built up to that time in the United States, was launched in the Kennebunk River. But, despite the glory of the moment, the local shipbuilding industry was in trouble. The building of wooden ships had slowed since the Civil War, and vessels made of iron and steel were displacing traditional wooden ships.
Maine, with its remote location and dwindling lumber supply, could not compete. Though a demand for coastal schooners kept the local shipyards open for a while, it became clear that times were changing, and the economy of Kennebunkport would have to adjust. Census figures reflected some of that change. The census of 1830 had listed 2,763 people as living Kennebunkport. By 1870, the population was reduced to 2,372.
The prosperity and growth brought by the shipbuilding industry was fading. Even more alarming was the fact that no replacement was in sight, and transition was inevitable.
C. THE YEARS OF THE SUMMER VISITOR
The railroad brought the summer visitor, whose journey to Kennebunkport was made possible by inexpensive rail fares. It must have seemed ironic to the local seamen that the end of their careers was a part of the town's economic rebirth. Although visitors had been coming for years, it was not until the arrival of the Sea Shore Company that Kennebunkport acquired its reputation as a summer resort.
In 1870, four men from Arlington, Massachusetts, conceived the idea of developing a vacation community. They chose for their investment the beautiful rocky shores of Kennebunkport. The land they wished to develop was considered to be nearly worthless by its local owners. It offered no safe havens for fishing boats, and it had no value for pastureland or farming. Only a small dirt road connected this shore property with the town square. The modest sums offered by the developers must have seemed magnificent to the native owners. That is, of course, until they later learned about the selling prices for the subdivided parcels.
By 1873, the Sea Shore Company had purchased nearly 700 acres of prime land along five miles of coastline, extending from Turbat's Creek to Lord's Point. A map was drawn up showing the locations of several house lots, parks, roads, and four hotels. Traditional names were changed to appeal to a new clientele. "Bouncing Rock", for instance, became "Blowing Cave"; "Great Pond" became "Lake-of-the-Woods". Street names reflected the origin of the town's new residents: Arlington, Boston, Haverhill, and so on.
Where today's "Colony" stands the Sea Shore Company built "Ocean Bluff Hotel", a wooden four-story structure which could accommodate up to 200 patrons. For a room_and-board rate of $3.00 per day, the patrons could enjoy "unsurpassed cuisine" and also "first-class accommodations". They also received the "healthful and varied pleasures" that the Maine coastline had to offer. Most important to the townspeople, they provided jobs.
Many citizens needed extra income, and the town needed a broader tax base. Although many regretted the changes which were taking place, the town invested in its own future by granting the Sea Shore Company a five-year tax exemption to help them enhance the value of their properties. The course for Kennebunkport had been set.
By 1900, a true summer colony had been established in Kennebunkport. A major addition to the town came with the construction of the Atlantic Shore Line trolley system. It not only carried visitors to their destinations, but also freight to local businesses and coal from the harbor at Cape Porpoise to the mills at Sanford. Thanks to easy access, the summer visitors could enjoy the dubious pleasure of a casino which had been built overlooking the harbor at Cape Porpoise.
But for all of the summer activity, the "age of the summer visitor" was only seasonal. The town was crowded from June to September, but by autumn it would be returned to the natives. Even the summer disruption was somewhat passive in nature. The horse and buggy did not encourage frequent, far-ranging expeditions. Although the river saw great activity, canoeing was the order of the day. This must have seemed terribly mild to those who remembered the times when shipyards had crowded the banks.
An interesting feature of the "years of the summer visitor" was that the population included such well-known writers as Booth Tarkington and Kenneth Roberts, and a number of art galleries exhibiting the works of talented artists. Booth Tarkington's enormous summer home, now divided into four large condominiums, was known as "the house that Penrod built" because of the very popular fictional character that Tarkington created.
Unfortunately, the seasonal nature of summer visitor revenue did not provide year-round income, and the population continued to fall. In 1880, it was 2,405. By 1900, it had fallen to 2,130 and 30 years later it had dropped to 1,284, about half what it had been 100 years earlier.
A new economy was developing in the United States, with the automobile exerting an increasing impact on the way people lived, worked, and vacationed. Kennebunkport again faced change. The population began to rise steadily, and a new chapter was beginning suburbanization.
