Halloween Week: Haunted Theatre, Paranormal Library Talk

The weekend before Halloween, we visited a staged haunted theatre with actors, and I gave another paranormal presentation at the William Fogg Library in Eliot, Maine. Today's blog shares those events and the history of the family who provided the library and granted their homestead to the town.

(Photo: Rob and Tom waiting in a claustrophobic narrow hallway for the theatre tour.) 

LEAVITT THEATRE - Built in the 1920s in Oguinquit, Maine, this theatre is also now a craft cocktail bar, restaurant and entertainment venue.Oguinquit is in southeastern Maine, right on the Atlantic Ocean.   

(Photo: The Theatre's Halloween tour poster)

OUR FUN EXPERIENCE - There were groups of 8 people led by an actor through a darkened theatre that was filled with nightmarish scenes, stuffed dummies of "dead people" sitting in random theatre seats, costumed actors dressed as witches, evil clowns, zombies and other threatening looking creatures. We were led around the theatre to a small room under the stage where we were shown a short homemade film showing 2 actors killing Elvis, and as you walk through the darkened backstage, broken up into rooms, you meet some of the ghouls. It was fun, and at Tom actually Jumped when a scary evil clown lunged at him! (He never gets startled, so that was funny). 

(Photo: One of the actors portraying a creepy character in the halloween theatre haunting. Credit: Leavitt Theatre)

ABOUT THE HAUNTED THEATRE TOUR! Ever been into the inner sanctum of Ogunquit's spookiest and iconic landmarks? Well, once a year, the 100 year old spirits allow you to wind your way through the eeriest of haunted places, the historic Leavitt Theatre! ...one of the biggest, oldest and most haunted buildings in town! Not for the faint of heart. Secret backstage chambers, hidden creepy-cobweb-clad corridors, chilling tales from the ghastly ghosts. Be careful in the gigantic auditorium and backstage!! You may spot a strange figure or two from the theatre's dark past! In our centennial Halloween season, the Leavitt Theatre will be filled with the spookiest celebrations!  

 (Photo: The William Fogg Library in Eliot, Maine with a sign proclaiming my event on October 25, 2025.).

MY HALLOWEEN LIBRARY TALK- The lecture I gave was accompanied by a power point presentation, and referenced some of the things in my books. It was called "Outside the Paranormal: poltergeists, demons and near-death experiences." This talk gives Rob's insights on what demons really are, the truth about poltergeist activities, and what happens with near death experiences and how they affect people later. 

FULL HOUSE!  - Lee at the library does an amazing job of spreading the word about events, and all of the chairs were filled. There were also a lot of great questions about ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, demons and orbs. One of the attendees had just watched the 1980s movie "Poltergiest" which is 100% inaccurate (because poltergiests are not ghosts!) and she was surprised.

Rob's books are all available in paperback, Kindle and audiobook. Click here to see them.

  

NEXT: History of the William Fogg Library 

Local Fun: Part 2: "Captains Christmas" and Heated Igloos in Kennebunkport, Maine

In yesterday's blog we toured you through the mansion of Kennebunkport, Maine's shipbuilder, Nathaniel Lord. Today's blog explores the Christmas carriage house next door to it and some wild "heated Igloos." 

 (Pic: Rob and Tom in the Lord Mansion's decorated Carriage House. Credit: R.G.)

DECORATED CARRIAGE HOUSE AND SHOP - The carriage house on the Lord Mansion property is no more than 100 feet from the mansion. The inside has been turned into a retail shop and is loaded with brightly lit Christmas trees and other decorations. There are eclectic gifts, too. Tom bought himself a gnome tree ornament (he's into the gnome thing lately, and has several out in the yard and our backyard forest). 

THE HEATED IGLOOS - The B and B owners had a really unique idea. The set up vinyl igloos outside between the carriage house and the mansion. Each igloo has comfy furniture and are heated. People can rent them for $100 for an hour and are treated to cheese and crackers, drinks and perhaps other appetizers as they enjoy the view of the historic neighborhood.  We didn't rent one, but it's a fun concept. 

Outside the Carriage house there was also a fire pit, so you could warm up after walking around town. It was a nice experience, and there are several other mansions in the area that we would like to explore another time. 

