The Kennebunkport Historical Society began in 1952 when a group of residents were planning the town's tercentenary. They realized that an organization was needed to preserve Kennebunkport's history, thus the birth of The Kennebunkport Historical Society. The Society has grown from this small group of volunteers to an organization owning five structures and having a paid staff of a curator, an office manager, an administrative assistant, a  bookkeeper, and building caretakers.