The transition period for Kennebunkport was punctuated by a major national event when George Bush, a third-generation summer resident of the town, was elected Vice President and later President of the United States. The languid atmosphere of former summers was changed dramatically by the presence of the Secret Service, the news media, and even heads of state from abroad.
D. INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
It was August 1961, and in Kennebunkport more than just the weather was hot. Lines were being drawn, both on maps and between citizens. The issue was zoning, and for the first time, townspeople were being faced with the prospect of having restrictions placed on the use of their land.
In more than 300 years of local history, in time of wealth and in times of deep poverty, one fact had never changed: A man had a right to do with his land just as he pleased. People whose families had struggled for generations to make a living from the sea were an independent lot. They guarded their liberties jealously and didn't take kindly to this kind of rule-making. And yet, a new issue was facing the community. Those "from away" were moving into Kennebunkport in ever-increasing numbers. The town was changing, and many argued that some individual rights would have to be sacrificed for the good of all. The "years of the summer visitor" were giving way to an age of suburbanization.
Each chapter of local history has left its distinct mark on the town. The early troubled years of settlement bred a self-dependent citizenry, tied to the land and supported by the sea. The shipbuilding years strengthened the town's commitment to a nautical way of life. As the area grew from poverty to riches, those who lived here remained a homogeneous people, dedicated to the maritime economy which had evolved naturally from the coastal location.
When shipbuilding declined, Kennebunkport became home to a thriving summer colony. Hotels welcomed thousands of guests each season, and new businesses opened to cater to this new clientele. The influx of summer visitors could be viewed as a seasonal inconvenience to most natives. However, by the 1960's, larger personal incomes and the improved transportation system made it obvious that the tide of people "from away" was a permanent trend.
Many of the people who came would not be leaving on Labor Day. They came with their families in search of a "better life". Between 1960 and 1986, the population rose from 1,851 to 3,356 year-round residents. These people would be sending their children to the local school system. They would be building their homes next to the skating ponds, swimming holes, and beach accesses which had been used publicly for generations, even though they were privately owned. They would also be adding their voices to those heard at town meeting. As the newcomers became a voting majority, many natives became concerned that the town was becoming more like the towns the newcomers had left than the tranquil rural settings they had come in search
of.
With increasing numbers of businesses oriented towards the tourist trade, it is hard to deny that Kennebunkport has become a town dependent on summer visitors. The economic downturn in the early 90's revealed how dependent on tourists the town now is. Even though year-round residents, summer people, and long-term visitors continued to support the economy, the mini-recession was painful for many local enterprises. Beginning in 1994, however, the tourist trade grew once again, the fastest expansion being noted in those who visit Kennebunkport only for a day. Residents are now beginning to question how desirable these “day-trippers” are, complaining that they clog Dock Square and overwhelm public facilities such as toilets, while contributing
little to the local economy. Critics focus particularly on tour busses, which they say are noisy, smell unpleasant, congest the narrow streets, and disgorge tourists 40 at a time. Currently, in a single day, the town may receive over 25 of these behemoths. All of this is hard to reconcile with our professed desire to be “Maine s finest resort”.
It seems that the primary characteristics of our community will be changing more in the next 20 years than they have in the past 350. This will happen not as a result of tourism, but as an effect of urbanization and the spinoff effects of rising property values, taxes, and the need of those who wish to remain here to earn a high enough wage to exist. This problem will face not only natives, but also those who have come to Kennebunkport in search of a dream.
Growth is an issue which is beset with complications and contradictions. Those who move to Kennebunkport do so to take part in a lifestyle they have come to love. Many become active in the community and work hard to make this an even better place to live. However, the problem is not with individuals but with total numbers.
In a Cumulative Impact Project Report produced by the State Planning Office, Kennebunkport and eight other nearby towns were studied in order to record the cumulative impact on growth. Between 1970 and 1980, there was a 64% population increase in the nine-town study area, compared with a 20% increase in York County as a whole and 13% in the entire state.
The projections suggest that growth in our area will continue. It can generate an undesirable sequence of events. More people means that water and sewer systems must be enlarged, and the costs of doing so passed on to the consumer. Road networks, though they be improved, will become congested. Schools have to be expanded at the expense of the taxpayer. As town government grows, it inevitably becomes more bureaucratic and less personal.
