Kennebunk history : not a history of Kennebunk but a few items in addition to and a sequel to "The village of Kennebunk, Maine" (revised to 1939) : a description of a few more old homes, a few biographical sketches, Part 1

Author: Gilpatric, George A
Publication date: 1939
Publisher: Kennebunk : Star Print
Number of Pages: 170


USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunk > Kennebunk history : not a history of Kennebunk but a few items in addition to and a sequel to "The village of Kennebunk, Maine" (revised to 1939) : a description of a few more old homes, a few biographical sketches > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13



Gc 974.102 K37 gi 1386788


M. A.


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


= ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01092 2505


THE H BOUND TO PLEASE Heckman Bindery INC.


JULY.66


N. MANCHESTER INDIANA


GEORGE A. GILPATRIC


KENNEBUNK HISTORY C


Not a History of Kennebunk but A Few Items


IN ADDITION TO


AND A SEQUEL TO


"The Village of Kennebunk, Maine" (Revised to 1939)


A Description of a few more Old Homes. A few Biographical Sketches,


George A. Gilpatric


THE STAR PRINT, Kennebunk - - 1939


FOREWORD


This book is called "Kennebunk History." It is not intended to be a history of the Town, as was Judge Bourne's or Mr. Daniel Remich's. It is not a history of its social, religious or political life. It only records some items describing roads, houses, and residents who have lived in Kennebunk. When the church was incorporated in 1750, there were only 35 names recorded. The Parish tax list of 1774 has 126; that of 1799, 264-the names given are supposed to be all of their voters. (It is the only time that many of the names appear.) The book, "The Village of Ken- nebunk" dealt mostly with Main Street at three different dates and the dams, mills, bridges and houses, and only a few items out- side the village. We only repeat what it said to add some infor- mation or to make some item clearer. There is much that might be said of other parts of the town that would be of interest. We only give a few that may help the future historians; for many of these we are indebted to the historians of the town.


When Judge Bourne's history was printed in 1875 a vote was passed in town meeting that the town subscribe for and furnish a copy to each family in town. It was from the earliest settle- ment to 1820 when it became a town.


Mr. Remich's history was printed in 1910. It gave some ad- ditional facts of the early history and continued it to 1890. It was distributed by Mr. Remich's heir. It gives many items of town history. (The files of Mr. James K. Remich's papers are in the rooms of the York Institute, Saco.)


Mr. Andrew Walker's Journals are in 10 volumes, dating from January, 1857 to March, 1894. They are well indexed and give much town history. (They are private, owned by the Curtis family.)


Mr. William E. Barry was an authority on town history. He wrote an architectural sketch of many of the old houses and sev- eral books for private distribution.


Mr. William S. Thompson was the genealogist of the town and spent much time in research. His papers have been compiled, typewritten, indexed and bound, and are in several large volumes at the rooms of the Maine Historical Society, Congress Street, Portland.


The history of York Lodge of Masons has a history of its members, giving dates of births, marriages, and deaths, as far as was available. Printed in 1914, Vol 1 .- At that time there had been 511 names. A copy is in the Public Library.


To all of these we are indebted.


3


CONTENTS


-


CHAPTER ONE


The Lafayette Elm. The Seal of Kennebunk. First the name and the meaning of the word-three versions. Date of incorpo- ration of Wells, Kennebunk and the different names of Kenne- bunkport. Mousam, the Indian name of Sanford, which named the river and the different companies which have used the name. The orthography of the word is in the history of the Old Brick. Second Parish in Wells tax list of 1799, Capt. Daniel Wise, col- lector, 264 names. Some of the changes 1930 to 1939.


CHAPTER TWO 1386788


Origin of the name Zion's Hill as applied to Summer Street. Description of Summer Street from Elm Street to the lower end of the Old School district No. 5 to and including the house of Isiac Downing. Down the west side back on the eastern houses- when built and by whom-succeeding owners or occupants and the present ones with a little family history.


CHAPTER THREE


From the lower end of the Old No. 5 School District to the Sea. The Landing with a brief description of the Schooner Waterboro. The Kingsbury house built by Theodore Lyman and how he named the Town of Lyman. The first shipbuilding on the Kennebunk River. The loss of the Isadore by Rev. William H. Mitchell. Lock on the Kennebunk River. Rigging ships at the Port. The Mitchell Garrison (by W. E. B.). Record of John Mitchell's family.


