This happy Federal jewel box has a poignant backstory.

December 2019

By Colin W. Sargent

Some houses, like people, have smiling faces that put on a brave front. River Bank in Kennebunkport is one of these. Its first mystery is in its name.

“You might be wondering why this house is called River Bank if it’s not on the Kennebunk River,” says owner Kerin O’Keefe, 35. “When it was built in 1848 for its first owners, Jacob and Ann, it was on the Kennebunk River. Between 1920 and 1930, developers of the Cape Arundel Golf Course arranged for it to be moved to this lovely site,” catty-cornered across the street, accented by a perfect sliver of granite ledge peeking out of the green lawn.

The charming white cape with proud dormers has original Greek Revival trim and an inviting door with sidelights. A pear tree is so laden with fruit that branches rest on the ground. A rooster peeks out from behind. “What’s your name?” we ask. He disappears.

Just inside the door, a bell at the tip of a metal curl reminds us of the opening credits of Downton Abbey. The original mahogany banister helps set the stage for O’Keefe’s gentle renovation, which is an ongoing curation. The salon is off one side of the foyer, the dining room the other. A large, off-white farm kitchen with built-in nook and a blue floor leads to a garage and studio: “I own Cape Porpoise Trading Co. I weave lobster-line doormats.

“Aren’t they nicely worn,” she says of the patinated stairs. She leads us through four airy bedrooms. “These are the original floors upstairs, with a bit wider planks.” At the threshold of the master, she says, “This was the bathroom. Of course, I turned it into a walk-in closet. It works so much better with the en suite and the radiant heat.”

Everything’s so snug and shipshape. What a Christmas card to visit during the holidays. “I adore the light which floods all the rooms,” O’Keefe says. “It’s due to the angle we’re set on the lot.”  But the question remains, what is the real backstory of this house? Does it miss being on the bank of the Kennebunk?

“Jacob was a ship’s captain. His wife, Ann, grew despondent because he was at sea so long.” We can only imagine her elation when her son was born, but she sadly lost him to sickness. “A year after her son passed, she drowned herself in the Kennebunk River. She was only in her thirties.”

Touched, we leave, forgetting to ask her for the rooster’s name. The next day we get the word. “His name is Hippie.”

Taxes for 45 North Street are $4,182.
Property was listed for $692,500 before the holidays. Look for it as a spring listing.