With growth, beaches become crowded and so do traditional sites for camping, fishing, and picnicing. Wildlife habitats are disrupted, and rivers and harbors become cramped as fishermen and pleasure boat owners compete for space. To carry the scenario full circle, as real estate values soar and the taxes rise, the working poor and the middle class find themselves seeking homes in either the inland towns or in the more northern communities. The cultural heritage that started with the first English fisherman is in jeopardy.
Growth in Kennebunkport cannot, and probably should not, be stopped. However, it can be controlled. As with the battles which took place 35 years ago over zoning, there will undoubtedly be differences about how we accomplish the control. But we must try to preserve the beauty and the heritage of our town.
We who are stewards of the town today are responsible to succeeding generations. In a world of complicated electronic commerce and communications, we will need policies and practices which will be mindful of what we have inherited, and maintain the essential character and "heartbeat" of our town.
II. CHARACTER OF THE TOWN
G. B. Shaw observed that "all generalities are false, including this one". While that limitation certainly applies to generalizations about the thousands of individuals who live in Kennebunkport, a few comments may tend to ring true.
First of all, families who have endured the history described in the preceding paragraphs must be remarkably resilient. To have passed through the rise and fall of the shipbuilding boom, to have fished for relentlessly declining stocks, to have farmed on flinty and unrewarding soil, and then to have withstood the onrush of tourism requires an inbred streak of toughness and determination.
On the other hand, not very many of today's residents are descended from old Kennebunkport families. Most seem to have been brought up somewhere in New England, but to have moved here "from away". Typically, they have grown fond of Kennebunkport as summer visitors and have found ways to work in this neighborhood, or perhaps have moved here as retirees. The point is that most townsfolk are not here because this is where God put them; they are here because Kennebunkport is where they want to be. And hence they are determined to preserve those aspects of the town which attracted them in the first place.
Probably there is nothing which the townsfolk treasure more than Kennebunkport's "village atmosphere". This is an intangible composed of many parts. First, unlike a big city, the town has a web of social relationships which is nearly all inclusive. A citizen may not know everyone, but if you count acquaintances of his friends, and of their friends, you cover just about everybody. This means that rumors travel quickly, but so does good news. There is respect for history. Objects and traditions from "the good old days" tend to be venerated. Wherever possible, people would like the town to look like the village it once was, with tree-shaded streets, scenic vistas, neat but unpretentious wooden houses, and carefully
tended yards. Wealth and commercialism, while certainly present, are carefully subdued. People try to lead "the simple life".
Finally, the residents of Kennebunkport are uncomfortable with homogeneity. When public issues are discussed, they take pains to point out that they are from Goose Rocks Beach or Cape Porpoise or Cape Arundel, and that those districts have their own special characteristics and special needs which must somehow be accommodated. Needless to say, such a mindset provides endless challenges for those who endeavor to develop policies which can be applied uniformly throughout the town.
When applied to government, these attitudes have led to strong conservatism. The townspeople tend to be suspicious of all of the apparatus of government and want government to be as simple and inexpensive as possible. They value the direct contact provided by the town meeting, while they are likely to view a complex plan like this one as an incipient curtailment of their freedom. Fiscally, their watchword is: "Unless you've got it, don't spend it." Nevertheless, when forced to make decisions, they generally reject cheap, makeshift expedients: "If you're going to do it, do it right."
The town is very fortunate to have many citizens who are willing to help "do it right". The Town Report lists some 20 official committees, whose work is carried on by nearly 100 unpaid volunteers. When we also consider private organizations whose services are devoted to the town, such as the fire companies, the Emergency Medical Service, the libraries, and the Conservation Trust, another 200 people are contributing their time. Not bad for a town of less than 4,000 people!
The small town ways of Kennebunkport also include exceptional tolerance of individual nonconformity, an aspect of the townsfolk which has not gone unnoticed by the summer visitors. One tourist summed it up when he said to a local storekeeper, "You sure have a lot of odd characters in this town!" "Yes we do," the storekeeper agreed, "but they're mostly all gone again by Labor Day."
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