Dedham summer hot spot is closed for the season, but not for good

DEDHAM, Maine (WABI) - If you’ve driven by Jenkin’s Beach recently, you may see a few concerning signs.

But, don’t worry, they’re not permanent.

It’s under new ownership and going through renovations.

“This has been in my family since 1940. And my great-grandfather bought it with my grandparents. And then my parents bought it in 1978. But, we lived here, I lived here from the time I was born. Dad has been running this for a long time by himself, and when he was turning 80, I said, you know, we need to talk about what you, like, what do you want to do at this point?” said Julie Jenkins, owner.

Julie and her husband are making updates to the camps, adding some fun things to the lake, and will be adding and revamping some existing amenities.

When it’s all said and done, they hope to continue the tradition of fun and togetherness.

“I remember my grandmother running the store, I remember summers when it would be really rainy like this summer, and, you know, people would come up from the camps, and we’d all play for Trivial Pursuit in the store, and, you know, just like the community feel of having people come there in the morning, you get coffee,” Julie said.

Despite them actively working on the site, the camps are booked for the season and the boat launch is still open.

But, the beach is closed for public access this summer.

“We have really been appreciative for people who said, yeah, we know, we totally get why you can’t be open this season. That makes sense, and we’re looking forward to the future, and to whatever that might bring, and I hope that, you know, I’m very excited about it, and I hope that everyone else will be as well,” Julie said.

So far, the previous owner is happy with the progress.

“I actually worked here from the time I was a little kid, so it’s important to me that my family stay here. And the extended family which is all the people that I dealt with over my lifetime, and there are probably hundreds of people that I know that come back here every year. Enjoy the beach and swimming and, you know, everything that goes with the site. I think it’s going to be a great thing, and I know that Julie will do a great job taking it over,” said Joe Jenkins, previous owner.

For more information, visit https://jenkinsbeach.com/

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