The Database for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Wells, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel

Unknown


Enslaver: Gideon Walker

Status (enslaved, free or both): enslaved

Town: Arundel (now Kennebunkport)

Known dates: mid-18th century

One of the first enslaved people in Arundel (now Kennebunkport) was enslaved by Gideon Walker.

"A few of the inhabitants of Arundel were able to hold slaves. Mr. Prentice bought the first one owned in town, in 1734. Mr. Hovey also owned one, and probably sold him in 1747. Robert Cleaves, Thomas Wiswall, Samuel Hutchins, John Fairfield, Gideon Walker, Andrew Brown, and Jonathan Stone each owned a slave. Several of them were living in the town, but a few years since, the last two of whom died in the poor house, or which the son of the former master of one of them was an inmate." - Bradbury, p. 158

"Paul Shackford ... is credited with building in 1740 the first house in what would become the center of the river village...Shackford's only near neighbor in 1740 would have been Gideon Walker, a tanner, who came from Kittery that year. Walker first built a small house and in 1745 a larger house next to it [on what is now South Street] on the high point of land that ran down to the river." - Butler, p. 35

Butler has a photo of the Walker house circa 1890 on p. 31. Thus, Walker built the second house in the village of Kennebunkport.

Bibliography:

History of Kennebunk Port from its First Discovery (1602-1837) - Charles Bradbury

Kennebunkport - The Evolution of an American Town (Volume I - 1603-1923) - Joyce Butler


Gideon Walker house in Kennebunkport

circa 1890

Icon for /Unknown06/Gideon Walker house Kport circa 1890.jpg

Gideon Walker house in Kennebunkport

circa 2024

Icon for /Unknown06/Gideon Walker house Kport today.jpg
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