Fun NH/ME Weekend PART 3: Visited Quaint Downtown Kennebunk

This is part 3 of a fun NH/ME Weekend, when after apple picking, we drove a little further east to the town of Kennebunk. Kennebunk is NOT Kennebunkport, and you'll learn the difference in today's blog, plus what we did. 

(Photo: The main street of Kennebunk, Maine. Credit: R.G.) 

KENNEBUNK IS NOT KENNEBUNKPORT - These are 2 different towns in eastern Maine but the town centers are located 5 miles apart and separated by two rivers.  Kennebunk is inland and Kennebunkport is along the coast.  Both are located in York County, southeastern Maine. 

(Sign at Rotary Park that highlights historic homes and sites in Kennebunk. Credit: R.G.) 

DOWNTOWN  - There are some nice shops downtown, and several restaurants. We did enjoy going into one of the Maine gift shops. Only one restaurant was open though, so we opted for our own thing.

LUNCH AND WATERFALLS - We decided to get a sub to split, and Dunkin' Donuts for drinks. We drove through town looking for a place to eat, and found a beautiful waterfall on the town's edge, near Rotary Park.

(Photos of the falls and river - our view at lunch. Credit: R.G.) 

  

MUSEUM IN THE STREETS - The town worked with a business called "Museum in the Streets" to create historic signs and allow visitors to take tour of history. The signage includes a series of 25 panels that make up the tour, with rare photographs, documents and records of Kennebunk's history.  

THE FORMER MILL NEXT TO THE FALLS - Here's the historic inscription of the sign about the former Mill:   Numerous manufacturers have occupied this site throughout Kennebunk’s history. Since the first settlement of Kennebunk in the mid 1600s, until now, the Mousam River has been the site of many industries including sawmills, textile and matting mills, shoe mills, iron mills, paper mills, grist mills, trunk and leatherboard manufacturers, as well as sash and blind manufacturing mills. This building, now known as the Lafayette Center, was built following a destructive fire in 1903. Built from brick, this became the site of the Goodall Worsted (Matting) Company and in 1926 became the home of the Kesslen Shoe Company which closed in 1972. Now this building houses several businesses. - 

BONUS PLACE IN KENNEBUNK!!

SPECIAL FLASHBACK TO MAY 2009- We were about 5 minutes away from the famous "Wedding Cake House" where we stopped in May 2009 (1 month before our wedding on June 26, 2009). So, if you're in Kennebunk, you NEED to stop by the house- You can't get inside, but you can take pictures like we did in this throwback 15 Years Ago!! "

THE WEDDING CAKE HOUSE" - A plaque placed at the side door of the George W. Bourne House in Kennebunk, Maine by the Maine Society, Daughters of American Colonists, tells us that "In 1825 the shipbuilder George Washington Bourne (1801 - 1856) brought his bride, Jane, to this new brick Federal-style home. Inspired by Milan's Gothic Cathedral, Bourne started the house decorations in 1852, using only hand tools. He completed the work shortly before his death. By century's close, the name "Wedding Cake House" was widely applied.

The ME/NH Salmon Falls River Dam, Hydroelectric Plant & Fish!

The Salmon Falls River is the line between the states of New Hampshire to the west and Maine to the east. Recently, we drove south from where we are in Maine and followed the river into South Berwick, Maine, at the state line with Dover, New Hampshire. There was an amazing waterfall and an historic building. Today's blog provides a look at the river and the hydroelectric dam! 

(Photo: The waterfall near the Counting House, So. Berwick, Maine 6/30/24. Credit: J.C)

ABOUT SALMON FALLS RIVER - The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake,   and flows south-southeast for approximately 38 miles, to its confluence with the Cocheco River, forming the border between York County, Maine, and Strafford County, New Hampshire.    There are 15 dams on the river. 

Click for short video panning around the dam

(Photo: Jordan took some amazing pics of the falls -that are in this blog. Credit: R.G.) 

THE HYDROELECTRIC DAM - The hydroelectric dam borders the Town of Rollinsford, NH on one side of the river and South Berwick, Maine on the other side. It generates electricity today and is operated by Green Mountain Power Corporation. 

Most of the Project’s infrastructure including the intake, penstocks (a  floodgate for regulating the flow of a body of water or a channel for conveying water to a waterwheel or turbine). ) and a powerhouse, all on the New Hampshire side. On the Maine side is the left abutment of the dam located in South Berwick, ME. The project dam was constructed in 1910 with the addition of the penstock in 1928. The hydropower components of the project were installed in 1983.

