Kennebunkport, Maine
Encyclopedia
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
.
The town center, the area in and around Dock Square, is located along the Kennebunk River
, approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) from the mouth of the river on the Atlantic ocean. Historically a shipbuilding and fishing village, for well over a century the town has been a popular summer colony and seaside tourist destination. The Dock Square area has a district of souvenir
shops, art galleries, seafood restaurants, and bed and breakfast
s. Cape Porpoise, while retaining its identity as a fishing harbor, has a very small village area with several restaurants, a church, grocery store, coffee shop, small library, and art gallery. While Kennebunkport has a reputation as a summer haven for the wealthy, its year-round population is economically diverse.
Kennebunkport and neighboring towns Kennebunk
and Arundel
comprise school district RSU 21.
(Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise
). Due to Indian depredations, the town was depopulated by 1689, and not resettled by Europe
ans again until the early 18th century. The town was renamed Arundel, and the town center located inland at Burbank Hill. In 1821 the town was renamed again, this time to Kennebunkport in response to its economy becoming one of shipbuilding
and trade
along the Kennebunk River
.
By the 1870s the town had developed as a popular summer destination, with both hotels and homes constructed along its coastline. Cape Arundel, Cape Porpoise, and Beachwood (now called Goose Rocks
) were some of the early summer colonies (although Cape Porpoise was, and still is, a working fishing
harbor).
The Great Fires of 1947
, which devastated much of York County, affected Kennebunkport and especially the area near Goose Rocks Beach. Much of the housing near Goose Rocks Beach was destroyed by the fire, but the area has since recovered and been rebuilt.
and the islands) is attributed to differential erosion of the underlying rock layer.
The coast along Kennebunkport differs sharply from the Maine coast north and east of Portland due to differences in the composition of this rock layer. Beyond Portland, the layer is largely metamorphic rock, but here the coast is a mixture of igneous rock, and embayments of more deeply eroded sedimentary and metamorphic rock. These embayments result in the sandy beaches that can be found in southern Maine (such as Goose Rocks Beach, Colony Beach, and nearby Kennebunk Beach), but are uncommon north of Portland. Likewise the geology here differs from that of the outer lands
(Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Block Island in Rhode Island, and Long Island in New York), which were formed as terminal and recessional moraines, and do not contain much in the way of a bedrock skeleton.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 22 square miles (57 km²), of which 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) (6.19%) is water.
, which today has a small village center, is both a summer colony and year-round community, and hosts a working fishing harbor. Inland from Cape Porpoise is a mix of forest and agricultural land, punctuated by an historic town center at Burbank Hill (there are a few historic buildings of interest here, including a schoolhouse and jail). Heading west towards the mouth of the Kennebunk river is Dock Square, the current town center.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Kennebunkport, and especially Cape Arundel (also known as Point Arundel), developed as a summer colony for the wealthy. Traveling from Dock Square along Ocean Avenue is the Cape Arundel Summer Colony Historic District. This district of many well-preserved examples of early 20th-century shingle-style cottages begins at Chick's Creek and ends at Walker's Point.
has a significant portion of lands in Kennebunkport northeast of Cape Porpoise and through Goose Rocks. Within Kennebunkport, much of this protected land is salt-water marsh.
of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush
, father of former U.S. President George W. Bush
. First built by Bush's maternal grandfather George Herbert Walker
, it has been a family home ever since, and has been owned by Bush since shortly before becoming Vice President
in the 1980s. During his presidency, Bush often invited world leaders, from Margaret Thatcher
to Mikhail Gorbachev
, to Kennebunkport. In 2007, his son George W. Bush invited Vladimir Putin
and Nicolas Sarkozy
. The Bush compound is on Walkers Point, called Point Vesuvius prior to the Walker family's acquisition.
of 2000, there were 3,720 people, 1,615 households, and 1,091 families residing in the town. The population density
was 180.4 people per square mile (69.7/km²). There were 2,555 housing units at an average density of 123.9 per square mile (47.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.49% White, 0.22% Black or African American
, 0.16% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races
, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,615 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,219, and the median income for a family was $66,505. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $34,028 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $36,707. About 1.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
York County, Maine
York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred.Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States....
