HGB Ep. 503 - Maine's Kennebunkport

Moment in Oddity -  Underwater Music Festival

Diane and I love the ocean along with the creatures who live there. Here in Florida, there has been an Underwater Music Festival held for nearly 40 years. The festival takes place yearly in the lower keys near Big Pine Key and this year it attracted hundreds of divers and snorkelers. The purpose of the festival is to bring awareness to the protection of 3,800 square miles of ocean which includes the only living coral reef in the continental United States. The location of the music festival is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and spotlights the importance of reef conservation to the attendees. The underwater ecosystem here is magnificent and of course the ultimate message of all the musical harmonies enjoyed is how to appreciate, protect and reduce underwater footprints, I mean fin-prints, to ensure the health of our reefs and oceans. Now, the entertainment at the festival includes divers mimicking musical performances underwater according to videos posted. There are mermaids, guitar players and even some on brass. However, the actual musical festival is held on a sandy area removed from the reef because one would not want to cause underwater reverberations of music to disturb the creatures which are the focus of the protection. Some of the music performed this year were the theme song from The Little Mermaid, Yellow Submarine and many more. The videos we have seen of divers mimicking bands performing ocean themed hits were entertaining but the thought of musical performances underwater certainly is odd.

This Month in History - Peter the Great's Beard Tax

In the month of September, on the 5th, in 1698, Russian Czar Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards. Prior to this tax being created, the Czar traveled through Europe in disguise as 'Sergeant Pyotr Mikhaylov'. His purpose was to study the innovations employed by Great Britain and the Dutch which had made the countries so powerful for the time. Peter the Great spent time working at a shipyard for the Dutch East India Company where he studied their shipbuilding innovations. He also worked in the Royal Navy's dockyard in Deptford. His fact finding mission also led him to exploring factories, arsenals, schools and museums. At one point he was even able to attend a session of Parliament. Once he returned to Russia, he began working on modernizing his country to try and compete with the other European superpowers. He put into effect many reforms regarding the economy, government and religious matters. One of those reforms was for his military to go beardless as he had viewed on many of the Western Europeans he had encountered while traveling. At one point he was said to have brandished a large barber's razor at a reception he was being honored at. He then proceeded to shave the beards of many of the guests. He then announced that all Russian men had to remove their beards which resulted in massive pushback. This rejection included the Russian Orthodox church who declared the shaving of beards, blasphemous. From there, the Czar determined he could use the idea as a policy to make money for the state. Peter the Great imposed a tax for those men wishing to keep their beards. It is recorded that nobility and merchants had to pay a tax as high as 100 rubles per year and commoners as little as 1 kopek. Those who paid the tax received a token as proof of their payment. Suffice it to say, of all the reforms established by Peter the Great, his beard tax is certainly one of the more unusual ones.

Maine's Kennebunkport

Kennebunkport is a Maine town that goes back hundreds of years. This coastal resort town plays host to several haunted inns. The Kennebunkport Captains Collection in Maine are four historic homes that had belonged to the Captain Daniel Walker family. Two of them are reputedly haunted. There is also the Nonantum Resort, which is the oldest inn in town. And the Kennebunk Inn hosts a well known spirit in the town. Join us for the history and hauntings of Maine's Kennebunkport.

Kennebunkport was originally known as Cape Porpoise and was first incorporated in 1653. The early white settlers began to leave shortly thereafter as local indigineous tribes raided them regularly. Eventually, settlers returned and they formed a new community that they called Arundel in 1718. In 1821, Arundel became Kennebunk Port with Kennebunk meaning "long cut bank." The earlier town names can still be found in the city in smaller village areas. The main economies in the area were shipbuilding and river trade. By the 1870s, people started looking to this area of Maine as a summer destination. Hotels and homes were built all along the coast. Today, this is still a popular place for tourists, which has included the Bush family. The Bush family owns the Walker's Point Estate in Kennebunkport and it served as the Summer White House for President George H.W. Bush.

