SACO — Just before the parking lot entrance to Camp Ellis Beach sits a rustic little bungalow that looks much the same as it did when it was built in 1948 by Midge Sanborn’s father, Don Moore.

Moore erected the tiny cabin structure with a porch to serve as a booking office for summer deep sea fishing charters on his boat, the Sea Hawk.

“Customers would come through the front door to book, and go out the back door to board the boat,” Said Sanborn, who was raised in Camp Ellis.

Sometime in the early to mid-1960s, Sanborn converted the booking office into a souvenir shop, which she named the Sea Hawk Shop in honor of her father’s boat.

For the past 50-plus summers, the Sea Hawk Shop has been open with Midge at the helm, welcoming generations of Camp Ellis residents and vacationers alike for an old-fashioned shopping experience.

One never knows what they might find at the Sea Hawk Shop, and Sanborn is the first to admit that.

“I’m always adding to what we have,” she said. “I try to keep things affordable for everyone. We have trinkets, décor, sailor bracelets, ornaments, handmade items from local people, mermaids – lots of mermaid items – and whistles. The kids have always loved the whistles over the years.”

Cindy Hill, 54, still has a whistle she bought at the Sea Hawk Shop when she was a little girl.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 4 years old,” she said. “I will always keep the whistle I bought from Midge when I was a little girl – it reminds me of my childhood and a lot of good memories of Midge. She is a sweetheart.”

The Sea Hawk has unusual hours for a store: It’s open evenings only, or by appointment, from early July until after Labor Day.

“I’ve always been open nights; it just works better for people here,” Sanborn said. “I figure they want to be on the beach and such during the day. I arrive every evening around 7:30 to open, and I stay open until whenever. Last night, I didn’t close the shop until after 1 a.m. It just depends on how busy it is.”

“I’ve only missed two summers in all these years – well, actually just 11/2 summers,” she said. “One of my sons was born Aug. 6, and I ran the shop until his birth that year. One summer we spent in Scotland as a family with my husband for his business. But we did leave a milk jug out for notes that year, and a lot of our customers left us messages, which we really enjoyed reading when we returned.”

Julie Bloomer is one of Sanborn’s regular evening customers. “I’ve been vacationing in Camp Ellis for years, and visiting the Sea Hawk Shop is a big part of the vacation experience here,” she said.

Bloomer now brings her two young daughters – Gretchen, 5, and Marley, 3 – to the store. “We look forward to our nightly visits. It’s our ritual,” she said. “We like the unique gifts here and visiting with Midge.”

Twelve-year-old Lizzy Galczynski and her 8-yearold brother Andrew visit the Sea Hawk Shop every evening they are in Maine on their family vacation.

“Seeing Midge is the highlight of my summer every year. I just love her,” Lizzy said.

Another appealing aspect of the Sea Hawk Shop is that it is an unofficial museum of sorts. Many vintage maritime memorabilia from the early days of the Sea Hawk boat and Camp Ellis still grace the walls, including old oars, an original Sea Hawk life preserver, shop signs, posters and miscellaneous chandlery items.

“Part of the appeal of the shop is that it is a living tribute to the history of the place. I absolutely love it here. It’s one of a kind,” said customer Ray Sadowski.

Once you step inside the Sea Hawk Shop, it’s evident there is much more than goods offered for sale in the weathered little building that is arguably the heart and soul of Camp Ellis. There is a feeling that one must experience it firsthand to truly understand.

The Sea Hawk Shop embodies all that Camp Ellis was and still is. Steeped in heritage and tradition and full of fond memories, Sanborn and the shop have been a constant in the lives of many for generations.

“This place is a very important part of my life. From the time I was little, I was here in Camp Ellis. My two children were brought up here, and now I have grandchildren who come to the store,” she said. “This shop has been a big part of all our lives – for our family and our customer’s families.

“People are always welcome here to come in and say ‘hi.’ They know they don’t have to buy anything. I am just happy to see them.”

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