Portsmouth, NH — Strawbery Banke Museum announced the naming of the Kennebunk Savings Terrace on Tuesday, August 9 in a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony honoring one of the primary donors who enabled its upgrade and expansion. At the ceremony, representatives from Kennebunk Savings presented Lawrence J. Yerdon, President and CEO, and Cynthia Fenneman, Chair of the Board of Trustees, with a check for $50,000.
The Kennebunk Savings Terrace is utilized by the Museum’s 100,000 visitors year-round during the historic house season, at various events like “Tuesdays on the Terrace” summer concert series, and during skating season at Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond, the Museum’s seasonal outdoor ice-skating rink. The previous terrace required expansion each skating season to accommodate the skating rink and make it wheelchair-accessible.
The effort to expand and create a more accessible year-round space began earlier this year with Rink Services Group (RSG) issuing the “Keep Skating Accessible” $5,000 match challenge fundraiser over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in February. Donors raised $13,421, including matching funds from RSG, earmarked toward expanding the rink patio and making it a permanent structure.
“Strawbery Banke is so grateful to Kennebunk Savings for helping the Museum complete this important project,” said Lawrence J. Yerdon, President and CEO. “The Kennebunk Savings Terrace serves as a year-round, accessible gathering place for the community. How wonderful it is to have a community partner who recognizes and supports Strawbery Banke in creating an inclusive environment for all.”
“As a mutual bank we’re very invested in building strong communities,” said Bradford C. Paige, President & CEO of Kennebunk Savings. “Gathering spaces like the Terrace are so important because they’re where the strength of the community can truly be felt. A more accessible and larger gathering space at Strawbery Banke is something to celebrate – its positive effects will ripple out very quickly.”
Additional improvements to the Kennebunk Savings Terrace include replacing the existing outdoor furniture with ADA Compliant tables and chairs, planters on wheels that can be moved for functions, as well as significant electrical upgrades to the outdoor space, including new exterior lighting. Additionally, a non-permanent covering will be installed at a later date to offer shade during the warmer months.
About Strawbery Banke Museum:
Strawbery Banke Museum, in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, NH, is a 10-acre history museum interpreting over 300 years of history, from Indigenous history to the present day, through historical houses on their original foundations, heirloom gardens, traditional crafts, and costumed roleplayers who share the stories of the families who lived in the authentic waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock. The Museum welcomes visitors, members, schoolchildren, and volunteers for daily programs, exhibits, skating, and signature special events throughout the year. Strawbery Banke Museum is funded in part by grants from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom; and the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. For more information and a complete calendar of events, please visit StrawberyBanke.org
