Kennebunk station is a former train station located off Depot Street in
Kennebunk, Maine
Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,536 at the 2020 census (The population does not include Kennebunkport, a separate town). Kennebunk is home to several beaches, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife R ...
. The station opened in 1873 and closed in 1965; it is now occupied by a private business. Planning began in 2014 to add Kennebunk as a stop on the
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
''
Downeaster'' route, but the town cancelled the project in 2018.
History
Boston & Maine Railroad
![Kennebunk station postcard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Kennebunk_station_postcard.jpg)
From the 1840s until 1873, the
Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) used the
Portsmouth, Saco and Portland Railroad to reach
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...
. That year, after the joint lease of the PS&P by the B&M and the
Eastern Railroad ended, the B&M built an extension of its mainline from
South Berwick, Maine
South Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,467 at the 2020 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791.
The town was s ...
to Portland.
The foundation for a station at Kennebunk on the new line was begun in 1872 and the station opened the next year.
The station was built as a single-story clapboard structure, typical of B&M stations on the line.
The
Kennebunk and Kennebunkport Railroad opened in 1883 from Kennebunk to
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a resort town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,629 people at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford metropolitan statistical area.
The town center, the are ...
. The B&M operated service on the branch until 1926.
Mainline service to Kennebunk continued until the final day of service on January 3, 1965.
The station building remains, largely unchanged over the past 130 years.
After rail service ended, it was used by several businesses, including as the headquarters of
Tom's of Maine
Tom's of Maine is a brand name and manufacturing company of natural personal care products. Tom's of Maine has been a majority-owned subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive since 2006. The company's products are sourced and derived from nature, with for ...
.
''Downeaster''
![Kennebunk station from Route 9A, September 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Kennebunk_station_from_Route_9A%2C_September_2016.JPG)
In 2001, Amtrak begun ''Downeaster'' service between
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and Portland, which ran past but did not stop at Kennebunk. Some residents started to call for a stop at Kennebunk to attract tourists to the town, with serious discussions beginning in 2010.
In May 2014, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (which governs ''Downeaster'' operations) agreed to add a station stop at Kennebunk. Service as soon as 2015 was considered, but will be delayed until at least 2016 due to the timing of state funding.
In June 2014, Kennebunk voters approved a $300,000
tax increment financing Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States. The original intent of a TIF program is ...
(TIF) plan, which along with $60,000 from
Maine Department of Transportation
The Maine Department of Transportation, also known as MaineDOT (occasionally referred to as MDOT), is the office of state government charged with the regulation and maintenance of roads, rail, ferries, and other public transport infrastructure in ...
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds and another $800,000 in CMAQ funds in 2016 would supply the $1.16 million needed to build the station.
In October 2014, $183,000 of the TIF money was dedicated to build a 55-space parking lot near the station.
In October 2015, the town signed a grant agreement for the station, though the remaining state funds were not yet guaranteed.
The town would also pay the $45,000 in annual maintenance costs from the TIF funds.
A small section of the former Boston & Maine depot building was to be leased for use as a waiting area, as required by a deed restriction placed when the property was purchased from the B&M in the 1960s.
A 300-foot platform with a high-level section for handicapped access was to be built behind the station building.
Like
Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach is a resort town and census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,960 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland− South Portland−Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Ar ...
, it would have been a seasonal stop only open from April to October, though town officials hoped it might eventually be a year-round stop.
By October 2015, the station was expected to be completed by 2017 or 2018.
On October 9, 2018, the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen cancelled the station project over concerns about the suitability of the site.
In July 2019, the owners listed the building for sale for $939,000.
References
External links
{{commons category
Kennebunk station on Google Maps Street View
Stations along Boston and Maine Railroad lines
Buildings and structures in Kennebunk, Maine
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1873
Railway stations closed in 1965
Transportation buildings and structures in York County, Maine