Cape Porpoise, Maine
Encyclopedia
Cape Porpoise, Maine is a small coastal village in the town of Kennebunkport
, Maine
, United States
, and was the original English settlement of the town. It is northeast of Dock Square and southwest of Goose Rocks Beach
. The village occupies the mainland adjacent to Cape Porpoise Harbor. More than a dozen islands protect the deep natural harbor.
Goat Island Light
marks the harbor entrance between Goat and Folly islands.
in 1614 during his exploration of New England
. English settlers arrived during the 1620s at Cape Porpoise Harbor. The town was first incorporated as "Cape Porpus" under the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1653. During King William's War
in 1689, Indians forced the settlers off the mainland and onto Stage Island until rescued by the English. The town was resettled by 1720.
During Dummer's War
, in an October raid at Mount Desert
, one Capt. Cogswell and his crew were surprised and taken as they were stepping ashore; and about the same time, Smith and Bailey were killed at Cape Porpoise
, one on Vaughan's Island, and the other on the seashore, not far from the site of the old meeting-house.
On August 8, 1782 the English 16 gun brig
Meriam and the schooner
Hammond entered the harbor and attempted to take a schooner and sloop
as prizes. The English took the schooner but ran the sloop aground. The town militia had assembled and fired shore cannon
s and musket
s at the English. The English burned the sloop and then returned to their brig but couldn't escape the harbor because of a growing southern breeze. Over the next few hours, the English towed and warped the brig out of the harbor under musket and cannon fire even as they tried to return gun fire. All combined, more than 20 men were killed during the battle, including Captain James Burnham, one of the town leaders, and the only American casualty.
In July 2010, singer Taylor Swift
filmed the music video
for her hit single "Mine
" here. She filmed parts of the video in the popular Wayfarer restaurant, The Captain's restaurant, and in a local river.
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and was the original English settlement of the town. It is northeast of Dock Square and southwest of Goose Rocks Beach
Goose Rocks
Goose Rocks Beach , is a coastal resort neighborhood located in the town of Kennebunkport, Maine USA, bordered by Cape Porpoise, Maine to the South, and Granite Point to the North...
. The village occupies the mainland adjacent to Cape Porpoise Harbor. More than a dozen islands protect the deep natural harbor.
Goat Island Light
Goat Island Light
Goat Island Light is a lighthouse located off Cape Porpoise near Kennebunkport in southern Maine.Goat Island Light was established in 1835 to guard the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor. The original station was upgraded in 1859 to the current brick tower with a fifth order Fresnel lens. Keeper's...
marks the harbor entrance between Goat and Folly islands.
History
Cape Porpoise was named by explorer Captain John SmithJohn Smith of Jamestown
Captain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Bathory, Prince of Transylvania and friend Mózes Székely...
in 1614 during his exploration of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. English settlers arrived during the 1620s at Cape Porpoise Harbor. The town was first incorporated as "Cape Porpus" under the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in 1653. During King William's War
King William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
in 1689, Indians forced the settlers off the mainland and onto Stage Island until rescued by the English. The town was resettled by 1720.
During Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, in an October raid at Mount Desert
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
, one Capt. Cogswell and his crew were surprised and taken as they were stepping ashore; and about the same time, Smith and Bailey were killed at Cape Porpoise
Cape Porpoise, Maine
Cape Porpoise, Maine is a small coastal village in the town of Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, and was the original English settlement of the town. It is northeast of Dock Square and southwest of Goose Rocks Beach. The village occupies the mainland adjacent to Cape Porpoise Harbor...
, one on Vaughan's Island, and the other on the seashore, not far from the site of the old meeting-house.
On August 8, 1782 the English 16 gun brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Meriam and the schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Hammond entered the harbor and attempted to take a schooner and sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
as prizes. The English took the schooner but ran the sloop aground. The town militia had assembled and fired shore cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s and musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s at the English. The English burned the sloop and then returned to their brig but couldn't escape the harbor because of a growing southern breeze. Over the next few hours, the English towed and warped the brig out of the harbor under musket and cannon fire even as they tried to return gun fire. All combined, more than 20 men were killed during the battle, including Captain James Burnham, one of the town leaders, and the only American casualty.
In July 2010, singer Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
filmed the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for her hit single "Mine
Mine (song)
"Mine" is a country pop song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift alone and produced by Swift along with Nathan Chapman. It was released as the lead single from Swift's third studio album, Speak Now by Big Machine Records...
" here. She filmed parts of the video in the popular Wayfarer restaurant, The Captain's restaurant, and in a local river.