In the first half of the 19th century Kennebunk, like Kennebunkport and nearly every other tidewater Maine settlement, caught shipbuilding fever. Between 1800 and 1850 more than 1,000 wooden schooners, clippers and cargo vessels emerged from the area's 50-odd shipyards.
Legacies of this period's wealth and skill are the beautifully detailed Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian houses that grace Kennebunk's national historic district, which includes upper Main Street, Summer Street and a portion of US 1. First Parish Church on Main Street has a bell cast by Paul Revere's foundry in its Christopher Wren steeple.
Visitor Centers
Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce 16 Water St. Kennebunk, ME 04043. Phone:(207)967-0857
Self-guiding Tours
Guide books for a self-guiding walking tour of Kennebunk are available from the chamber of commerce or The Brick Store Museum, 117 Main St.