York, ME
Although I grew up in Concord, New Hampshire, another place became just as much a part of my childhood: York, Maine. From the late 1950s onward, my parents owned a cottage on York Beach, and every summer we made the familiar drive to the Maine coast. Long before I appreciated the town's history, I knew it through family traditions: walks along the beach, evenings by the ocean, visits to Short Sands, and the excitement that came with returning year after year. York became more than a vacation destination; it became a second hometown filled with some of my happiest childhood memories.
York is one of the oldest English settlements in the United States. Originally inhabited by the Abenaki people, the area was settled by Europeans in 1624 and became the Province of Maine's first chartered town in 1652. During the colonial period, York stood on the frontier of New England, enduring conflicts between English settlers and Native Americans, devastating raids during King William's War, and the hardships that accompanied life in a growing colony. Despite these challenges, the community endured and gradually evolved from a colonial outpost into one of New England's most cherished seaside towns.
The town preserves an extraordinary collection of historic landmarks that tell the story of nearly four centuries of American history. From the elegant homes of the Colonial Revival era to the remarkable buildings of the Museums of Old York, York offers visitors the opportunity to walk through the many chapters of its past. Cape Neddick's iconic Nubble Lighthouse has guided mariners since 1879, while York Harbor and York Beach remind visitors that the sea has always shaped the town's economy, culture, and identity.
For me, however, York has always been more than its history. It is a place where family memories were made over decades. Returning each summer created a rhythm that became part of our lives, and many of my earliest recollections are tied to the sights and sounds of the Maine coast. Looking back, I realize that York helped shape my understanding of home. It taught me that home is not always defined by where you live year-round. Sometimes it is the place where your family gathers, where traditions are repeated, and where each return feels less like a vacation and more like coming back to a place that has quietly become part of who you are.
