Kennebunkport, a Historic New England Seaside Retreat

With its captivating coastline and quintessential New England charm, Kennebunkport in southern Maine has long been a summertime playground for travelers far and wide. Quaint buildings dating back to the late 18th and early 19th century add to the town’s Rockwellian charm, most especially in the Kennebunkport Historic District nestled in the village center. Visitors with an appreciation for rich history combined with an eye for authentic early American architecture will especially be drawn to this unique coastal community.

Though Kennebunkport was first incorporated as Cape Porpoise (or Cape Porpus) in 1653, the land was first home to Native Americans. Due to hostility between the native population and the settlers over the next 25 years, the area was considered “depopulated,” then repopulated, by Europeans in early 1700s with fishing, farming and shipbuilding rising as dominating trades. The town was renamed “Kennebunkport” in 1821 (to the Abenaki Indians, “Kennebunk” meant “the long cut bank,” which historians conclude refers to the bank behind Kennebunk Beach.) The town emerged into a popular summer colony as early as the 1870s, with hotels and recreational accoutrements luring city dwellers to bask in the refreshing Maine seawater.

Today, Kennebunkport maintains its late 19th century charm as the authentic coastal village continues to invite visitors year-round, though most especially in the warm summer months.

Summer home and refuge to the two Bush Presidents and their families, Kennebunkport has long been a haven from the outside world

Where to Stay

Captain Lord Mansion

Perhaps no inn better celebrates Kennebunkport’s shipbuilding legacy than the Captain Lord Mansion. Once the home of sea captain turned wealthy shipbuilder Nathanial Lord, this bed and breakfast (the only AAA Four Diamond rated B and B in town) includes 21 guest rooms amongst the three-story main home, the smaller (and more budget-friendly) Captain’s Garden House and the newest accommodation, the 1200-square foot executive suite dubbed “The Loft”. Federal period architectural details and furnishings can be found throughout while the elegantly appointed, individually designed rooms make you feel like you’re one of the Captain’s personal guests in this lush home which remained in the Lord family for more than 150 years. Look no further than innkeepers Rick Litchfield and Bev Davis for both top notch hospitality and sage advice when it comes to must-see attractions and the best lobster roll in town — they’ve been at helm here for more than three decades.

Those with a green thumb combined with a appreciation for history will want to stroll through Ganny’s Garden, a flowering tribute to one of Kennebunkport’s most famous and dearly missed summer residents, Barbara Bush, located on Trust’s River Green located just steps from the inn.

Kennebunkport Inn

Nestled in the heart of Dock Square, the Kennebunkport Inn can trace it’s history back more than two centuries. For the majority of the 1800s, the home that stood there belonged to generations of the affluent Perkins family. At the turn of the century, Burleigh S. Thompson (remember this name), a wealth sea merchant, commissioned a grand Federal-style home built there, and by the late 1920s, new owners became the first to turn the home into an inn, adding a cocktail lounge and dining room to the 10 guest rooms in the main building (in addition to 26 rooms in the annex) during its first renovation (the room rate then was just $3 a night!). About 25 years later, the owners built shops on the property along Spring Street and in 2001, the owners guests have come to know and love today, Debra Lennon and Thomas Nill, claim the helm of the Kennebunkport Inn. The couple redecorated the guest rooms and common areas “guided by Kennebunkport’s colorful history as a shipbuilding and fishing village, as well as the 1899 home’s original Federal-style architecture.” Classic luxury meets modern flair throughout, but perhaps most especially at The Burleigh (sound familiar?), the cocktail lounge and restaurant. Since opening in 2017, The Burleigh has become the the hot social spot in town with a popular happy hour and menu best described as comfort food meets contemporary coastal cuisine.

Captain Fairfield Inn

For a memorable stay just outside of the village, the Captain Fairfield Inn offers a distinct tranquility as the branches of its centuries old elm and maple trees sway in the breeze off the Kennebunk River just a block away. Built in 1813 by Captain James Fairfield for life with his new wife, this home retains its authenticity with early Federal period architecture throughout as evidenced by wide pine floors (with a mildly charming creek) and detailed moldings. Just a five minute to shops and restaurants, you’ll feel like a local staying in this quiet neighborhood peppered with old sea captain’s homes. The 9-room inn is owned by Lark Hotels, known for boutique properties that blend history with chic, bold design. Insider’s tip: don’t sleep in too late as you won’t want to miss the variety of small plates at breakfast — or the warm afternoon cookies.

Kennebunkport Historical Society Museum

Kennebunkport has long been known as the summertime respite of the Bush family, where their oceanfront compound served as the Summer White House of the late George H. W. Bush. Perched on the tip of a peninsula known as Walker’s Point, the 41st President of the United States hosted heads of state at his Kennebunkport retreat including Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev. Today, the First Families Kennebunkport Museum, at White Columns, showcases two centuries of local and presidential history. Operated by the Kennebunkport Historical Society, guided tours tell the tales of the town’s prominent shipbuilders to its most famous summer residents. History buffs should make time for the 90-minute film about the late president and his family while architecture aficionados will revel in the guided tour of the 1853 Greek Revival home that during the village’s shipbuilding heyday, belonged to Charles and Celia Perkins. The affluent couple’s original furnishings, right down to the French wallpaper, is a walk through history.

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About the author:

Andrea E. McHugh is a media manager, content creator and freelance writer specializing in lifestyle topics including travel, fashion and beauty, homes, weddings and wellness. She’s a regular style correspondent for The Rhode Show on WPRI (CBS) Providence and contributing writer for ArtisansList.com.

She served as an editor for Newport Life and Newport Weddings magazines and her work has appeared in Family Circle, the Hartford Courant, Classic Boat Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, Cape Cod Home, Daily Candy, Design Sponge, Northern Virginia Sun Gazette newspapers, Ocean Avenue, New England Gala Weddings, Providence Monthly and additional regional, national and international print and digital publications.