Meet Dorcas Zeiner, Founding member of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust

By Shelley Wigglesworth

91-year-old Dorcas (Eldridge) Zeiner was born and brought up on Meserve Lane off North Street in Kennebunkport. “I was a Townie or a Village kid, as they called us. Dad moved us to Portland when I was a sophomore in high school.”

In 1950 she married Charles Zeiner and lived in Portland for 4 years later moving to Vermont for another nine years. When her husband was transferred again to Portland, Maine the Zeiner’s and their four children moved back to her hometown of Kennebunkport. “We lived in Wildes District for 23 years,” she said. During that time, Dorcas worked for the Town of Kennebunkport, eventually becoming the assessor of taxes. In 1984 she retired, and she and Charlie moved to the Rockland area.

It was while living and working here in her hometown of Kennebunkport in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, she connected with a group of like-minded individuals who loved the natural beauty of the area and realized the benefits of preserving places which could be open for all to share and enjoy, always.

She and a handful of others who shared this belief and passion began a grass roots effort to form what would become the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. “I was the last to join the board of KCT directors when it was just starting out. The Trust was, of course, Tad Dow's dream. Peter Sargent, Hale Whitehouse, Ralph Smith and I were all trying to keep up with Tad most of the time.” Later Tom Bradbury took over the day-to-day operations, which Dorcas was happy to see. “I knew Tom since his high school years, and knew he was the right one for the job. I also knew his folks, Virginia, and Milton. I guess you could say Tom and I are still good buddies.” 

Dorcas recalled the early KCT meetings were held at Tad and Ellie Dow's home. “Our first ‘totally ours’ project was the Village Green. When it came up for sale, we were all flabbergasted. We wondered where would all that money to purchase it come from? We finally came up with the idea of an auction and we were off. That is how is all started. It was a lot of work, but the auction got the ball rolling and called attention to what we were doing. Our next accomplishment was having Vaughn’s Island turned over to the Trust. A.B. ‘Sandy’ Brook and Frank Small were big helpers there,” she said.

Close to a half century later, Dorcas is still involved, interested, and continues to support the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. She said her favorite Trust property is Vaughn’s Island. “It will always be my favorite spot. Even before the Trust acquired the property, we had picnics and cook-outs there. It was a sea glass hot spot too.” Her second favorite property is the James Woods trail on 25 North Street. This trail begins on the east side of North Street, barely one hundred yards from the Town parking lot. The footpath winds around a 15-acre woods and includes views of the tidal inlet at Mast Cove, with a 24-foot ravine crossing, and an arched bridge over a firebreak that was dug in 1947 to help stem the spread of the great fires in Kennebunkport and other parts of York County, Maine that year. James Woods was donated by David and Lisanne James. “That is my old stomping ground- it was my childhood back yard, so to speak, being so close to Meserve Lane.”