Maine Places to Love: Higgins Beach

Scarborough is a town of villages, and the enclave of Higgins Beach – “we welcome you, for a vacation or for a lifetime” – may well be its most distinctive and desirable. ‘Higgins’ is renowned for its lovely sandy beach, its classic Maine oceanfront character, and the memory-making quality of life people enjoy here, whether they are year-round residents, summer folk returning season after season, or first-time visitors.

8 and 8: The numbers of chicks and adult Piping Plovers in residence in mid-June 2018. (hbamaine.com)
Since 1956: The oceanfront Breakers Inn has been operated by the Laughton family. The landmark was featured by Yankee Magazine as a Best Beachside Lodging | Sandcastle by the Sea. (www.thebreakersinn.com)
30 dozen doughnuts: Number sometimes consumed by members and guests at the Higgins Beach Association’s weekly social.
150 acres: The Higgins Beach community grew from a saltwater farm that Hiram Higgins inherited from his father in the 1870s. (Rodney Laughton, “Scarborough at 350)
Sweet setting: Nestled between rocky Thunder Cove to the southwest, and the mouth of the tidal Spurwink River (great fishing and kayaking!) to the east, Higgins Beach enjoys a very special location.
Literary light: Special guest Maine author Monica Wood discussed her work at August’s Higgins Beach Book Club meeting.
On Aug. 11, 1897: A storm drove the three-masted, 145-foot schooner Howard W. Middleton aground. Its remains may still be seen on the shifting sands. (Peter Dow Bachelder, “Scarborough at 350”)
We love a parade: Volunteer-hosted events sponsored by the Higgins Beach Association include concerts, a craft show, and a July 4 parade and cookout. Weekly yoga on the beach is available during the summer, too.
31 percent: The amount the average Higgins Beach sales price increased from 2011 to 2017. (realestate.higginsbeachmaine.com)

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