Kennebunkport Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kennebunkport Historic District
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bounded roughly by South, Maine, North, and Lock Streets, and the Kennebunkport River, Kennebunkport, Maine |
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| Area | 95 acres (38 ha) |
| Architect | Davis, Samuel; Multiple |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000121 |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1976 |
The Kennebunkport Historic District is a special area in Kennebunkport, Maine. It's like a time capsule, showing off many old buildings from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Back then, Kennebunkport was a very busy place for building ships and sending goods by sea. This historic district was added to a list of important places, called the National Register of Historic Places, on May 6, 1976.
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Discovering Kennebunkport's Past
Kennebunkport is a town on the coast of southern Maine. It sits between the Kennebunk River and the Little River. The main village is found in the southwestern part of town. It's on the north side of the Kennebunk River, a bit inland from the ocean.
This area was first named Cape Porpoise in 1653. People left during wars in the late 1600s and early 1700s. But they came back and settled here again in 1719. The town officially became Kennebunkport in 1820.
A Busy Seaport Town
Kennebunkport grew quickly because it was a great place for shipbuilding and shipping goods. Many of the old buildings you see today are from this time. Later, around the 1870s, the town became popular as a summer vacation spot. This new focus on tourism helped the town grow even more.
Exploring the Historic Streets
The Kennebunkport Historic District covers many of the main roads in the village. These include Western Avenue, North Street, Ocean Avenue, and Maine Street. You'll also find historic buildings on the smaller streets that connect them.
The district has 147 buildings. Most of these were built before 1925. Only 24 buildings were built after that year. Even the newer buildings, like the town offices built in 1960, were designed to fit in with the older styles.
Many homes in the district show off the popular building styles of their time. A few houses are very old, from the colonial period. One example is the Gideon Walker House on South Street, built in 1745. It was later updated in 1910.
Federal Style Homes
The largest number of buildings in the district are from the Federal period. This was when Kennebunkport was at its busiest and most successful. One of the most beautiful houses from this time is the Capt. Nathaniel Lord Mansion. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places by itself in 1973.
Notable Historic Buildings
Images for kids
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Dock Square, 2015
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White Columns, 2015
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Western Avenue, 2015
