A yearlong effort to commemorate Cape Elizabeth’s 250th anniversary wraps up this weekend with a long-anticipated celebration at Inn by the Sea.
On Sunday, the town of Cape Elizabeth officially turns 250, and to mark the milestone, town leaders are holding a cocktail reception they are calling “A Toast to Cape,” at the inn located on Bowery Beach Road, from 5-7 p.m.
The event caps off a yearlong celebration organized and implemented by a nine-member 250th Anniversary Committee, the town’s Historical Preservation Society, and other volunteers, who will be recognized for their involvement. And yes, there will be cake (thanks to Donna Piscopo, owner of the Cookie Jar Pastry Shop in Cape Elizabeth.)
“There will be a final toast as we bring the whole celebration to an end,” said Barbara Powers, chairwoman of the 250th Anniversary Committee. “It will be a casual gathering of all the people in Cape who made this happen, as well as other interested citizens who wish to take part in this final celebration of a historic moment in our town.”
During a six-month period, from May to October, a variety of events were offered at different locations in town – some historically important – that gave residents, and non-residents, a chance to help celebrate the town’s anniversary and learn more about its history.
Powers said while Sunday’s reception will celebrate the town’s incorporation on Nov. 1, 1765, it’s also a chance to “thank the volunteers and contributors who helped make all the events possible over these past six months,” including members of the historical society, the anniversary committee and local businesses.
Powers, along with Historical Preservation Society president Dorothy Higgins and Town Council chairwoman Kathy Ray, will give brief remarks during the reception, which is open to the public.
But Powers said there are a limited number of tickets available, so those interested in attending the event must reserve tickets for a suggested donation of $20 by calling Powers at 799-7875.
“It’s a stand-up cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar,” Powers said, which will also feature educational displays created by the Historical Preservation Society, and a slideshow featuring photos from different 250th activities, including at the Memorial Day parade and the 250th birthday-themed Family Fun Day. A five-piece jazz ensemble from Cape Elizabeth High School is also expected to perform.
“There will be a lot of historic photos to see, as well as scenes from the series of (250th) activities,” Powers said.
Members of the 250th Anniversary Committee first announced the town’s anniversary plans on Nov. 1, 2014, at Inn by the Sea, exactly one year before Cape Elizabeth’s official 250th birthday.
In May the 250th Anniversary Committee hung up more than a dozen anniversary banners along Ocean House and Scott Dyer roads and kicked off its anniversary celebration at Town Hall by showing a 13-minute documentary on the town’s history called “Time’s Flowing Tide,” created by filmmakers and Cape Elizabeth High School graduates Peter and Thomas Campbell. That event alone drew 125 people.
Until early October, the committee hosted a variety of town-funded activities, which drew several participants, including bus tours and self-driving tours of historic sites throughout Cape Elizabeth, which were led by members of the town’s Historical Preservation Society. Combined, the tours were attended by more than 200 people, Powers said.
Higgins, who was stationed at the historic Cape Casino and Theater property on Shore Road during the self-driving tour on Oct. 4, attended all of the 250th events. She said what made the docent-led tours so significant were the fact that many Cape residents, as well as non-residents, who attended said they hadn’t realized the number of historically significant properties in town. Some participants even expressed interest in joining the Historical Preservation Society as a result of the tours, said Higgins, who has lived in Cape Elizabeth for 27 years.
Debbie Butterworth, a 250th volunteer and teacher at Pond Cove School who manned a booth during Family Fun Day that featured old-fashioned kids’ games among other activities throughout the year, said she is looking forward to the reception at Inn by the Sea.
“It will be a lot of fun to see people on Sunday who are all a part of this (celebration) in a different way,” Butterworth said.
The most well-attended 250th event took place this past July, when 3,000 people gathered on the lawn near the Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park for a special anniversary concert, “A Night at the Light,” which featured the Portland Symphony Orchestra.
“It was heartwarming to see the whole town there like that really enjoying everything together,” Butterworth said.
In general, the number of people the events attracted “shows that people love this town,” Butterworth said. “I love this town.”
Students from Pond Cove Elementary School also participated in the 250th celebration and will be recognized during this weekend’s event. Throughout the last year students designed and painted a mural depicting historical town sites, wrote and performed a play about Cape’s past, and created a large paper 250th birthday cake that was featured at several of the 250th events.
“The work the kids did at the school was very educationally enriching for them,” Powers said. “We wanted to offer a variety of ways people could take part in the celebration.”
“It was great to get the kids involved,” Butterworth added. “They felt ownership of the whole celebration in our town – and feel part of it.”
Council chairwoman Kathy Ray said her favorite part of the 250th celebration throughout the last year is the positive impact it has had on the community.
“It helps the town be more cohesive and gives us something in common we can celebrate,” she said.
Cape Elizabeth’s Memorial Day parade this year featured legacy families, including the Jordans, Murrays, Hannafords, and Maxwells, who were led by a large 250th anniversary banner.Courtesy photoSend questions/comments to the editors.