CHAPTER FOUR


The western side of Mousam River to the sea. The Turn- pike. High Street. Houses on the western side about 1860. De- scription of Maj. Nathaniel Cousens' house.


CHAPTER FIVE


Cat Mousam Road. Description of how a house was pre- pared for moving. Houses and residents to Webber Hill. Storer Street and its extension which was called the Alfred Road, then


Kennebunk Depot, now called West Kennebunk. Alewive Road. The impressment of Jeremiah Lord on a British Man-of-war just before the battle of Trafalger.


CHAPTER SIX


The Mousam River. It's different channels. Ship building on the Mousam. The Larrabee Garrison. The village is de- scribed in the book, "The Village of Kennebunk." Mitchell Mill. The Twine Mill. Cat Mousam Mill. Origin of the name.


CHAPTER SEVEN


The story of the Furbush Twins and the captivity of their mother by the Indians for about 20 years and some record of who their descendants are.


The Stephen Harding Bridge across the inlet near the mouth of the Kennebunk River, named to commemorate his encounter with the Indians.


CHAPTER EIGHT


OLD BUILDINGS


The first Congregational Church (Unitarian). The second Congregational, Dane Street. The other churches of the village. School houses. The Barnard Tavern. The old Brick Block. The Annex which was the first Mousam House. Orthography of the word Mousam. The Clark Mansion. Dr. Samuel Emerson house. The first Parsonage at the Landing. The Kingsbury house. The Kimball house. The Lexington Elms. The Parsons house, residence of Judge Bourne. The Mason block. Sargent Ross block. I.O.O.F. block. Moses Savery. The Taylor house, Summer Street. The Wallingford house, York Street. Washington Hall. Town Hall. Jefferds Tavern. Ocean Bank. Public Library. Warren block and a section of Main Street.


CHAPTER NINE


ITEMS OF TOWN HISTORY


Cemeteries. A section of Main Street revised. The John Cousens house. The Kennebunk Fire Society. Moses Littlefield and His Times (W. E. Barry). The Rogers Estate. Scotchman Brook. The Wedding Cake house. Bartlett's. The Electric Light


5


Plant site and the Day Street School house site. The Ichabod Cousens house, High Street, later called the Maj. Cousens house. The County buildings, 1823. The old Academy on Dane Street of 1833.


CHAPTER TEN


Mr. Remich's' Sketch of Kennebunk. The Post Office, 1938. Storer Mansion. Hymns sung at the Centennial. The first Brick building in Kennebunk. Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad.


CHAPTER ELEVEN


A few Biographical records-Emery Andrews, W. E. Barry, Maj. Nathaniel Cousens, Capt. Henry F. Curtis, Samuel Clark, Charles W. Goodnow, Maj. William Jefferds, Capt. John C. Lord, Charles H. Lucas, Albert W. Meserve, Nathaniel M. Towle, Ward Brothers. A Muster Roll of the Revolution, 1778.


6


KENNEBUNK HISTORY


CHAPTER I


The Lafayette Elm-Storer Street


No record of its age. So-called because of the visit of Gen eral Lafayette to the Storer Mansion, June 25, 1825.


Deeded to the Town of Kennebunk by the heirs of Charles Parsons January 3, 1916.


In 1920, its girth, 5 feet above the ground, was 17 feet, 3 inches; spread of the tree, 131 feet.


The tree and the park in which it stands are under the su- pervision of the Park Commission.


A barn nearby with the tree growing through the roof for- merly attracted much attention, but the tree was full size when the barn was built around it about 1850 by Capt. William Lord, Jr. Barn and tree were razed several years ago.


The Name Kennebunk


Judge Bourne in his History of Wells and Kennebunk, page 202, says:


"That in 1717 the name Kennebunk was applied to that part of Wells between the Kennebunk and Mousam Rivers."


He also says, page 109:


"Kennebunk, meaning as some Indian linguists say-'The place where he thanked him.'"


Capt. Charles Bradbury in his History of Kennebunkport, page 212, says:


"That there are several traditionary stories of the origin of the name." He thinks the most probable is that it took the name of some tribe or chief living in the neighborhood.


In a newspaper article, Mr. Remick gives this version: "The name is of Indian origin being that which the Aborigines gave to the river by which it is bounded on the east. The name is formed by the union of three words: First, Ken, signifying long-second, Neb, signifying water at rest. Third, Unk, signifying land or place. Putting these words together we have Kennebunk, mean- ing the place where there is a large stretch of water at rest. This applies to the stream from Days Mills to the old Larrabee farm."