For More info about the dam and hydroelectric plant, visit: https://lowimpacthydro.org/rollinsford-project-new-hampshire-maine/ 

(Photo: Tom (seated), Rob and Tracey enjoying the falls. Credit: R.G.)

ABOUT THE POWER BUILDING - The Powerhouse, the building that houses the turbines and generate the energy from the falls, is a 38-foot-long by 60-foot-wide brick masonry structure. You can look in the windows of the Powerhouse and see 2 identical vertical 750-kilowatt (kW) Siemens Allis synchronous generators each with an output voltage of 4,160 volts and two identical vertical James Leffel Co. Type “Z” Francis turbines, each having a rated output of 1,000 horsepower (hp) and operating at 360 revolutions per minute (rpm) at a rated flow of 228 cubic feet per second (cfs). (If you're an hydro electric engineer, you get this. If not, just work with me here)  

A HAVEN FOR FISH - There are fish that migrate and those who do not. The migrating Diadromous fish (those who live part of their lives in Fresh water and part in salt water) who live in the Salmon Falls River include American shad, American eel, and river herring (blueback herring and alewife). Atlantic salmon were also present up until around 1750 as upstream dams, overfishing, and sawdust pollution disrupted these runs until salmon no longer returned to the river. 

OTHER FISH SPECIES THERE - If you're into fishing you'll want to know that yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill, golden shiner, brown bullhead, redfin pickerel, white sucker, black crappie, bluegill, several species of bass and fallfish also dwell there.     

AN UPSTREAM FISH PROJECT IN THE WORKS - 

American shad have not been recorded in the reach between the South Berwick and Rollinsford projects. Passage facilities at the South Berwick project have been utilized by river herring thus upstream fish passage is currently in development at the Rollinsford project. Passage will be completed on site by 2026 or via trap and truck operations by 2025. There are 3 partners working together:   US Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and NH Fish and Game. 

 

OTHER DAMS ON THE RIVER - Upstream of the Rollinsford Project, there were historically 24 dams, but some have been removed, breached, or are in ruins. Today, there are 15 dams on the Salmon Falls River, seven of which are used for hydropower generation. The other dams are used for flood control, water supply, and recreation.

(Photo: Map that shows the Salmon Falls Riverway at the small park  Taken April 30, 2024. Credit: R.G.) 

A SPOT WE LIKE - Counting House Park is located adjacent to the historic Counting House (which I'll explain shortly), and has a parking lot for about 15 cars. There's a small riverside walk (you can walk it in 5 minutes) with a beautiful view of a large waterfall, the sound of which is very soothing. The sun also sets behind the falls, painting the sky and giving a nice image. Sometimes we take the dogs there in the truck and listen to the waterfall as the sun sets.

(Photo: Sunset over nearby Somersworth, NH, April 2024. Credit: R.G.) 

History in Kennebunkport, Maine: The Shipbuilder's House and Old Jail

The Kennebunkport Historical Society manages several buildings that have been brought together from different parts of the town and have different histories. Last week, I took you to the old Town School House. Two smaller buildings flank the school, one on the right is from a shipbuilder, and the other is a jail. Today's blog will explore both.

(Photo: Clark Shipyard Office. Credit: Tom W.) 

WHAT IS THE CLARK SHIPYARD OFFICE?  The small one room Shipyard Office now sits next to the Town School in Kennebunkport, Maine previously stood adjacent to the South Congregational Church along the ocean, until Charles S. Morgan rescued it in 1952.

HISTORY:  The Clark Shipwright Office was built circa 1850. For many years it was used as a shipyard office, standing in the shadow of the South Congregational Church on Temple Street. It served the firms of Crawford & Ward, Crawford & Perkins, and finally David Clark who took over the shipyard property about 1880. After the shipyard closed with David Clark’s death in 1902, the building remained largely unused but intact long after all the other shipyard buildings had been razed.

 

(Photo: Original location of the Clark Shipwright Office. It was built circa 1850 and is pictured above directly at the base of the church steeple. Credit: Kennebunkport Historical Society ).

The little building, a rectangular one-room clapboard structure is the last building in existence that is directly associated with the wooden shipbuilding industry of the Kennebunk area. Shipbuilding was the lifeblood of Kennebunkport in the 19th century and early 20th century. 

