Kennebunk is a town in York County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. The population was 11,536 at the 2020 census. Kennebunk is home to several beaches, the

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book ''Silent Sprin ...

, the 1799 Kennebunk Inn, many historic shipbuilders' homes, the

Brick Store Museum The Brick Store Museum, located at 117 Main Street in the town of Kennebunk, Maine, is one of only a few museums that opened during the Great Depression in the United States. It focuses on preserving the heritage of the Kennebunks through its col ...

and the

Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in ...

Kennebunk Plains (known locally as the Blueberry Plains), with 1,500 acres (6 km) of nature trails and

blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

fields. The municipality includes the constituent villages of Kennebunk Village (Town), the Lower Village (Lower Kennebunk), Kennebunk Landing (the Landing), Bartlett Mills, West Kennebunk, Kennebunk Beach, Lords Point, Coopers Corner Crossing, Sea Roads Crossing, Webahennet Grove, and Vinegarhill, Cheshire Commons, Kennebunk Meadows, and various newer neighborhoods. It does not include

Kennebunkport Kennebunkport is a resort town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,629 people at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. The town center, the area in and around Dock Squa ...

, which is a separate town.

History

First settled in 1621, the town developed as a

trading Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market (economics), market. Traders generally negotiate throu ...

and, later,

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

until 1918, and

shipping Freight transport, also referred to as freight forwarding, is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

center with light manufacturing. It was part of the town of Wells and

Arundel Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much la ...

until 1820, when it incorporated as a separate town. "Kennebunk, the only village in the world so named," was featured on a large locally famous sign attached to the Kesslen Shoe Mill on Route One. To the

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

peoples, Kennebunk means "the long cut bank," presumably the long bank behind Kennebunk Beach. In the 19th century and early 20th century, many industrial concerns were attracted to

Mousam River The Mousam River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 30, 2011 river in York County, Maine, United States. Its primary source is Mousam Lake, located between the t ...

at Kennebunk to provide motive force for their mills. Among the firms to do business there were the

Kennebunk Manufacturing Company Kennebunk Manufacturing Company The Kennebunk Manufacturing Company made cases, boxes, valises, grips, and trunks from 1893 to 1906 in Kennebunk, Maine and from 1906 to 1936 in Milton, New Hampshire. History The Kennebunk Manufacturing Company ( ...

, the Mousam Manufacturing Company, the

Leatheroid Leatheroid is cellulose material very similar to vulcanized fibre in physical properties and uses. It is prepared using unsized cotton rag paper (as is vulcanized fibre) and mineral acid. Manufacturer Leatheroid was made by the Leatheroid Manufa ...

Company and the Rogers Fibre Company. The Lafayette

Elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus ''Ulmus'' in the family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical- montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ...

was a tree which was planted to commemorate

General Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

's 1825 visit to Kennebunk. It became famous for its age, size, and survival of the Dutch elm disease that destroyed the hundreds of the other elms that once lined Kennebunk's streets. The elm is featured on the town seal. The restored Kesslen Shoe Mill has been renamed the Lafayette Center. Kennebunk is home to two of the state's oldest banks—Ocean Bank (1854) and Kennebunk Savings Bank (1871). Only Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution (1827) and Bangor Savings Bank (1852) are older. The town's archives are located at the local history and art center, the

, on Main Street. File:AWikiElmA.jpg, The Lafayette Elm File:View of Kennebunk Beach, ME.jpg, Kennebunk Beach in 1905 File:Old Storer Mansion, Kennebunk, ME.jpg, Storer Mansion in 1909 File:Lexington Elms, Kennebunk, ME.jpg, Lexington elms in 1908

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Kennebunk is drained by the

Kennebunk River The Kennebunk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 river in York County, Maine in the United States. It drains a settled rural area southwest of ...

and

Transportation

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

* U.S. 1 which goes through the center of Kennebunk and is part of the main street. * Route 9A *

Route 35 The following highways are numbered 35: The Karakoram Highway (Urdu: شاہراہ قراقرم, ''Śāhirāh-i Qarāquram''), also known as the KKH, National Highway 35 (Urdu: قومی شاہراہ ۳۵), N-35, and the China–Pakistan Friendsh ...

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

passenger rail also goes through Kennebunk, but does not stop at the historic train station there. Passenger rail service at

Kennebunk station Kennebunk station is a former train station located off Depot Street in Kennebunk, Maine. The station opened in 1873 and closed in 1965; it is now occupied by a private business. Planning began in 2014 to add Kennebunk as a stop on the Amtrak '' ...

ceased in 1965. The closest Amtrak stops along the Downeaster are at

Wells station Wells railway station may refer to In Norfolk, England: * Wells railway station, Norfolk, on the narrow gauge Wells and Walsingham Light Railway * Wells-On-Sea railway station, a disused station in Wells-next-the-Sea In Somerset, England: * Wells ...

