Located at 56 Bridge Street, Biddeford Pool, Maine 04005
If we go back in history to 1615, we find the King of England sent an emissary to the part this country which is now known as York County, Maine, to learn whether the climate was suitable for people to live here through the winter months. As a result, a dwelling house was built in 1616, about one mile from Biddeford Pool at a plot known as Leighton’s Point, which was the beginning of the settlement in that locality. Here Richard Vines lived for many years. Richard Vines, an agent of Sir Fernando Gorges, was sent to experience and report upon the climate of New England. He visited the Indians in their huts and survived the winter of 1616 at the present Leightons Point, a territory of Biddeford, Maine, while his ship lay in the nearby winter harbor until spring. Our interest in the matter comes later, after the house referred to above had long since disappeared. On July 2, 1912, William E. Barry, a wealthy man of Kennebunk, Maine, and one of whose hobbies was the marking of historic spots, purchased from John W. Reooper a part of the tract of land on which the Richard Vines house was built and erected thereon a granite monument with a suitable inscription. The monument is placed diagonally with the current road but at the same angle on which the house stood as the action of wind and weather affected it less in that position. In later years, Mr. Barry was concerned about the future of the monument he had erected. About 1930, he contacted members of Rebecca Emery Chapter NSDAR and made a proposition to give the chapter funds to be used for the protection of the monument. The chapter accepted and he had a will drawn up containing the bequest and stipulating, among the things, certain restrictions concerning the monument. Our chapter was incorporated, and in 1931, soon after Mr. Barry passed away, we began taking care of the monument. At that time, the work of vandals was apparent, as bullets had been shot through the bronze tablet on the monument in two places.
“RICHARD VINES, AGENT OF SIR FERDINANDO
CORGES, TO EXPERIENCE AND REPORT UPON THE
CLIMATE OF NEW ENGLAND; VISITS THE INDIANS IN
THEIR HUTS, AND PASSES THE WINTER OF 1616 AT THE
PRESENT LEIGHTON’S POINT, TERRITORY
OF BIDDEFORD, WHILE HIS SHIP LAY IN THE NEARBY
WINTER HARBOR UNTIL SPRING.
~COLONIAE PRAECURSOR~”