HOW IT WAS SAVED AND MOVED:  A 1977 fund drive made it possible to accept the little building as a gift from maritime historian Charles S. Morgan. The Clark Shipyard Office is now an integral part of the Kennebunkport Historical Society’s maritime history collection housing many artifacts donated to the Society by Morgan. The Clark Shipyard Office is now located at 135 North Street, Kennebunkport, Maine.

(Photo: An inside look at the small cells. Credit: Tom W.) 

THE OLD JAIL CELLS

HISTORY:  The specially designed Old Jail Cells building contains the actual twin jail cells that served for years as the town lock-up on Ocean Avenue, downtown Kennebunkport, Maine. 

(Photo: The building that houses two small jail cells. The building was moved from the downtown area to this campus. Credit: Tom W.) 

If you are standing on North Street looking at the Town House School Campus at 135 North Street,  the property left to right are the Old Jail Cells, the 1899 Town House School and the Shipyard Office. All are managed by the Kennebunkport Historical Society.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION: It's managed by the Kennebunkport Historical Society and is located at 135 North Street, Kennebunkport, ME. Phone 207-967-2751. Website: https://kporths.com/the-town-house-school/ 

(Photo: Schoolhouse (left) and Clark Shipbuilding office building (right). Credit: R.G)

 

We built Our Own backyard forest path (Video Tour included)!

Because we have a lot of woods behind our new house, we decided to create a forest path so we could walk the dogs off the street, and enjoy the quiet of a forested walk. We also found at least 9 Native American rock markers. Today's blog is about the story, photos and a video where I walk YOU through the woods with our kids. The blog concludes with the video forest tour and my favorite sunrise photo through the woods that I captured in October. Enjoy the blog!

(Photo: Dash at the back end of one of the three trails, and Tom near the middle. Credit R.G.) 

HOW WE DID IT: Tom began making a pathway through the woods by clearing the leaves, then raking down to the mossy bottom of the forest. Rob outlined the sides of the path with tall, slender fallen trees. Lots of heavy raking with plastic rakes and metal rakes helped clear the path.

(Photos: Left: The right-side entrance to the first path. Right: in the middle of the first path)

ROUTING TO AN OLD LOGGING ROAD - We have an old logging road at the far end of the property, so it was our goal to get the path to go all the way back there (we did). Once the first path was done, Rob started working on a second path, scoped it out with fallen trees, and also brought it out to the logging road, so we had a circular path. But we were not done!

(Photos; Left: the old logging road at the back of the property line. Right: looking from the middle of the path toward the house)

TIME REQUIRED: It took about 2 months to clear out all the leaves and fallen branches. and get the paths down to the mossy surface. So, once those were complete, We created another exit path facing the house (because there was only 1 exit and the circular path was in the forest. Rob used many fallen birch trees to line the path (he calls it "Birch Way" and the entrance feeds in to the second, left side pathway in the woods.

NATIVE AMERICAN MOUNDS - We were puzzled by 9 or so large mounds of rocks that were scattered throughout the forest. Despite researching them, we could only conclude that Native Americans made these rock mounds to guide them through forested areas.

(Photo: Fork in the road. The right-side path splits into a left and right path through the woods, that comes out to the logging road in the back, making a circular route).

MEMORIAL MARKERS: Throughout the path, we placed memorial markers for our dogs in spirit: Dolly, Franklin, Sprite and Buzz.

THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE - Like the slogan from the state of Maine, this little forest path is "the Way Life Should Be." It's quiet, off the road, and there are no other dogs to bark at! Our dogs love the scents and sounds.There's always an adventure back there, and there's nothing more peaceful than a quiet walk in a forest. Make your own happy place!

VIDEO TOUR with Tyler, Dash and Cody: https://youtu.be/VNFsMxHNKuU

(Photo: Rob's favorite picture of sunrise in October through our backyard woods.)

The Oldest Town in Maine is 129 Years Older than America Itself

 If you love history and New England here's a great article about Maine's oldest town. So many things to explore here!

(Photo: Kittery harbor. Credit: Yankee Magazine)

The Oldest Town in Maine is 129 Years Older than America Itself

Written by Kristen Holder, July 12, 2023

Maine contains several towns that have existed since early colonialism. As a result, the oldest town in Maine is 129 years older than America itself! What town is it? We’ll go over the details now.

