D. Allan Kerr's Historical Article Series
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D. Allan Kerr is a member of Kittery 375th Celebration Committee and frequent columnist for the Portsmouth Herald. He is an ex-dockworker, former newspaperman and U.S. Navy veteran living in Kittery, Maine.
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Rock Rest was "an oasis" for 20th Century Black Travelers - August 27, 2022
Kittery has long been celebrated for its deep and storied history. One aspect of its past, however, remained under the radar for many years... Read the full article
Fireworks to Celebrate Coast Guard's Birthday & Wood Island Legacy - August 5, 2022
On one side of the Piscataqua River stands the Coast Guard station in New Castle, NH. On the other side of the river, on a tiny island just off Kittery Point, Maine, stands a former station of what was once known as the U.S. Life Saving Service... Read the full article
Old is New Again at Whaleback Lighthouse - July 3, 2022
Our cultural image of the classic New England lighthouse typically includes the rotating beam which guided mariners to safety for generations. This traditional system was restored back to the historic Whaleback Lighthouse over the past week.... Read the full article
Native Son William Whipple Grew Up to Be a Founding Father - June 19, 2022
Only 42 of the 19,500 cities and towns in the U.S. can claim to be the birthplace of a Declaration of Independence signer. The humble seaside town of Kittery, Maine, is one of them... Read the full article
The Story of Arabella Rice, the Town Library's Mystery Patroness - May 29, 2022
Arabella Rice's initials, elegantly engraved above the archway on the main entrance, can still be seen as one approaches Rice Public Library from Wentworth Street... Read the full article
William Dean Howells, Kittery's Literary Lion - April 24, 2022
When William Dean Howells was referred to as “the dean of American letters,” it wasn’t just a clever play on his name. For a time, Howells was the most influential figure in American literature... Read the full article
A Tale of Two Undersea Tragedies - March 27, 2022
There have been two occasions when the little seaside town of Kittery has appeared under the international spotlight. Both were epic tragedies and, fittingly for this iconic Navy community, both involved submarines... Read the full article
General Wentworth and Kittery's Missing Medals of Honor Mystery – February 13, 2022
As the oldest town in Maine, Kittery has generated plenty of mysteries during it's 375 years. Not many are as aged and puzzling as what one might call the "Case of the Missing Medals of Honor"...
Read the full article
The Perils of Everyday Life: When the Town was a Constant Battleground – January 27, 2022
As the oldest town in Maine, as tranquil as it may seem today, Kittery saw more than its share of bloodshed for much of its 375 years...
Read the full article
The “Unvarnished Truth” of Kittery’s Sir William Pepperrell’s Role in Kittery – December 1, 2021
Pepperrell Cove is one of Kittery’s best-known features, home to both the town pier and now a madly popular restaurant scene...
Read the full article
Kittery – Maine’s Oldest Town – October 8, 2021
In the Seacoast region, Kittery is popular for its natural “hidden treasures,” locations along Spruce Creek and Portsmouth Harbor which tend to be tucked away from sight of the tourists flocking to the... Read the full article
Kittery has long been celebrated for its deep and storied history. One aspect of its past, however, remained under the radar for many years... Read the full article
Fireworks to Celebrate Coast Guard's Birthday & Wood Island Legacy - August 5, 2022
On one side of the Piscataqua River stands the Coast Guard station in New Castle, NH. On the other side of the river, on a tiny island just off Kittery Point, Maine, stands a former station of what was once known as the U.S. Life Saving Service... Read the full article
Old is New Again at Whaleback Lighthouse - July 3, 2022
Our cultural image of the classic New England lighthouse typically includes the rotating beam which guided mariners to safety for generations. This traditional system was restored back to the historic Whaleback Lighthouse over the past week.... Read the full article
Native Son William Whipple Grew Up to Be a Founding Father - June 19, 2022
Only 42 of the 19,500 cities and towns in the U.S. can claim to be the birthplace of a Declaration of Independence signer. The humble seaside town of Kittery, Maine, is one of them... Read the full article
The Story of Arabella Rice, the Town Library's Mystery Patroness - May 29, 2022
Arabella Rice's initials, elegantly engraved above the archway on the main entrance, can still be seen as one approaches Rice Public Library from Wentworth Street... Read the full article
William Dean Howells, Kittery's Literary Lion - April 24, 2022
When William Dean Howells was referred to as “the dean of American letters,” it wasn’t just a clever play on his name. For a time, Howells was the most influential figure in American literature... Read the full article
A Tale of Two Undersea Tragedies - March 27, 2022
There have been two occasions when the little seaside town of Kittery has appeared under the international spotlight. Both were epic tragedies and, fittingly for this iconic Navy community, both involved submarines... Read the full article
General Wentworth and Kittery's Missing Medals of Honor Mystery – February 13, 2022
As the oldest town in Maine, Kittery has generated plenty of mysteries during it's 375 years. Not many are as aged and puzzling as what one might call the "Case of the Missing Medals of Honor"...
Read the full article
The Perils of Everyday Life: When the Town was a Constant Battleground – January 27, 2022
As the oldest town in Maine, as tranquil as it may seem today, Kittery saw more than its share of bloodshed for much of its 375 years...
Read the full article
The “Unvarnished Truth” of Kittery’s Sir William Pepperrell’s Role in Kittery – December 1, 2021
Pepperrell Cove is one of Kittery’s best-known features, home to both the town pier and now a madly popular restaurant scene...
Read the full article
Kittery – Maine’s Oldest Town – October 8, 2021
In the Seacoast region, Kittery is popular for its natural “hidden treasures,” locations along Spruce Creek and Portsmouth Harbor which tend to be tucked away from sight of the tourists flocking to the... Read the full article