, south towards

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, or Saco station, north towards

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

Adjacent municipalities

(north) *

(north) * Wells (south) * Sanford (west) *

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

(west) * Lyman (northwest)

Beaches

Kennebunk's

coastline A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

is divided into three major sections: Mother's Beach; Middle Beach or Rocky Beach; and Gooch's Beach or Long Beach. Separate from Kennebunk Beach is secluded Parson's Beach, a quiet alternative to the summer crowds. There is some local controversy regarding the "Mother's Beach" nickname. According to many local residents, the smaller of the three main beaches—at the intersection of Beach Avenue and Ridge Avenue—is officially Kennebunk Beach or, alternatively, Boothby Beach. The term Boothby Beach was from the mid-1730s when a Mabel Littlefield married Richard Boothby and settled on land near what came to be known as Boothby Beach. The information about the Boothbys was taken from the "Old News From Southern Maine" article on Mable and Richard Boothby, by Sharon Cummins. Many natives today may not remember it being called Boothby Beach, and over the years it came to be known as Kennebunk Beach or Mothers Beach. Older residents also recall the name Dipsy Bath Beach, a reference to the baths once located there. The term Mother's Beach didn't come into widespread use until the mid-1980s; however, other native residents dispute that date and say they remember it being called "Mothers Beach" as far back as the late 1950s. The name likely evolved due to its small size and generally calmer water, due to the rocks under and above the ocean, thus making it a natural harbor of refuge that is safer for swimming and which makes it popular with mothers keeping a watchful eye on their children. The name is clearly descriptive rather than official, in spite of the recent installation of road signs pointing the way to "Mother's Beach". Contradicting the above beach naming is the town's website, which states, "Permits are valid for Gooch’s Beach, Kennebunk Beach (Middle Beach) and Mother’s Beach." Additionally, without public parking access, both Libbys and Crescent beaches are in Kennebunk between Parson's Beach and Mother's Beach.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 10,798 people, 4,689 households, and 2,966 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 5,906 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.00%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 4,689 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the town was 48.2 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 33.4% were from 45 to 64, and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

At the 2000

, there were 10,476 people, 4,229 households and 2,901 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 4,985 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.04%

, 0.18%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.11%

, 0.85% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.18% from

, and 0.62% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 0.51% of the population. There were 4,229 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97. Age distribution was 25.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $50,914, and the median family income was $59,712. Males had a median income of $42,417 versus $25,788 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $26,181. About 2.9% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those aged 65 or over.

Economy

The headquarters for the natural health-care product manufacturer

Tom's of Maine Tom's of Maine is a U.S. manufacturer of natural personal care products. Tom's of Maine has been a majority-owned subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive since 2006. The company was founded in 1970 by Tom Chappell and Kate Chappell (née Cheney) in Ma ...

is located in Kennebunk. Many residents commute to

, or out-of-state to

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, or

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Tourism

The town is a popular summer

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

destination, which drives the local economy. Summer Street was Maine's first

Historic District A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

that was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The

Lower Alewive Historic District The Lower Alewive Historic District encompasses a rural agricultural landscape in northwestern Kennebunk, Maine. It includes four farm properties, all originally laid out in the 1750s, between the Kennebunk River to the north, and a street now ...

was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Kennebunk contains fine examples of early

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

, the most noted of which is the Wedding Cake House, a

Federal-style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classical architecture built in the United States following the American Revolution between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was influenced heavily by the works of And ...

dwelling extensively decorated with

scroll saw A scroll saw is a small electric or pedal-operated saw used to cut intricate curves in wood, metal, or other materials. The fineness of its blade allows it to cut more delicately than a jigsaw (power tool), power jigsaw, and more easily than a h ...

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

trim. This was added to the house for his wife of many years by George Washington Bourne late in his life, and not as legend has it by a ship captain for a young bride lost at sea.

Site of interest

* Wedding Cake House *

* Kennebunk River Club *

White Barn Inn White Barn Inn is a hotel and restaurant in Kennebunk, Maine Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, York County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,536 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Kennebunk is home to several ...

