The oldest Commercial building still standing in Dock Square was the Perkins West Indies Goods Store that currently houses a candle shop and a Tarot Card Reader. It was built around 1775 when Dock Square was the Perkins family’s front yard. That building was originally used to receive molasses and rum from Perkins ships docked behind the building. It was later home to Wheeler & Bell. The building that stands next door is now called Compliments. If you have been around for a while, you may even still call it Dora’s Beauty Salon. You know who you are. That long narrow building is also quite old.

Aaron Hovey, who lived just up Spring Street, purchased the empty lot next to the Rum Warehouse in 1798 and built the 65 x 35-foot store before August 12, 1800 when he sold the property to John Gordon. Gordon and the next few owners did not keep the property for long before selling it on. Dock Square was still not much of a village and customers were likely hard to come by. After Weinstein’s was built in 1810 as a two-story commercial building with basement shops entered through bulkhead doors at the front of the building. Prospects gradually improved for the long narrow store across the street.

Nathaniel Lord purchased the store during the War of 1812 before he began building his mansion downriver. Lord became sick while the mansion was being built. He passed away in early 1815, shortly after moving into a sick bed at his new mansion. His son Daniel W. Lord kept the store in Dock Square until 1831, when he sold it to Andrew Luques for $392.

Luques store sold whatever people would buy there for 60 years. In Andrew and later his son, Anthony’s case, that was hardware, groceries and hats.

Anthony Luques also became the Kennebunkport Postmaster there before he took on a partnership with Henry B. Dennett. Anthony passed away in 1890.

Dennett continued selling the same winning combination of goods until the Goodwin Brothers, Wilbur and Walter took it over in 1913.

Dora Grover was the next owner. What do you remember about her beauty salon or the subsequent store owners?