7


Wells probably was named from a city of that name in Eng- land. It was incorporated July 5, 1653.


The town divided and Kennebunk incorporated June 24, 1820.


Cape Porpoise was the original name of Kennebunkport on the east. Incorporated July 5, 1653. Changed to Arundel June 5, 1719. Changed to Kennebunkport, Feb. 19, 1821. Divided April 1, 1915. The upper part is called North Kennebunkport.


Mousam-Indian name for the Town of Sanford. The river has been called by that name since 1672 and it has long been a local name.


The Mousam Manufacturing Co., incorporated 1826, manufac- tured cotton goods until it was burned April 5, 1850.


In 1835 a hotel was fitted up by Jonathan Stone of Kenne- bunkport which he called the Mousam House (corner of Main and Fletcher Streets.) This was called the Mousam House until April 10, 1861, when B. F. Goodwin, the then proprietor, removed his sign to the Jefferds Tavern on the western side of the river, which was thereafter known as the Mousam House until the sum- mr of 1937 when it was razed to make room for a filling station.


Mousam Lodge, No. 26, I.O.O.F. was instituted May 8, 1845, and is still in existence.


Mousam Manf. Co., incorporated 1876 for the manufacture of leather board, is still in existence under another name, but re- moved to Bar Mills.


Mousam Hall was built 1868; burned March 19, 1920. It was the second story of Town Hall of 1867-8 and was called Mousam Hall or Mousam Opera House.


Parish Tax List 1799


This tax list has been copied as carefully as possible, but some of the names are difficult to decipher and may be different.


The whole amount to be paid James Moody, treasurer is $545.47. The largest taxpayers: Tobias Lord, $19.88; Capt. Oli- ver Keating, $19.54; Joseph Storer, $18.68; Richard Gilpatrick, $11.53; William Jefferds, $10.60.


Seventy-one are taxed for their faculty. The largest one was $0.68 ..


It would perhaps be of interest for descendants to see how their ancestors were rated. I have the book.


The tax list of 1774 was in lbs., shillings and pence. This is in dollars and cents.


8


The tax list of 1799 probably includes all of the male resi- dents in town at that time. "The Village of Kennebunk" has a list of the taxpayers in the Second Parish in Wells, 1774, which probably includes all the men then living in the parish.


The following is a tax list for the year 1799, Capt. Daniel Wise, collector; Thomas Goddard, D. Hubbard, Isaac Kimball, assessors.


Boothby, Thomas


English, Edward


Butland, John


Furnal, Joseph


Butland, Jr., John


Frost, Timothy


Butland, Isaac


Frost, Nathaniel


Brown, John, Capt.


Fisk, John


Barnard, Joseph


Furbush, Stephen


Bragdon, John


Fulsom, Peter


Brookings, John


Fisher, Jacob Dr.


Burnham, Isaac


Gillpatrick, Richard


Buzzel, Isaac Buzzel, Ezekel


Gillpatrick, Dimon


Blaisdel, Moses


Gillpatrick, Samuel


Cleaves, Robert, Capt.


Gillpatrick, Samuel, Jr.


Cousens, Samuel


Gillpatrick, Nathaniel


Currier, Abraham


Goddard, Thatcher D.


Cousens, Nathaniel, Maj.


Gooch, Jedediah Gooch, Joseph


Clark, Jonas Esq.


Gooch, Samuel


Cole, Phineas


Grant, John, Capt.


Curtis, Daniel


Grant, John, Jr., Capt.


Conant, John


Grant, Edward


Cousens, Samuel, Jr.


Grant, Stephen


Cousens, Samuel 3rd


Cousens, Joseph


*Gillpatrick, John (no tax)


Cousens, Elisha


Gillpatrick, John, Jr.


Gorgon, John


Clark, Tobias Cousens, Amos


Gillpatrick, Joseph


Day, Benjamin


Howard, Lem


Day, Benjamin, 3rd


Havey, Herbert


Drown, Moses


Hubbard, Moses


Dighton, Benj., Capt.


Hill, Samuel


Dighton and Young in Co.


Hatch, Reuben Hemmingway, Jonathan


Dutton, Richard


Hayward, Pomphret


Davis, William Elwell, John Emery, Job


Hatch, Daniel


Emery, Isaac


Hubbard, Dimon


Emery, James


Hubbard, William, Capt.


