Southern Maine Coast Region
Visiting Kennebunk and Kennebunkport
Tour Highlights
This tour shares pre-statehood homes and a few other structures of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, mostly focusing on the Kennebunkport Historic District.
Getting Started
This tour starts at 15 Russell Farm Rd in Kennebunk. The tour route is approximately 15 miles and will take roughly 1 to 2 hours, depending if you walk for a portion.
- Each tour stop on the map's address is linked to Google Maps so you can swiftly navigate from location-to-location if you choose Google for mapping. You can also use the address in your car's navigation system.
Be safe and aware of your surroundings whilst driving.
- Many properties on the tour are private places; be respectful of private property and remain on the public way at all times.
Click here to access a printable version of this tour.
Except as otherwise noted in the tour, the source for information about the properties has been gathered from each one’s National Register of Historic Places nomination.
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1
James Smith Homestead
Built ca. 1753, Georgian
The James Smith Homestead is a well-preserved example of a rural, Georgian style house. The two-and-a-half story, post and beam, gable-roofed house includes a one-and-a-half-story ell and a separate barn.
James Smith of York, seeking good farming land like many industrious and energetic men of his era, purchased 50 acres of a 600 acre grant held by Caleb Littlefield and Company in 1753 and erected the home shortly after. It was the lifelong home of Smith, as well as his son, grandson, and great granddaughter.
Today, the main house is relatively unchanged and exists as an important reminder of Maine's Colonial emergence.
2
Bourne Mansion
Built ca. 1812, Federal
The Bourne Mansion is one of Kennebunk's most impressive examples of Federal architecture. The interior retains its elegant Federal finish, including a wide central hallway and a fine central spiral staircase. The side hall leading to the eastern entrance has a particularly fine carved arched niche for housing a tall clock.
When John Usher Parsons, a successful merchant and Massachusetts state senator, built the house in 1812, he copied his wife's house in Newburyport, Massachusetts (which later burned). The house was sold in 1815 to Daniel Sewall, Clerk of Courts and Registrar of Deeds in York County. It was later bequeathed by Mrs. William Sewall to her nephew, Edward Bourne, Jr. in the late 19th century. The Bournes were prominent over the generations as ship builders, historians, jurists, and legislators.
3
Wallingford Hall
Built ca. 1805, Federal
Wallingford Hall, built by the architect-builder Thomas Eaton for the lawyer George Washington Wallingford, is a surprisingly grand example of local Federal architecture and is located on the edge of Kennebunk's business district.
In addition to its distinct architectural importance in the area, Wallingford Hall is also significant for its connection to the historian and noted Colonial Revivalist William Barry who lived here during the 19th and 20th centuries. Barry's 1874 "Pen Sketches of Old Houses" was among the first-ever published sketchbooks of American Architecture.
4
Lord Mansion
Built ca. 1760 with alterations in 1801, Colonial with Federal addition
The Lord Mansion, also known as the Clark Mansion, is architecturally significant because it essentially includes two houses in one. The original Colonial house (which is now one of the ells) was built in 1760 by Johnathan Banks. In 1801 the new owner, Judge Jonas Clark, added a large front section done in the Federal style. The flat roof, surrounded by balustrades on all sides, lends an elegant appeal to this distinctly fascinating architectural combination in Kennebunk.
5
Thomas Perkins House
Built ca. 1730, Colonial
The Thomas Perkins House, built ca. 1730, is a Colonial 2.5 story Salt Box house with a central chimney. This home is believed to be the oldest structure still standing in Kennebunkport. Thomas Perkins brought his family to Kennebunkport, then Arundel, from Greenland N.H. in 1720 to claim a grant of land that was given to his father before the village was abandoned in 1689. Within several years of his arrival, he owned all the land along Kennebunk River from Bass Cove and Walker's Point.
