KENNEBUNKPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S SHARON CUMMINS WILL SHARE STORIES OF ARUNDEL CITIZENS DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AT HOME AND AWAY, ON MAY 27^th AS PART OF GRAVES LIBRARY’S SERIES OF SPECIAL EVENTS CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250^th ANNIVERSARY

As part of the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library’s 2026 series of authors and speakers celebrating America’s 250^th anniversary, Kennebunkport Historical Society historian Sharon Cummins will share stories of Arundel citizens during the American Revolution, at home and away, on Wednesday, May 27, at 4 p.m. at the Louis T. Graves Library.

This special event, held in collaboration with the Kennebunkport Historical Society and part of the Louis T. Graves Library’s Patsy Bray Mahoney Lecture Series, is free and open to the public. Cummins’s talk will cover events ranging from receiving word of the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord to the naval battle at Cape Porpoise Harbor. To reserve seats call (207) 967-2778.

Cummins, a Maine native and historian associated with the Kennebunkport Historical Society, is a popular speaker and writer, sharing her well-researched topics, tales, and archival photos on the lecture circuit, through a weekly column called “Throwback Thursday,” and the society’s social media. Her work emphasizes preserving local archival treasures and making them accessible to the public. Her topics include the 1867 murder trial of Jane M. Swett, early 20^th century school history, and local landmarks.

Cummins’s lecture is the first in a series of three semiquincentennial events hosted by the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library. The second event features two Washington political insiders—Jean Becker, chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush, and Tom Collamore, former presidential aide, discussing their new book “Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst & Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance” at the historic Kennebunk River Club on June 18th. On July 30^th, iconic filmmaker Ken Burns comes to town, appearing at Kennebunk High School in conversation with Rob Caldwell, one of Maine’s premier TV news anchors. Both events are library fundraisers. For more information call (207) 967-2778.

The Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, housed in an historic 19^th century building located near Kennebunkport’s famous Dock Square town center, is a full-service free library whose mission is “to enrich the lives of all we serve.” A nonprofit organization, Graves Library receives 60 percent of its operating budget from donations and other fundraising sources.

Founded in 1952, the Kennebunkport Historical Society preserves and shares the history of Kennebunkport, Maine through historic properties, archival collections, educational programs, and community events that connect residents and visitors with the town’s rich heritage.