Harden, James Hemmingway, Phineas


Emerson, Samuel Dr. Eaton, Thomas


Hatch, Obediah Deaton


Hatch, Obediah, Jr.


Derby, Reuben


Greenough, Benjamin


Cousens, John


Gillpatrick & Frost in Co.


9


Hovey, John, Capt. Hubbard, John H. Hatch, Nathaniel Hatch, Abijah Hatch, Philip Hatch, Lemuel Hackett, William Hooper, William


Hubbard, James, Capt.


Harmon, Benjamin


Jellison, William Jefferds, William Jones, Thomas Keating, Oliver, Capt. Kimball, James


Kimball, James, Jr.


Kimball, Theo.


Kimball, Jotham Kelly, Abial Kimball, Nathaniel


Little & Coffin Little, David Littlefield, Benj. Littlefield, Moses Littlefield, Seth


Moody, Joseph


Moody, William


Moody, William, Jr.


McCullach, Adam


Mitchell, John, Jr.


Mitchell. Jotham


Mitchell, Samuel Mitchell, Nath.


Mitchell, Robert


Mitchell, John Cooper


Maddocks, Thomas


Murphy, Michael


Maddocks, Amos


Maddocks, John


Maddocks, John, Jr.


Maddocks, Henry


Murphy, James


Noble, Stephen


Nason, Joshua, Jr.


Osborn, James


Kimball, Richard Kimball, Benj. Kimball, Samuel Kimball, Isaac


Paul, Jeremiah Paul, David Peabody, Seth


Larrabee, Stephen, Dea.


Peabody, James


Peabody, Israel


Perkins, George, Capt.


Littlefield, Lydia, widow


Parsons, John U.


Littlefield, Joseph


Ross, Jos., Jr.


Littlefield, Obediah


Ross, Daniel


Littlefield, Anthony


Ross, Adam


Roberts, Moses


Littlefield, Jotham Littlefield, Jacob


Rose, Joseph


Rose, Jno.


Ross, David


Ridgeway, James


Storer, Joseph


Smith, Benj.


Snow, James


Littlefield, Abraham Littlefield, Abraham, Jr.


Littlefield, Isaac


Larrabee, Jesse Larrabee, Benj. Low, John


Low, John, Jr. Lord, Tobias Lord, Samuel


Shackley, Samuel


Stevens, Eliab Stephens, Joel Stephens, Amos


Stephens, Jotham


Stevens, Elias


Stephens, Johnson Stephens, Asa


Kimball, John


Kimball, Israel


Kimball, Jacob


Kimball, Israel, Jr.


Larrabee, Joel Larrabee, Joel, Jr.


Littlefield, Reuben


Littlefield, Moses, Jr.


Littlefield, Edmund Littlefield, Caleb Littlefield, James


10


Shackley, Joel


Taylor, William


Shackley, Daniel


Walker, Jacob


Shackley, Jno.


Waymouth, John


Shackley, Richard


Webber, John


Shackley, Nathan


Webber, Jonathan


Shackley, Edmond


Webber, Stephen


Shackford, Paul Smith, James


Wells, Edmund


Smith, Nathaniel


Wells, William


Storer, Jonathan


Wells, Nathan


Simpson, Jas.


Wells, William, Jr.


Storer, Tobias


Wise, Daniel


Stephens, Samuel, Jr.


Wise, Michael


Smith, John


Wise & Grant


Stephens, Joel, Jr.


Waitt, Hale


Stone, John, Capt.


Washburn, Thomas


Titcomb, Benj.


Washburn, Alexander


Titcomb, Stephen


Wakefield, Jacob


Treadwell, Samuel


frederick


Treadwell, Nathaniel


Wakefield, James


Treadwell, Nathaniel, Jr.


Witham, Abraham


Taylor, Jno., Col.


Watts, Francis


Taylor, Jesse


Walker, Eliphalet


Taylor, Eben


Walker, John, Capt.


Taylor, Joseph


Walker, James


Thompson, Richard


Walker, Gideon


Thompson, Richard, Jr.


Waterhouse, Samuel


Thompson, Caleb


Wormwood, William


Thompson, David


Wormwood, Thomas


Thompson. David, Jr.


Wormwood, Ebenezer


Tripe, John


Web ter, . arker Wormwood, Philip


Thomas, Joseph


Taylor, Jon.


Wells, Joshua


Taylor, Jotham


Wallingford, Geo. W.


Thursting, Frisbee


Willard, Benj.


Tucker, Stephen


Webster, John


Towne, Jacob


Williams, Chas.


