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Kennebunkport, Maine
Romantic Kennebunkport
Norman2004-08-11 16:56:43
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Kennebunkport - what an unusual name for a town!
According to the town's historical society the name is of Native American origin. It translates from kini-banek "long cut bank," and refers to the "Great Hill" or a grassy high cliff projecting into a large body of water.
Located on the southern coast of Maine, about twenty five miles below Portland, it is 88 miles from Boston, 298 miles from New York and 188 miles from Hartford.
History tells us that at least five centuries before the first Europeans arrived here, and perhaps even thousands of years earlier, Native Americans inhabited Kennebunkport.
In 1630, it was called Cape Porpus (Porpoise), and in 1719, it was changed to Arundel. Finally, in 1820, when the town was a very busy port playing a pivotal role in the maritime industry second only to Portland, it became known as Kennebunkport.
Prosperous sea captains, merchants and shipbuilders vastly contributed to the town's fortunes, and were instrumental in building some of the prettiest homes and churches in the region. They also were influential in creating one of the wealthiest villages in the state.
Seizing the many opportunities, the Europeans believed that the new world was only an extension of their old homeland. Consequently, the homes they built, the communities that evolved and the names they gave to the various villages and towns only reflected their own cultural heritage. Today, you can still view some of these Colonial residences if you meander along the tree-lined streets that surround Dock Square in the center of its historic district.
When the shipbuilding era ended in the 19th century, the age of the summer visitor followed. During the latter part of the 1800s the idyllic and romantic image of Maine with its rugged and scenic beauty played an immense role in attracting Kennebunkport's earliest summer visitors.
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See photographs from:
United States Gallery
