The Vanished Village of Punkintown
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pumpkin_houseLongtime residents of Eliot remember people going door to door in the summertime, selling fruits and vegetables grown in a place called Punkintown—a tiny community that has now disappeared.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
February 25
South Berwick, ME

The Old Berwick Historical Society presents "Punkintown -- A Village that Once Was," a lecture by eighth generation Eliot resident Carol Zamarchi. The program will be held at 7:30 pm at Berwick Academy’s Jeppesen Science Center on Academy Street.  

A descendant of the Furbish family, Zamarchi will use description and facts to bring Punkintown alive. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served by volunteers.  

A small, isolated community, inhabited by a peak population of 30 to 40 people from the 1800s to the 1900s, the tiny town bordered on the York Pond close to the current York-Eliot-South Berwick town line. Punkintown had a grist mill, a granite quarry and between seven and ten families.  

As a lifelong resident of Eliot, Zamarchi has developed an interest in its history, and is a member of the Eliot and the Old Berwick Historical Societies. She and her husband are collectors of antique bicycles, with their first bicycle coming from the Libbey family of South Berwick. 

Stone foundation from the Village of Punkintown, Maine

This event is part of the Old Berwick Historical Society's 2010 series of talks, walks and historical events. The series, supported by memberships and a grant from Kennebunk Savings, includes seven monthly evening presentations as well as other local history events around South Berwick, including the society's Counting House Museum.  

More information on all the Old Berwick Historical Society's programs is available at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or by calling (207) 384-0000. 　

Photo caption: An old house foundation in a vanished Eliot village is part of the historical evidence to be discussed by Carol Zamarchi of the Old Berwick Historical Society in her free lecture "Punkintown -- A Village that Once Was," at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 25 at Berwick Academy’s Jeppesen Science Center. The program is free and the public is invited.