English fishermen first began settling here in the 1620s. Prior to this, the land had been home to the Native
Abenaki peoples. In the early years of the European settlement, the area was most commonly referred to as Fish Cove or simply "the cove". It wouldn't be until the late 1800s that the name Perkins Cove would be adopted. The Perkins family, one of the earliest seafaring families in the cove, ran a boardinghouse called the "Perkins Cove House" and from that the name was derived. At the very end of the nineteenth century, Perkins Cove would begin its transformation into a thriving artist colony. It was at this time that painter
Charles Woodbury founded his highly regarded art school, drawing in an influx of artists. By 1911,
Hamilton Easter Field would also establish a summer art school here, converting old fish shacks into art studios and rentals. The contributions of both men were instrumental in the development of Ogunquit, not only as a flourishing artist hub, but also as a beloved vacation destination. == Geography ==