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History of 82 Ocean Avenue

82 Ocean Ave as it looked in the early 1900s

Earliest records of this riverfront Kennebunkport home at 82 Ocean Avenue date back to 1880. According to records at the Kennebunkport Historical Society http://www.kporthistory.org/ this property was originally referred to as “The Oaks” or “Oakside” Cottage. Warranty deeds show that Samuel Folsom conveyed this property to Reverend Jesse Murton Durrell in 1880, and the cottage which had been called “Smith Cottage” then became known as “Durrell’s Cottage”.

Reverend Durrell was a clergyman and an educator from Boston. Durrell was a 32nd Degree Mason which is evident in the home’s triangular design elements - note the symbolic pyramid style windows and roof angles throughout.

The oldest, most original part of “the cottage” dates back to the 1880’s. In 1901, under Reverend Durrell’s ownership, a “large addition to the cottage” was made. That “new section” built in 1901 on the riverfront is now the Main House, the architecture and woodwork of the existing living room, dining room and main staircase reflect this Victorian era.

In the winter of 2010, Greg and Heather Burke removed the Kitchen wing which had last been renovated in 1984. They discovered an old stone well and the original 1880 foundation in this wing. The Burkes had hoped to renovate this Kitchen wing from the floor boards up but ended up removing the original 1880 brick foundation when they found it was not up to today’s standards. They removed what remained of the original 1880 foundation and started fresh from 6 feet down merging the new 2010 wing with the 1901 “Cottage” in the front of the house.

In an attempt to match the era, but with modern conveniences, the floor boards and ceiling beams used in the 2010 Kitchen came from an 1858 farmhouse on Maine’s mid-coast. The new “Captain’s Quarters” suite was also added above the kitchen in 2010. Here we tried to have the wall of windows mimic the water view you might find on the back of a ship.

We believe the front porch was enclosed in the mid-20th century but we do not know when or by whom.

82 Ocean is the first house in the “Cape Arundel Summer Cottage Historic District.”

The garage/barn is believed to have once been at the end of the dock in front of the house on the Kennebunk River before being located on the Coveside. Clearly they launched boats out the back side of this structure.

The creek behind the house was first called “Gould’s Creek”, and later “Lord’s Creek”, before becoming commonly known as “Chick’s Cove”. Ocean Avenue was previously known as “River Road” (also “New Road”) in Kennebunkport which extended out to numerous grand seaside hotels including The Nonantum, The Colony and The Breakwater, and St. Ann’s Church (1887).

Previous Owners:
In 1992, the home was sold to Patricia Kenney. In 2004, the property was transferred from Richard and Christine Spillane to Davey and Kristine Scoon, until they sold the property in October of 2009 to Greg and Heather Burke..

82 Ocean in Center in 1892

House in left in 1896 after Bridge was washed out in a storm.