The Walker family has deep roots here. Gideon Walker was one of the first settlers to come to the mouth of the Kennebunk River in the mid-1700s. He was born in October of 1719, in Kittery, York, Maine. He married Hannah Palmer in 1741 and they settled on a large swath of land that Gideon had inherited. Much of this land would become Kennebunkport. The couple had seven sons and three daughters. One of those sons was Captain Daniel Walker and he inherited much of his father's land when Gideon passed away in 1805 at the age of eighty-five. Daniel Walker married a woman named Lois and they had five children and after each child married, Daniel deeded them some land upon which they could build their own homes. These homes were all close to each other as the men of the family all became captains and were often out to sea and their families liked to be close to each other for support. Four of these homes still stand and passed through generations of seafaring families before becoming small boutique inns. 

They got a big upgrade in 2021 when New England's Lark Hotels bought the houses and unified them under what they describe as a single village resort with 45 rooms for rent. This village is known as the Kennebunkport Captains Collection and each property has its own distinct character as designed by Massachusetts-based interior designers Rob Blood and Megan Kennedy of Elder & Ash. The resort’s shared amenities include a grand drawing room, library, dining room, gardens, lounges and a Butler’s Pantry bar. There are also complimentary bicycles and a courtesy car for guests wanting to explore beyond downtown. What we really love about the collection is that there seems to be ghosts here.

The William Jefferds House

The Captain William Jefferds house is at 5 Pearl Street. Sarah Walker was born in 1783 and she married William Jefferds, Jr. in 1802. Both of them had been born in Kennebunkport. Sarah's father, Daniel, gifted the couple “80 square rods of land, with love and affection” the following year. This was on a lane leading to Walker’s Wharf and they built a two-story, hipped roof Federal-style house on the land. The couple had eleven children and were fairly well off with Kennebunkport considering them one of the most aristocratic families in the town. Captain Jefferds made his money as a ship owner and by conducting trade in the West Indies. He later became a merchant and died in 1851. Sarah continued to live in the house until her death in 1871 at the age of eighty-eight. The furniture in the house was auctioned off and the house sold. The Agnew Family owned the house in the 1880s and they remodeled the home, adding Colonial Revival touches like a large central dormer and portico. The house passed through other families until it was purchased in 1996 by the Bartholomew family and they converted it into a bed and breakfast that they ran for nine years. The next owners were Erik and Sarah Lindblom and they completely renovated the inn and continued to run it as a commercial enterprise. Lark Hotels gave the house a new design that features sixteen rooms with mostly white furnishings that gives the whole house a light and airy feeling. The inn retains the original moldings and wood beams. Six of the rooms are located in a carriage house on the property that is attached to the house. 

The Acton Patterson House 

The Acton Patterson House is located at 35 Maine Street and was built in 1807 by Captain Daniel Walker and is also a two-story Federal styled home with two brick chimneys. The house had four bedrooms. Captain Nathaniel Lord purchased the house to live in while his mansion was being built nearby and after he passed, the house was passed down through the family until Captain Acton Patterson bought the home. His daughter ended up marrying Nathaniel Lord's son and so the house ended up back in the lord family. The house was inherited by their daughter and eventually became an annex for the Nathaniel Lord Mansion. After Lark Hotels purchased the property, it was renovated with a country gentleman style that included plaids and distressed leather furniture. The house is available for an entire rent-out.

The Captain Nathaniel Lord Mansion

The Captain Nathaniel Lord Mansion is located at 6 Pleasant Street and is the centerpiece of the resort. Captain Nathaniel Lord was born in 1776 and he married Phoebe Walker in 1797. The couple had the home built in 1812 on a corner lot. Nathaniel had made his money running a shipyard and so when the British created a blockade of Kennebunkport during the War of 1812, he had his shipbuilding staff build his home. Lord hired architect Thomas Eaton to design the Federal-styled house and spared no expense.
Captain Lord and Phoebe Walker had eight children together and "adopted" a ninth child that was the result of an extramarital affair Nathaniel had with the maid. Phoebe agreed to raise the child as one of her own. The Captain didn't get to enjoy his big beautiful home for long. He died from influenza at the age of 38 in 1815. 

