One hundred years ago, last night, New Year’s Eve was celebrated in the Port at the home of Mrs. and Judge Herbert L. Luques, at the corner of Union and Maine Streets.

The house was built by housewright Samuel Davis for Simon Nowell in the early 1800s. Simon’s daughter Mary Elizabeth Nowell married a later owner of the house, Andrew S. Luques, the Judge’s uncle. The Judge’s father Samuel Luques and his aunt Paulina Lithgow built the first two cottages at Cape Arundel.

Judge Luques moved into his late uncle’s Kennebunkport House in 1915. He was Chairman of the Board of Selectman and State Representative for Kennebunkport for years. He was also the first President of the Louis T. Graves Library Association and served as such for the rest of his life. His second wife, Mary F. Atkins, was the former music teacher for all Kennebunk schools.

The Judge and his bride of 3 years had a New Year’s Eve party at the end of 1924 too, but in the intervening year, artist Louis D. Norton had been commissioned to paint all the walls of their dining room with scenes depicting the history of Kennebunkport in tempera.

Imagine being one of the thirty distinguished guests invited to the Luques House on the eve of 1926, for an Auction Bridge and Mah-Jongg party. There were prizes for the winners. First place bridge winners were Kennebunkport neighbors Frederick W. Snow, who won a cigarette case, and Mrs. Richard D. Hillis, who won a blue glass flower bowl. Mah-Jongg winners, Miss Mildred Burrage and Miss Madeline Burrage of Pearl Street, won a Chinese elephant and a Chinese perfume basket, respectively.

At 11 pm, refreshments were served in the newly adorned dining room. “The historical paintings on the walls of this room attracted attention and admiration,” wrote a reporter for the Eastern Star later that week.

After a Prohibition-style New Year toast, guests adjourned to the library to dance the early morning hours of 1926 away.

Later that New Year’s Day, the winter horse racing season opened at Lake Brook in Lower Village.

Happy New Year 2026!!!