The home was built by his son Captain Thomas Perkins who commanded a company of Arundel men in the French & Indian War. He was appointed King’s Surveyor in 1749. As such, it was his job to reserve the tallest and straightest Arundel trees as masts for ships belonging to the King of England. Thomas Perkins collected the selected tree trunks in nearby “Mast Cove” pending transport to England.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
6
Samuel Lewis House
Built ca. 1805, Federal
The Samuel Lewis house, built ca. 1805, is a Federal style 3-story house. The original portion of the house, now contained in the ell, dates to 1762 and was built prior to Lewis's occupation. Samuel Lewis arrived in Kennebunkport in 1775 and was employed as a cabinet maker. The early 19th century front section was originally a 2-story structure which contained a flying staircase. The impressiveness of this stairway led the home to be known locally as "Samuel's Stairs." The third story was added in 1850.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
7
1st Samuel Davis House
Built ca. 1805 with alterations in 1876 and 1966, Federal with Colonial Revival detailing
The Samuel Davis House, built ca. 1805 and modified in 1876 and 1966, has seen several different iterations in it's over 200-year history. The 2.5 story home was constructued by Samuel Davis in the traditional Federal style with a centrral chimney. Mrs. Felicia Graves remodelded the home in the Gothic Revival style in 1876 at which point the home became known as the "Witch House" or "Auny Felicia's Folly." The, now Victorian cottage was remodeled, again, by Arthur Hendricks as a Colonial Reivial saltbox. The home maintains this last appearance today.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
8
3rd Samuel Davis House
Built ca. 1805, Federal
The Samuel Davis House, built ca. 1805, is a 2-story, Federal house believed to have been built by Samuel Davis for Simon Nowell who purchased it from him in 1805. Nowell was a brigadier General in the militia and commanded the fortifications at Kittery during the War of 1812.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
9
Kennebunk Bank/U.S. Custom House
Built ca. 1813, Federal
The Kennebunk Bank/US Custom House, now the Louis T. Graves Memorial Library, was once a bank and custom house and is an excellent example of a Federal style commercial building.
The bank operated as a branch office from 1813 until 1831 when the U.S. Government purchased the building for use as a U.S. Customs house. In 1898 the Kennebunkport Free Library moved to the second floor of the building and in 1913, when the Customs House was decommissioned, the U.S. Government leased the entire building to the library. The building went up for auction in 1920 and was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Abbot Graves who gave the building to the library on the condition they rename the building in memorial of their son Louis T. Graves. An addition was constructed in 1956 by local builder Arthur Hendricks.
At one time the center of the commercial hub in Kennebunkport, the Graves Memorial Library continues to be a focal point in the community. Visit the library's website .
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
10
Silas Moody Store
Built ca. 1811, Federal
The Silas Moody Store is a 2.5 story Federal style store operated by Silas Moody. The store was considered a "Country Store" and sold a variety of goods. The Store was moved from its original location on Ocean Ave to its present location in the 1900s by artist and amateur architect Abbott Graves, who converted the store into a house.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
11
Daniel Walker House
Built ca. 1799, Federal
The Daniel Walker House, built ca. 1799, is a Federal style house with an Italianate style entry way. The house was built by Daniel Walker who soon gave the property over to his son-in-law Nathaniel Lord, who later built his mansion at Pleasant and Green Streets. Daniel Walker worked in the shipbuilding trade and made a considerable sum of money after the American Revolution.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
12
Ralph Smith House
Built ca. 1818, Federal
The Ralph Smith House, built ca. 1818, is a two-story, Federal style home. The house was purchased in 1894 by the artist Abbot Graves, who's work can be found in both public and private collections. During his ownership, the home was known as "Crosstrees" for the two maple trees which bordered the doorway.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
13
Gideon Walker House
Built ca. 1745 with multiple later alterations, Colonial
The Gideon Walker House, built ca. 1745, is a 2.5 story Colonial home. One of the earliest homes in Kennebunkport (part of Arundel when the home was built), the home has seen several additions and modifications since its original construction. One of the most significant of these occurred in 1910, when Anson McKin, an advertising executive, of Montreal, hired John Calvin Stevens to update the home. Stevens added the second story above the front entry way as well as a large side addition approximately the size of the former barn.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
14
Captain Nathaniel Lord Mansion
Built ca. 1812, Federal
The Capt. Nathaniel Lord Mansion (1812) is an impressive three-story Federal style mansion with a flat roof, topped by a cupola. During the early 19th century, Kennebunkport was one of Maine's shipbuilding centers, however, during the War of 1812 the industry was almost completely shut down by a British blockade. It was during this time that the shipbuilder Capt. Lord used his workers to build his house, which remained in the ownership of his descendants up until 1972.
Today, The Capt. Lord Mansion is open to the public as an inn and spa. Visit the hotel's website .
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .
15
Thomas Goodwin Rope Walk
Built ca. 1806, Vernacular
The Thomas Goodwin Rope Walk, built ca 1806, is a 1.5 story shingled structure which has served as the headquarters of the Arundel Yacht Club for several years. The structure was built by Thomas Goodwin, a rope maker from Plymouth who moved to Kennebunk in 1806. He built this structure to house his rope making business before moved to Boston in 1816.
It is a contributing structure to the Kennebunkport Historic District. View the district's National Register listing .