Charles Clark was Lord's grandson and when he inherited the home in 1898, he decided to give it a makeover and added a three-story addition that was designed by architect William Ralph Emerson. Emerson was known for his work with "Shingle-style" homes. He added hallway arches, hand-grained doors, the elliptical staircase in the front, high-Victorian wainscoting, beamed ceiling, and a bay window with a curved window seat. The home would stay in the Lord family until 1972, so they had a long run with it. What caused the family to lose the house were tax issues for Captain Lord's great-great granddaughter Julia Buckland Fuller. She had to liquidate the estate, including the furniture. The property sat neglected for awhile and then Bev Davis and Rick Litchfield purchased it in 1978 and they restored the mansion using old photos as a guide, so they could replicate the 19th century wall coverings and the paint used on walls. The wood floors were stripped and refinished and the twenty-two fireplaces were converted to gas. They brought in antiques that matched the aesthetic as well like a late 1800’s Chippendale dining table with matching chairs and 19th century four-poster beds, and other 19th century antiques. Lark Hotels kept most of the antiques that were in the mansion. They stripped back the carpeting to reveal pine floors and added velvet drapes, enhanced the crown moldings and updated the bathrooms.

It is believed that a member of the Lord family has stayed on in the house after death. This is believed to be Phoebe. She raised nine children in this home almost by herself since Nathaniel had died young, so its not hard to believe she would be attached to the dwelling. Phoebe's spirit became most active when the mansion opened up for the first time as a bed and breakfast. She seemed pleased with the restoration. Her former room was named Wisteria, meaning "remembrance of the dead," and this is where she is most active. The apparition has been seen wearing a long, flowing white nightgown or dressing robe and walking or floating through the room. She once startled a newlywed couple who were lying in bed and watched as Phoebe floated through the room and disappeared into a wall. Often the spirit is standing on the spiral staircase leading up to the cupola. Other times she is floating up and down that staircase. This had been a favorite spot as it was with most captain's wives who liked to watch their husbands come in from being out at sea. People claim to see her looking out of the cupola.

The Captain James Fairfield House

The Captain James Fairfield House is located at 8 Pleasant Street and was built in 1813, designed as a two-story Federal-style mansion. James Fairfield was born in Arundel, Maine in 1784. His father was a ship captain and he followed in his footsteps, becoming a captain as well. He was a short guy at five and a half feet tall, but he was self-assured and described as quite handsome. Daniel Walker's daughter Lois married James Fairfield in 1807. James went in with his brother-in-law, Captain Joseph Lord, and bought a six acre lot across the street from Captain Nathaniel Lord’s mansion. They planned to build two homes connected to each other, so their wives could keep each other company while their husbands were away at sea, but the homes would have to wait for a bit. Fairfield was the captain of the MacDonough during the War of 1812 when he was 31-years-old. He wasn't fighting in the war, but rather, running a privateering venture with three other Captains. The MacDonough was captured by the British and he was sent to Dartmoor Prison in England where he was a prisoner of war for five months. This was a horrible place to be a prisoner. They were all issued a hammock, bedding and blanket. A bloody massacre took place in the prison on April 6, 1815 with eight prisoners killed and forty-five wounded. James tried to get himself released with the first group of prisoners sent back to America by buying another man's place on the ship, but when the authorities called out names, the man he had paid went forward and took his own turn leaving Fairfield to wait for his. He wrote this letter to his wife after his capture:

"Onboard his Majesty frigate Bacchante Hallifax

November 12th 1814

Dear Wife

It is with regret that I have to inform you of our misfortune of being captured 30 hours after leaving you by the above frigate. By carrying away our aft and main topmasts in the chase we are all onboard this ship at present but expect to be sent onboard some other ship to be sent to England in about eight days where I expect we shall have to remain until peace which God send may be soon, I cannot get on shore nor hear any thing from Oliver but we are all well and in good spirits considering our situation[.] My dear I wish you to make your self as happy as you possibly can and I would advise you to sell your horse at any price you can get as the expense of him is considerable and sell any thing you have rather than suffer. I don’t know what part of England we shall go to but shall write every opportunity. Could you find out where I am[.] Nothing but my liberty would give me more pleasure than a line from you, or any of my friends my dear I hope this will find you in good health as it leaves me. Asa is well and contented and Capt. Lord likewise. With love and respect I remain your loving and affectionate husband until death."