, 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...
. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
–South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
–Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
metropolitan statistical area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
.
The town center, the area in and around Dock Square, is located along the Kennebunk River
Kennebunk River
The Kennebunk River is a river in southern Maine in the United States. It drains a settled rural area southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean....
, approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) from the mouth of the river on the Atlantic ocean. Historically a shipbuilding and fishing village, for well over a century the town has been a popular summer colony and seaside tourist destination. The Dock Square area has a district of souvenir
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
shops, art galleries, seafood restaurants, and bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s. Cape Porpoise, while retaining its identity as a fishing harbor, has a very small village area with several restaurants, a church, grocery store, coffee shop, small library, and art gallery. While Kennebunkport has a reputation as a summer haven for the wealthy, its year-round population is economically diverse.
Kennebunkport and neighboring towns Kennebunk
Kennebunk, Maine
Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
and Arundel
Arundel, Maine
Arundel is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,571 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
comprise school district RSU 21.
History
Kennebunkport was first incorporated in 1653 as Cape Porpus, subject to the government of the Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts 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...
(Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30'...
). Due to Indian depredations, the town was depopulated by 1689, and not resettled by Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans again until the early 18th century. The town was renamed Arundel, and the town center located inland at Burbank Hill. In 1821 the town was renamed again, this time to Kennebunkport in response to its economy becoming one of shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
and trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
along the Kennebunk River
Kennebunk River
The Kennebunk River is a river in southern Maine in the United States. It drains a settled rural area southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean....
.
By the 1870s the town had developed as a popular summer destination, with both hotels and homes constructed along its coastline. Cape Arundel, Cape Porpoise, and Beachwood (now called Goose Rocks
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...
) were some of the early summer colonies (although Cape Porpoise was, and still is, a working fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
harbor).
The Great Fires of 1947
Great Fires of 1947
The Great Fires of 1947 were a series of forest fires in the State of Maine in the United States that destroyed a total area of 175,000 acres of wooded land...
, which devastated much of York County, affected Kennebunkport and especially the area near Goose Rocks Beach. Much of the housing near Goose Rocks Beach was destroyed by the fire, but the area has since recovered and been rebuilt.
Geology
Like much of the northeast coast, the geography of the southern Maine coast was largely directed by the retreat of the Laurentide ice cap about 23,000 years ago. The coast is framed by bedrock, left during the formation of the Appalachian mountains, and the irregular shape of the coast (characteristic of much of the New England coast, with the exception of Cape CodCape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
and the islands) is attributed to differential erosion of the underlying rock layer.
The coast along Kennebunkport differs sharply from the Maine coast north and east of Portland due to differences in the composition of this rock layer. Beyond Portland, the layer is largely metamorphic rock, but here the coast is a mixture of igneous rock, and embayments of more deeply eroded sedimentary and metamorphic rock. These embayments result in the sandy beaches that can be found in southern Maine (such as Goose Rocks Beach, Colony Beach, and nearby Kennebunk Beach), but are uncommon north of Portland. Likewise the geology here differs from that of the outer lands
Outer Lands
The Outer Lands is a term denoting the prominent terminal moraine archipelagic region off the southern coast of New England in the United States...
(Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Block Island in Rhode Island, and Long Island in New York), which were formed as terminal and recessional moraines, and do not contain much in the way of a bedrock skeleton.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 22 square miles (57 km²), of which 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) (6.19%) is water.
Geography
The town has several distinct areas, each developed during a phase of the town's history. The original town center was at Cape PorpoiseCape 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...
, which today has a small village center, is both a summer colony and year-round community, and hosts a working fishing harbor. Inland from Cape Porpoise is a mix of forest and agricultural land, punctuated by an historic town center at Burbank Hill (there are a few historic buildings of interest here, including a schoolhouse and jail). Heading west towards the mouth of the Kennebunk river is Dock Square, the current town center.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Kennebunkport, and especially Cape Arundel (also known as Point Arundel), developed as a summer colony for the wealthy. Traveling from Dock Square along Ocean Avenue is the Cape Arundel Summer Colony Historic District. This district of many well-preserved examples of early 20th-century shingle-style cottages begins at Chick's Creek and ends at Walker's Point.