Towne, Joseph


Wheelwright, Joseph


Towne, Samuel


Young, Joseph


Towne, Amos


Young, Jonathan


Some Changes In Kennebunk 1930-39


West side of the river, in the village. In 1934 a new brick schoolhouse was built on Day Street (to replace the Swan Street Schoolhouse of 1856) laid out in 1796; formerly all of it was called the Sea Road. Day Street extends from York to Brown. It was named for Joseph Day who, at one time, owned the Towne lot (but did not live there) on which the schoolhouse was built.


In 1938, the town voted to call it the Nathaniel Cousens


Webber, George


11


School in memory of Maj. Nath. Cousens (a former resident, of whom a biographical record is given on another page.) In 1936, the Unitarian Parsonage, opposite the Mousam House, was sold to Geo. E. Taylor of Bangor, a retired Methodist minister.


In 1937 the Mousam House, known in the early days as Jef- ferds Tavern, was sold. The building was razed, street widened, grounds graded and a filling station built. One of the most prominent of the old buildings gone. Coming from the east, it was directly at the end of Main Street at the top of the hill.


The Nat'l Jefferds house next south of the hotel, was sold in 1936 by the heirs of Frank Roberts to the Fox Lumber Co. of Portland. The company had been located for about two years in the first story and stable of the Brown house, Main Street. The stable was remodeled, lumber sheds built on the west side of Brown Street next to the house of Hartley Storer. In the early 1930's the lot on the corner of the Paper Mill lot was graded for a Shell filling station.


Jones' Diner is on the site of the Old Counting Room of 1832.


The building at the west end of the bridge, upper side, was built by Capt. Thompson in 1869, to house the gates of the Union Lace Co .; gates later were moved outside of building or rather buildiing moved toward the street which was used as a store, barber shop and tenement in second story. In the divi- sion of the property, after the failure of the Davis Shoe Co., this was one item, but it did not include the flume on which it was built. In the flood of 1936 the building was badly wrecked and had to be taken down. The old flume under Maine Street to the upper dam has been filled up. The wheel houses, wheel and flume to the upper dam of the North Star Wheel (as it was called in the mill) razed in the summer of 1939.


The store in the Triangle of later years was called the Nason block. I: was built by Samuel Clark before 1900 and later was owned by the Bowdoin Est. It was sold in 1936, torn down and a chain store of one story built of brick.


The Post Office was moved from the Bowdoin block in 1938. The Howard hosue, for a long time the residence of Woodbury A. Hall, was sold in 1934. The barn was torn down, the house moved back diagonally to the corner of Grove Street and facing that street. The lot was graded to the level of Main Street and a filling station erected.


12


The Brown house supposed to be the oldest house on Main Street was built in 1784 by Benj. Brown, Esq., which was then built on a hill. The hill in front was plowed down in 1827. It was then owned by Oliver Littlefield who excavated the front, making two rooms and hall. The house has had many owners and occupants. It was sold in 1938 to E. C. Snowdon and the house razed in 1939.


The John Cousens house. There is an error in "the Village of Kennebunk" which says that the house was moved there. It was built there by Caleb Burbank about 1793 and sold to John Cous- ens, who enlarged it to two tenements. This house was sold in 1938 to provide a filling station location. The house was razed, the grounds graded and the station built.


The Lexington Elms house, built by Capt. Nath. Frost in 1799, was sold in 1936 to Edwin R. Marshall of the Old Colony Trust Co. of Boston, who occupies it. It is more fully described in "the Village of Kennebunk."


Summer Street


The James Kimball house was erected, or some part of it, in 1765 and was known in later years as the Capt. John Clem Lord house. The last owner was Mrs. Annie Crediford who sold to the U. S. Government for a Post Office site. The old house was razed, the grounds graded and a handsome post office building built in 1937, and opened for business March 21, 1938. A full and detailed description was published in the Kennebunk Star March 22, 1938. Dr. J. Starr Barker, who occupied the Dr. Fish- er house, died Feb. 17, 1936. The house was sold to Andrew J. Murphy from the Landing.


On the lot between the R. W. Lord house and Greenleaf Ho- tel, Mrs. Frances A. Lord of Providence, R. I., and Kennebunk, built a house of Colonial design. The house sets a little back of the lot on which Joseph Dane, Sr., built a house about 1808, but that house and barn were destroyed by fire September 25, 1813.