James and his brother-in-law Joseph Lord began their homes in 1813 and finished them in 1815. They were two Federal-style mansions connected to each other. James and Lois were gifted the money for their house by her father Daniel. Joseph Lord would unfortunately die in 1817 when the ship he was sailing to Europe to trade cotton, sunk killing him and his entire crew. His wife Polly remarried and remained in the double house. James died from pneumonia in 1820 and Lois sold their mansion to Abner Stone. She then moved in with Polly and her new husband. She would only live two more years herself. The houses eventually just became one and went through six or seven families and then in the early 1980s, the mansion was turned into an inn. In the early 1990s, Chef Dennis and his wife Bonnie bought the inn and restored it and several years later they sold it to Rick Wolf. He converted it into more of a bed and breakfast and owned it until Lark Hotels bought it. Today, the James Fairfield house is described as "artful and eclectic" and features nine rooms with working fireplaces and abstract art on the walls.

The first stories about paranormal activity came when the first renovations were started. The spirit of James Fairfield has been seen in the basement, usually hanging out in a dark corner. One person who reported seeing this was Chef Dennis Tellagnon. The ghost seems friendly and is clearly attached to a copy of a portrait he had painted of himself that hangs in the inn. The original is at the Brick Store Museum on Main Street. The crazy story connected to this painting is that James had it done while he was on a voyage. He had it sent back on a ship that sank. Fortunately, the painting was rolled up in a metal cylinder that floated to the surface of the water and was picked up by a Swedish ship two years after James died. Lois had already died by then too, but her sister Polly accepted the portrait and had it framed.

Kennebunk Inn 

The Kennebunk Inn sits in the center of the town and was built in 1799. This started as a private residence for a man named Phineas Cole. Benjamin Smith bought the house from Cole and his family owned it until 1875. In 1876, Dr. Orrin Ross bought the home and gave it to his son, Dr. Frank Ross, in 1880 as a wedding present. Right across the street Frank built what came to be known as the Ross Block. The doctor built a two-story wooden building in 1881 and it housed his office and a pharmacy. This burned to the ground and he rebuilt it in 1895 only to have that burn down too. He got smart the third time around and made the third version out of brick. This one still stands today and is three stories tall and has hosted a variety of businesses through the years. Dr. Ross specialized in obstetrics and never lost a mother, having helped with over 1,000 deliveries. The doctor died in 1926 and Mr. and Mrs. George Baitler bought the house in 1928 and converted the private home into a hotel called “The Tavern.” They added a two-and-a-half story wing and rented out 50 rooms. The inn was named the Kennebunk Inn in the late 1930s and has changed hands several times. Today, this is a very charming inn with verandas on the first and second floors.

There is a very well known spirit here that is believed to have belonged to a former nightwatchman and auditor named Silas Perkins. He was the son of Captain Fordyce Perkins and fancied himself a poet. He was born in 1880 and died of a heart attack at the age of 72 in 1952 at the Inn.  He is said to be a mischievous spectre. Former owners Arthur and Angels LeBlanc told the Bangor Daily News in 1991 about their experiences with Silas' ghost. A waitress told the couple she was psychic and refused to go down into the basement, claiming there was a strong presence down there that she thought was named Cyrus. Angela said, "We pooh-poohed it and laughed." That was until Silas lifted three mugs off of a shelf and smacked the bartender in the back of the head with them. Silas apparently didn't like the guy. Angela said, "This kind of made a believer out of me. I was seated at the bar when it happened." A line from one of Silas' poems goes like this, "I want to laugh with the common man Wherever he chance to be, I want to aid him when I can Whenever there’s need of me." Perhaps his ghostly pranks are just him trying to help out.

