The Kennebunk River is and always has been our source of commerce and entertainment. It wasn’t a coincidence that Captain Nathaniel Lord built his mansion during the War of 1812 overlooking that river with shipbuilding ways and merchant wharves in his line of sight. Fishermen still keep their boats in the Kennebunk River as do pleasure boaters of all kinds.

Kennebunkport marine artist, Frank Handlen was living on the Kennebunk River in June of 1975 when he launched his homemade ferrocement schooner Salt Wind. When he started to model a heroic size statue honoring Kennebunkport fishermen and their families, he had no idea where it would stand or where he would work on the 9-foot-tall figures, much less who was going to pay for it. That’s just how he rolled. In typical Kennebunkport fashion, all the right community members knew it was a fabulous idea and believed in his ability to make it happen.

Owners of the Captain Nathaniel Lord Mansion Inn, Rick Litchfield and Bev Davis offered Frank the use of their barn for however long the statue took to make in exchange for painting a mural of the Kennebunk River over the fireplace mantel in one of their guest rooms. Sculptor Jack Langford cast the bronze, The Kennebunkport Conservation Trust offered a location on their Village Green, and the Rinaldi Family generously funded the project. Frank was 80 years old when Our Forebears of the Coast was unveiled in front of the Lord Mansion.

Rick Litchfield and Bev Davis asked the new owners of the Lord Mansion to donate Frank’s mural to the Kennebunkport Historical Society should they decide to uninstall its three Masonite panels from above the fireplace in the Ship Harvest Room.

The panels were donated to the Kennebunkport Historical Society just in time for Frank’s 105th birthday party at the Town House School. I am delighted to announce that three beautiful natural cherry frames have recently been built for it by Eric Viden Woodworking. The triptych now hangs at the Town House School. Check it out next time you go there for Midweek Music or for one of my slideshows.