Education

Kennebunk, along with neighboring Kennebunkport and Arundel towns, form

Regional School District 21 In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. The schools in RSU 21 are Consolidated School, Kennebunk Elementary School, Mildred L. Day School, Sea Road School, Middle School of the Kennebunks, and Kennebunk High School. The Middle School of the Kennebunks is part of Maine's project that gives laptops to all of the 6th, 7th and 8th graders in the school called MLTI, or Maine Learning Technology Initiative. In 2000, a group of students teamed up with parents and local community members to found The New School, a small alternative high school, with students coming from as close as Kennebunk and Wells and as far away as

and

Somersworth Somersworth is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,855 at the 2020 census. Somersworth has the smallest area and third-lowest population of New Hampshire's 13 cities. History Prior to European settlem ...

. The school is accredited by the State of Maine and the first group of students graduated in June 2001. The New School has a focus on community-based learning.

Notable people

Edward H. Betts Edward Howard Betts (August 4, 1920 – May 17, 2008) was an American painter, collagist, author, and teacher. He was known for his abstract paintings which he developed using an improvisational method. He was also an accomplished painter of realis ...

, painter and art educator. Lived in Kennebunk from 1984 to 2008. *

Kate Chappell Kate Cheney Chappell (born 1942) is an American businesswoman, artist, and manufacturer. She co-founded personal-care product manufacturer Tom's of Maine in 1970 as well as wool clothing manufacturer Ramblers Way in 2010 with her husband Tom ...

, businesswoman *

Tom Chappell Thomas Matthew Chappell (born 1943) is an American businessman and manufacturer who co-founded Tom's of Maine in 1970, and Ramblers Way, a wool clothing company, with his wife, artist Kate Chappell. Chappell graduated from the Moses Brown School ...

, businessman * Eunice Hale Waite Cobb, writer, public speaker, activist *

Jack Coombs John Wesley Coombs (November 18, 1882 – April 15, 1957), nicknamed "Colby Jack" after his alma mater, was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics (1906–14), Br ...

, baseball player who grew up in KennebunkJack Coombs at SABR Baseball Biography Project
/ref> * Joseph Dane, US congressman * Turney Duff, author and businessperson *

Judith Hunt Judith A. Hunt is an American illustrator, painter, cartoonist, and designer, who has produced a diverse array of artwork for books, magazines, television, comics, videos, and toys. She has worked as an art director and staff illustrator/designer ...

, illustrator *

Hugh McCulloch Hugh McCulloch (December 7, 1808 – May 24, 1895) was an American financier who played a central role in financing the American Civil War. He served two non-consecutive terms as U.S. Treasury Secretary under three presidents. He was originally ...

, secretary of the

U.S. Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current United States federal executive departments, U.S. government departments. ...

* Brooke McEldowney, cartoonist * Bruce McMillan, children's book author, photo-illustrator, and watercolor artist * Thomas W. Murphy Jr., eight-term State Representative and chair of the Maine Republican Party *

Edmund S. Muskie Edmund Sixtus Muskie (March 28, 1914March 26, 1996) was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 58th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1980 to 1981, a United States Senator from Maine from 1 ...

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

and 58th

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

, summer resident of Kennebunk Beach *

Erik Nedeau Erik Nedeau (born August 30, 1971), is a former international class middle-distance runner. Early life and education Nedeau grew up in Kennebunk, Maine and graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 1994. Achieveme ...

, runner * Jeff Olson, musician *

Pinkerton Thugs The Pinkerton Thugs were a punk band from Kennebunk, Maine. History The band has been together since July 1994 under a number of different names but officially became the Pinkerton Thugs in March 1996 (taking their name from the infamous Pink ...

, musicians * Kenneth Roberts, author *

Daniel Sayre Daniel Sayre is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives since December 7, 2022. He represents Maine's 135th House district. Electoral history He was elected on November 8, 2022, in the 2022 Maine ...

, politician *

Clement Storer Clement Storer (September 20, 1760November 21, 1830) was a United States representative and Senator from New Hampshire. Born in Kennebunk in Massachusetts Bay's Province of Maine, he completed preparatory studies, studied medicine in Portsmou ...

, US congressman and senator * Mary Alice Willcox, zoologist

References

External links

"Kennebunk, Maine History" (1996) by Joyce Butler at University of Maine, Maine Town Documents. 394.)

Town of Kennebunk, Maine

Kennebunk Free Library

MSAD 71

The New School

History and old maps of Kennebunk Maine

Epodunk Town Profile

Maine Genealogy: Kennebunk, York County, Maine
{{authority control Populated places established in 1620 Portland metropolitan area, Maine Towns in York County, Maine Towns in Maine Populated coastal places in Maine 1620 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Historic districts in York County, Maine