The original Narragansett By the Sea hotel was built by John Curtis in 1905. Although one of twelve resort hotels constructed between 1879 and 1920, it is the only large resort hotel structure which predated 1940 and still remains in 2022. It stands on what is known as Oake's Neck, a rock promontory. It was converted to condominium units in the early 1980s.

A Tichnor Brothers tourist postcard of the Kennebunk beach and shoreline. The caption reads, "Narragansett by the Sea and Shore Drive, Kennebunk Beach, Maine."

The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938 as part of their Maine series. These, and other postcards, by the Tichnor Brothers Company are officially known as the Tichnor Gloss Series because the photographs were notoriously retouched on such a level that does not allow the postcards to be classified as photographs or paintings.