Adjacent towns
- ArundelArundel, MaineArundel is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,571 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- BiddefordBiddeford, MaineBiddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
- KennebunkKennebunk, MaineKennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife RefugeRachel 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...
has a significant portion of lands in Kennebunkport northeast of Cape Porpoise and through Goose Rocks. Within Kennebunkport, much of this protected land is salt-water marsh.
Summer home of the Bush family
Kennebunkport is also the summer homeBush compound
The Bush compound , is the summer home of 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush. Located adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean in southern Maine, in the town of Kennebunkport, the property has been a family retreat for more than a century.The estate was purchased in the late 19th century...
of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, father of former U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. First built by Bush's maternal grandfather George Herbert Walker
George Herbert Walker
George Herbert Walker was a wealthy American banker and businessman. His daughter Dorothy married Prescott Bush, making him a grandfather of former President George H. W. Bush and a great-grandfather of former President George W. Bush.-Life and career:Born in St...
, it has been a family home ever since, and has been owned by Bush since shortly before becoming Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in the 1980s. During his presidency, Bush often invited world leaders, from Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
to Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, to Kennebunkport. In 2007, his son George W. Bush invited Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
and Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. The Bush compound is on Walkers Point, called Point Vesuvius prior to the Walker family's acquisition.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,720 people, 1,615 households, and 1,091 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 180.4 people per square mile (69.7/km²). There were 2,555 housing units at an average density of 123.9 per square mile (47.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.49% White, 0.22% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.16% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,615 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,219, and the median income for a family was $66,505. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $34,028 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $36,707. About 1.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States
- Margaret DelandMargaret DelandMargaret Deland was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. She also wrote an autobiography in two volumes.-Life:...
, novelist - Dan GoodwinDan GoodwinAmerican Dan Goodwin is a building, rock, and sports climber, as well as a stage-four cancer survivor, originally from Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, and living as of 2010 in Lake Tahoe, California.-Building climber:...
, building, rock and sports climber - Frank HandlenFrank HandlenFrank W. Handlen is an American painter- Biography :Born in Brooklyn in 1916, and raised in Caldwell, New Jersey, Handlen depicts ships, the sea and the Maine landscape in oil and pastels. In 1938, his mentor, marine artist Frederick Judd Waugh, encouraged him to go to Maine, "where it will all...
, painter - Joshua HerrickJoshua HerrickJoshua Herrick was a United States Representative from Maine. He was born in Beverly, Massachusetts where he attended the common schools. He moved to the district of Maine in 1811 and engaged in the lumber business and served in the War of 1812...
, congressman - Wiley MillerWiley MillerDavid Wiley Miller , an American cartoonist whose work is characterized by wry wit and trenchant social satire, is best known for his comic strip Non Sequitur, which he signs Wiley...
, cartoonist - George Clement PerkinsGeorge Clement PerkinsGeorge Clement Perkins was a U.S. Republican politician, who was the 14th governor of California from January 8, 1880, to January 10, 1883, and a United States senator from 1893 until 1915. He also served in the California State Senate...
, governor of California - Kenneth Roberts, author
- Booth TarkingtonBooth TarkingtonBooth Tarkington was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams...
, novelist and dramatist - George Herbert WalkerGeorge Herbert WalkerGeorge Herbert Walker was a wealthy American banker and businessman. His daughter Dorothy married Prescott Bush, making him a grandfather of former President George H. W. Bush and a great-grandfather of former President George W. Bush.-Life and career:Born in St...
, banker and businessman - Bentley WarrenBentley WarrenBentley Warren , is an American racecar driver. He is best known for racing in the USAC Championship Car series, and for some New Englanders, even more so for his racing in the Supermodified winged cars now called ISMA.He had his first win 1957 at West Peabody, Massachusetts. As of 2007 he has won...
, racecar driver - Neil Clark WarrenNeil Clark WarrenIn promoting his books he has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including Focus on the Family, The 700 Club, Geraldo, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.-External links:*, eHarmony.com....
, online dating service chairman