Kennebunk
The Kennebunk Inn
Phineas Cole's 1799 house on Kennebunk's Main Street, made a hotel called The Tavern in 1928 with a new wing; 23 rooms, all pet friendly.
- Built
- 1799Built 1799 as a residence for Phineas Cole; converted in 1928 into a hotel called The Tavern with a 2.5-story wing added; renamed The Kennebunk Inn in the late 1930s.
- Type
- Inn
- Rooms
- 23
- Credentials
- Inside a National Register historic district
The story
Phineas Cole built the house as a private residence in 1799 and later sold it to Benjamin Smith, whose family lived there until 1875. Dr. Orrin Ross bought it in 1876 and gave it to his son, Dr. Frank Ross, as a wedding present in 1880. After Frank Ross died in 1926, George Baitler bought it and in 1928 converted it to a hotel called The Tavern, adding a 2.5-story wing for a total of 50 guest rooms. It took the name The Kennebunk Inn in the late 1930s.
The ghost story
Staff and guests report a playful presence, most often tied to Room 17: cold drafts, rattling doorknobs and doors that open by themselves. Many attribute it to Silas Perkins, a poet and the inn's night watchman, who reportedly died there after a heart attack in 1952.
Source: bangordailynews.com
Good to know
- No elevator
- Pets welcome
- Address: 45 Main Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043
Sources (2)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.