The Capt. George Lord house of 1834 which had been occu- pied for several scasons by Mrs. Rosita Crane, was sold about 1930 to Dr. Arthur D. Variell, who came from Waterbury, Conn. He has a winter home in Miami, Fla. He is a prominent sur- geon.


The Capt. Ivory Lord house of 1835, later owned by Mrs. George F. Robinson, was sold in 1934 to Harry L. Jones of New-


:


13


ton, is now owned by the Geo. F. Bampton heirs.


The Chas. W. Goodnow house, of about 1905, was sold in 1935 to Col. Chas. E. Gow, former postmaster of Boston. Mr. Goodnow died October 10, 1934.


The Joseph Titcomb house, built in 1855, was sold by Capt. Chas. W. Littlefield, then owner, about 1930, to Mrs. William M. Greene of Evanston, Ill., who occupies it.


The Daniel L. Hatch house was sold by the Lambert heirs in 1936 to Miss Delia Ricker of Melrose, Mass. The Walter L. Dane hosue was sold in 1936 to B. F. Emery who had a coal yard at R. R. He died Sept. 23, 1938. Now owned by his heirs. The George Wise house, corner of the Sea road, was sold by the Ward heirs in 1939 to William W. Burnell of Washington, D. C.


The Mitchell Mill at West Kennebunk, better known since 1860 as the Twine Mill, was sold to the Town of Kennebunk in 1938.


The Rogers estate at Kennebunl: Lower Village was sold in 1936 to Col. William N. Campbell of Sanford and Brokline, Mass.


(There may have been a few other changes which I have not :. recorded.)


14


CHAPTER II SUMMER STREET


Origin of the name Zion's Hill as applied to Summer Street-


Description of Summer Street from Elm Street to the lower end of the old School District No. 5 to and including the house of Isaac Downing-Down the west side, back on the eastern side Houses.


when built and by whom, succeeding owners or occupants and the present ones, with a little family history.


Summer Street in 1790. According to the record of Mr. Walker in his Centennial address, there was on the east side the James Kimball house, which was built, or some part of it, in 1763, and his blacksmith shop nearby. These were near the County road. There were two small houses near where Hartley Lord built, occupied by Moses and Jacob Blaisdell, forgemen at the Iron works. One of these houses, or a part of it, is now on Water Street. On or near the lot, owned by the late Charles W. Good- now, was a small unfinished house owned and occupied by John Wakefield. His barn was on the opposite side of the road.


The Hubbard house, then owned by Capt. James Hubbard, was built in 1750. Crossing to the west side of the street was the house built by Daniel Wise about 1775-80, then the road to the sea by the Larrabee Garrison. Near the house now owned by Miss Delia M. Ricker was a small gambrel roof house owned by a Mr. English. That was all on what is now Summer Street. But the town was growing.


Summer Street In 1860


Many changes have taken place since 1790. Handsome houses have been erected with expensive fences, gates, large cased posts, and division fences between the lots. All of these fences were gone before 1900. Many of the houses are owned by mas- ter mariners, who are frequently gone on long voyages, perhaps accompanied by a part or all of their families. Other houses are occupied by retired traders or shipbuilders from the Landing. This is a part of the village and should have been included and described in the book, "The Village of Kennebunk." We will en- deavor to give a detailed account of the houses, by whom built, the date and changes in ownership to the present time, 1939.


15


The name Zions Hill formerly used for a part of this street, was given it by John Osborn. At the commencement of the tem- perance movement in the village, about 1830, he named it in de- rision in consequence of several families then living on the hill taking an active part in promoting the cause of temperance. He called them the "Lords of Zions Hill." Another version of the name: At a town meeting held April 1, 1833, a vote was passed by a small majority instructing the selectmen not to grant licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors in any quantity. John Os- born was in favor of license. He wound up his harrangue after the meeting as follows: "We should have had no trouble about the liquor usinessb if it weren't for those D- Aristocrate on Zion's Hill." The name stuck for many years.


A partial description of the buildings on the square, where the town hall is, has been given in "The Village of Kennebunk." Perhaps as good a one as is now available. A little below Elm Street in the early 1800's, were a few small buildings, a tobacco factory, carpenter shop, tin shop, and private school. All were soon removed. About 1807, Col. Enoch Hardy and associates laid out and built Elm and Park Streets. They both then ex- tended to the back side of the present lots on the east side of Dane Street, with a lane connecting them. Elm 'was afterward extended to Dane, Park to Dane and later to Grove Street.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.