Kennebunk dates to 1621, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #21 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 129 buildings between them. Below: 29 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1775.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Kennebunk’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kennebunk is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #21 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kennebunk’s overall grade.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kennebunk’s 113 sits above most of its state (88% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 134 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1621.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.4 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Kennebunk’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
First settled in 1621, the town developed as a trading and, later, shipbuilding until 1918, and shipping center with light manufacturing. It was part of the town of Wells and Arundel until 1820, when it incorporated as a separate town. "Kennebunk, the only village in the world so named," was featured on a large locally famous sign attached to the Kesslen Shoe Mill on Route One. To the Abenaki peoples, Kennebunk means "the long cut bank," presumably the long bank behind Kennebunk Beach.
Passages that mention Kennebunk, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of York County, Maine. With illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers1880 · page 357Read the page →
Read the text
Elections were first held at the house of Alexander Grant, north of Kennebunk Pond, and at the house of John Low, now the residence of Mrs. Bradford Raymond, near the Alfred and Biddeford road, in the southeast part of the town, and from 1787 to 1830 at the meeting-house. They were then held in a barn for three years, after which townmeetings were called " to assemble around a big rock in front of the meeting-house." This was the Town-Meeting
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of York County, Maine. With illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers1880 · page 120Read the page →
Read the text
tice in the northern part of the town of Kennebunk, he removed to the village of Kennebunk in 1846, where he resides in 1879, having spent the whole of this time in the practice of his profession. In 1877, by over-exertion and exposure, he became prostrated by a bilious fever, which lefl his nervous system considerably impaired and unfitted him for the duties of his profession. He is a man of strong temperance proclivities ; never used tobacco or liquor. He
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Kennebunk on the map, 1891 to 1983
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kennebunk. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1891Kennebunk sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kennebunk.
Every building
Kennebunk, building by building, 1885–1911
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewThe Beach at Kennebunk, Maine, 1890
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Kennebunk’s page.
In 1621, according to Wikidata. Kennebunk’s post office opened in 1775, and the census of 1820 counted 2,145 people here.
How does Kennebunk rank for history?
Kennebunk is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #21 of 143 in Maine. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Kennebunk?
7 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Lord Mansion (listed 1973, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Kennebunk Historic District and the Lower Alewive Historic District, with 129 contributing buildings. 134 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Kennebunk?
19% of Kennebunk’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.4 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1983.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (34), the Library of Congress (5), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (7), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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