March 7, 2024March 7, 2024
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The Beachwood Dows: Daniel, Orlando, and Francis

Daniel Dow (1828-1878) of Newton, MA built the first summer cottage at Goose Rocks in 1865 on land owned by Kennebunkport farmer, Elbridge Proctor. Daniel’s son Francis (1859-1936) spent his childhood summers soaking in the raw natural beauty of the remote place. He was already 11 years old when the first hotel, The Goose Rocks House, was built in 1870 at the east end of the beach. That was about when Daniel’s younger brother Orlando (1841-1932) joined them at Goose Rocks as a young adult.

Francis (Frank) Asbury Dow grew up to be a well-known photographer in Concord, New Hampshire. Thankfully, he continued to summer at Goose Rocks and left a record of how it looked in the early days of its development as a summer colony. That little sandy path is King’s Highway, if you can believe it. Dow left lots of glass negatives that Julian Howard, a former Historical Society President, preserved and had printed in the 1950s.

Orlando Dow opened the first Beachwood Post Office in his store in April 1895. His daughter Florence was the first Beachwood Postmaster. He later opened a new store next door located about halfway between Proctor Ave and New Biddeford Road. This new Store and Post Office was equipped with the only telephone at the beach for several years. Orlando Dow started having postcards made especially to be sold at Dow’s store in 1905. They all featured photographs of the Beachwood community taken by his nephew, Francis Dow.

Orlando Dow’s store would later become Towne’s Store and even later still The Colony, owned by Dorothy Mignault, the setting for Scotty Mackenzie’s, My Love Affair with the State of Maine, published in 1955. The store burned in the 1947 fire.

I thought you Goose Rocks Beach lovers might enjoy seeing some of the collection of postcards printed for Orlando Dow to sell in his store between 1905-1910 that The Kennebunkport Historical Society recently received as a donation from the son of Ruth Rumery Douglass, who grew up on the Little River in Biddeford Pool. “She always talked like Goose Rocks was just part of the neighborhood.” Thanks so much, Alan!

Francis Dow photograph before the New Belvidere (Tides) Hotel was built in 1899
How it looked c.1880
Francis Dow photograph taken c.1900. This image was used for postcards sold at his uncle Orlando Dow’s store from 1905-1910
Here is a comparison of before and after the Gale of 1898, both taken by Francis Dow. Quite a bit of dune erosion that lasted a while. It was also Before and after the New Belvidere was built in 1899.
Orlando Dow’s first Post Office and store opened in April 1895. His daughter Florence was the first Postmaster. (Postmistress?)
Francis Dow photograph of his uncle’s Post Office and store taken c.1905. This postcards made by Moore & Gibson Co., N.Y. and printed in Germany was sold at Orlando’s store from 1905-1910.
The same store when it was Towne’s Store. It would later become the Colony owned by Dorothy Mignault, the setting for Scotty Mackenzie’s, My Love Affair with the State of Maine, published in 1955. Orlando Dow’s house can be seen right next door to the left. These buildings both burned in the 1947 fire.
Goose Rocks House, the first hotel at Goose Rocks, was built at the east end in 1870 and burned in 1910.
The donor of some of these cards, Ruth Rumery Douglass, grew up on the Little River in Biddeford Pool. “She always talked like Goose Rocks was just part of the neighborhood.”

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