Walking through downtown Kennebunk, residents and visitors alike are constantly surrounded by historical landmarks. It is no secret either, because if the architecture or the “est. 1806” signs don’t give it away, the town’s numerous markers for passersby to learn about the buildings does.

The Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk has recently taken the walkable history tour a step further, with an interactive story map, digitally guiding visitors through the historical sites and exploring the weathered history behind each building and landmark.

The map was developed using ArcGIS StoryMaps technology, software that allows users to create the interactive maps using different forms of multimedia. The Kennebunk History Explorer combines photos old and new of the different buildings and landmarks around the town, where users can digitally “walk” through different parts of town to learn about each building.

One historic building that stands tall on Main Street is Kennebunk Baptist Church. Viewers of the map can learn about the architecture of the building and its history, the cornerstone having been laid in May 1840. 

The church remains in use today, nearly 200 years since its first congregation met in 1834, across the street at the Palmer Walker house.

Cynthia Walker, executive director of the Brick Store Museum, said the interactive tour has been a long time coming. While the museum is always looking for new ways to reach out to visitors, there has long been an effort to reach them digitally to connect with those who may not go out of their way to physically stop by.

“Now, people can just hop in their car or just sit in their armchair at home and be able to explore the landscape a little better than they can if they’re not able to come into the museum,” said Walker.

Despite being a resident and having been with the museum for 10 years, the process was eye opening for Walker. She would come home from work and pass by houses of her neighbors, only to realize that she would soon be putting the houses into the map and writing about their history.

“That’s what I hope for people when they use this map. They’re able to see things that we normally see every day and just don’t think much about,” she said. “It gives everybody another level of understanding of how the past and present tie together.”

The museum also has a special exhibit in the works for the map, premiering on Tuesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day. The feature tour is titled, “Paths of Courage,” and guides viewers through Hope Cemetery to learn the stories of veterans laid to rest there. The online exhibit features the stories of 12 veterans of wars that range from the Spanish-American War all the way up to the Vietnam War.

“We pretty much have one story from each war except the Revolutionary War, which was a little bit of a challenge,” said Walker.

Walker said that sometimes, there are parts of the town’s history that are a bit less documented than others, and that the map is still a work in progress in the natural fashion of historical research.

“There are areas of Kennebunk that are really well documented and easy to find information on, and then there’s some that don’t necessarily have as much easily accessible information,” she said.

Areas of the map that are still under construction are “the ones that we really have to dig into this time, so for anyone interested in research, we would absolutely love the help,” Walker said.

The Brick Store Museum plans to announce the opening of the exhibits on its website as the exhibits are finished.