What is the Oldest Town in Maine?

The oldest town in Maine is Kittery. The area was settled by the English in 1623, and it officially was incorporated as a town in 1647. This means it’s 129 years older than America! Today, about 10 thousand people live in Kittery, Maine.

If a person uses the time of first settlement as their defining feature to determine which town in Maine is the oldest, then Kittery loses the race to the now-extinct Popham Colony which was created in 1607. However, Kittery is the first officially incorporated town. This means that it was the first area in the colony that had an independent governing body and its own set of rules.

PHOTO: Memorial of General William Whipple, a signer of United States Declaration of Independence, in town of Kittery, Maine ME, USA. ©Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com

Oldest Town: Where is Kittery, Maine?

Along Maine’s Atlantic Coast lies Kittery. It’s a part of York County, and it’s the southernmost town in Maine. It’s around 75 square miles in size, although over 57 of those square miles are under water. Kittery is the home of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard which drives the local economy.

Maine’s Oldest Town: The History of Kittery Kittery was first settled by the English in 1623 along the Piscataqua River. Around 1663, the town was the most populated area in the region. The earliest white settlers were timbermen, trappers, hunters, and seamen.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the local indigenous people called the region Amiciskeag. It’s an Algonquin word for “fishing point.”

By 1652, Kittery was a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was much larger than the state of Massachusetts as it exists today, and it was the first chartered colony run by governors outside of England.

Maine became a state on March 15, 1820. This means that Kittery was already 173 years old by the time it officially became a US state. Maine is the twenty-third state admitted into the nation.

PHOTO: First Congregational Church of Kittery Point at 23 Pepperrell Road in fall in town of Kittery, Maine ME, USA. First Congregational Church of Kittery Point was established in 1714. ©Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com

Wildlife You’ll Find in Kittery

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a must-see spot if you’re seeking out wildlife near Kittery. The refuge is named after an environmentalist who was pivotal in establishing the modern preservationist movement echoing through today’s scientific community. Her name was Rachel Carson, and she died a couple of years before the refuge became a reality.

The Wildlife Refuge contains a variety of ecosystems including rocky coastlines, forested uplands, a barrier beach, dunes, marshes, subtidal and intertidal mudflats, and a tidal estuary. The refuge includes 50 miles of sea shore, and it straddles both Cumberland and York Counties.

Endangered species make their home in the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a Near Threatened species that makes nests along the refuge’s coast. Saltmarsh sparrows (Ammodramus caudacutus) are a Vulnerable species with a notable presence as well.

New England cottontails (Sylvalagus transitionalis) also make their homes in the area. They’re a Vulnerable species of rabbits that have fractured habitats, with the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge being a sizeable sanctuary.

PHOTO: Four beautiful babies of piping plover (Charadrius melodus) are close together and surrounded by pebbles on a beach during sunset. The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a Near Threatened species that makes nests along the refuge’s coast. ©Jay Gao/Shutterstock.com

The Kittery Boundary Dispute: How the Modern Kittery Border Came to Be 

The former Town Manager of York in Maine found a boundary discrepancy with Kittery in 2020. Kittery is south of York along Maine’s coast, and this north-to-south boundary was up for debate.

In 1652, the Massachusetts Bay Colony decreed where the boundary between the two settlements was. However, extant maps from 1794 show that the towns thought the border existed in two different locations. Today, the area is wooded though the possibility for development is in the works.

The boundary issue between the two towns wasn’t a problem until a land developer purchased property that straddles the boundary. The border distinction is important because it is the basis for establishing municipal services in the area, and officials need to know what town they’re in so they can access the proper resources.

The issue was resolved on June 21, 2022, when a court sided with Kittery. This occurred because officials from York did not survey the area with Kittery officials to try and come to a border agreement before filing a complaint.

York is opposed to this decision because it believed a joint walk should be mandated by the court after a complaint is established. Because York’s case was dismissed without prejudice, they can refile their complaint in the future.

Kittery is opposed to a border change because it means some of its citizens will become York voters. It also means that a handful of residents with properties near the border will have to send their kids to different schools if a change in borders is made.

PHOTO: Sunset from the pier at Fort Foster - Kittery, Maine Catching a sunset on the pier at Fort Foster is certainly something you wouldn’t want to miss. ©Gregory Szymbor/Shutterstock.com