Locked hotel doors will unlock themselves and even swing open in the middle of the night. This may happen over and over in one night. Boxes in the basement tumble over by themselves. Glasses sitting on trays fly through the air and smash into walls. The most active room on the property is Room 17. A housekeeper had unplugged the TV so she could move it to clean and the TV turned itself on without power. Owners Brian and Shanna O’Hea hosted a meet and greet session with psychic Vicki Monroe in 2012 at the inn. Monroe claimed there was a female spirit at the inn as well who went by the name Sara Emily. This ghost likes to stand on the main stairwell and greet visitors when they enter. No one knows where she came from. 

Nonantum Resort

The Nonantum Resort is located at 95 Ocean Avenue. This area had once been the site of a trading center between Native Americans and early settlers. Nonantum is Algonquin for "blessing" or "pray." Captain Henry Heckman built the Nonantum  and opened it on July 4, 1884 with 28 rooms. It was built in a late Italianate style. The waterfront area was expanded in 1887 and a small addition was constructed in 1891. At this same time, alterations were made to the inn, adding a Georgian Revival facade that included pilasters capped with Corinthian capitals and cartouches and a wide front Piazza. The new elements were designed by architect Henry Paston Clark. Heckman died in 1920 and the inn was sold to Felix Bridger and he did extensive renovations, which included an elevator and forty additional rooms. A steam heating system was also added. Felix passed away at 79 in 1953 and his daughter Phyllis Bridger Leathers took over and ran the Nonantum until her death in 1970. In her time, an outdoor swimming pool was added that was filled with salt water.

Phyllis' son, William Bridger Leathers, and his wife, Margaret, were the next proprietors and they added a three-story annex. The inn passed out of the hands of the Leathers family in 1987. The Portside Lodge was added to the property in 1987 and increased the number of rooms available for guests. The original part of the inn is now called the Carriage House Inn. Lots of renovations have been made through the years. There are 110 guest rooms and this is a popular wedding venue. Jean Ginn Marvin is the current innkeeper and she has been with the establishment for over 24 years.

The resort gets most active right before it closes to guests for the winter. Staff claim that the 27 spirits who haunt the place are friendly. Lights turn on and off by themselves and the doors open and close on their own. Plates on tables spin around on their own. Staff have been unsettled when vacuuming in hallways because when they turn and look to the end of the hallway, they find that furniture has been turned as if to seat someone unseen who wants to watch them work. And people often feel that they are being watched by someone that they can't see.

One of the spirits is said to be a former guest named Sadie. This apparition has been seen wandering the hallways. A ghost named Julia likes to warm her hands by the lobby fireplace. The kitchen is haunted by a spirit named Ursula. Tim Ames was the sales director back in 2007 and he told the Seacoastonline, "Four ladies from New York were sharing a room when one of the beds began to shake violently. Another time, when he was working the front desk late at night, he got a call from another woman on the third floor. She said, 'Should we evacuate?' And I said, 'Why?' While all was quiet and calm in the lobby, it appears this woman's room was rocking as if an earthquake was occurring. Ames raced upstairs, but as soon as he arrived, the woman said, the shaking stopped."

Psychic Vickie Monroe also visited this establishment and she told the hotel that it had 27 spirits and most enjoyed looking out the windows. A very old piano had been removed from the lobby and Monroe reported that a very large male ghost named Will or Bill wasn't happy about that and that he wanted the piano put back. She had no idea that there had been a piano in the lobby. Turns out that a man named Will had once been an owner. He weighed in at 600 pounds and had a wife who had owned that very piano. Monroe also said that there were several child ghosts in the inn and that they especially liked playing pranks in the bathrooms. The spirit of a small, balding man also made himself known to the psychic.

Kennebunkport is a beautiful coastal community with quite a few charming and historic inns. They make a great place to get away in New England, especially if one is interested in interacting with a few ghosts. Are these inns in Kennebunkport haunted? That is for you to decide!