You may remember my earlier story about the Kennebunk Beach Branch of the B&M Railroad. It ran from the Kennebunk Depot Road Station off Summer Street, down what we now think of as the bridle path along the eastern bank of the Mousam River to the Parsons Beach Station, across the Sea Road to the Kennebunk Beach Station, over to the Grove Station on Boothby Road, and then on to its termination at the Kennebunkport Station in Lower Village. The first train christened the line on June 18, 1883. Much to the chagrin of local businessmen, the last train ran on that branch on September 8, 1926, stopping at all four branch stations along the way. All but one of those stations still stand, though they have been more or less altered.

Parsons Beach Station was moved and changed the least. My then and now photograph shows the little Parsons station as it looked immediately following an 1899 derailment. It is now a focal point garden shed behind the house adjacent to the bridge over the Mousam River.

The Kennebunk Beach Station that formerly stood just off the Sea Road on what is now part of Webhannet Golf Course was sold to Elsie Libby of Wells. She had it moved to become part of a cottage on Great Hill Road that was sold to Ken Richie. It is hard to see what’s left of the station from the outside, but the current owners were kind enough to give me a tour the other day.

Grove Station traveled the greatest distance. Mr. Bertelle Smith purchased it in 1927 and had William Nedeau move it to Smith’s Goose Rocks Beach Cottage on Crescent Ave. “It took two days to make the trip from Portland Street where the building was hauled on the first leg of the journey.”

The Kennebunkport Station in Lower Village was used near its original location as a restaurant for many years, but it has recently been replaced.