Peter Scontras is Saco’s first City Historian, and is one of the only official City Historians in the area. Contributed / City of Saco

Peter Scontras first came to love history through his father. A third generation Saco resident, Scontras would often visit his father’s store on Saco’s Main Street, where his father would point out details about Saco’s past. 

“He was very dedicated to Saco and he had a great memory,” Scontras told the Courier. “He was constantly recalling things.” 

His family, too, would get together and talk about “the old days,” Scontras said. 

“I loved listening,” he said. 

Early this year, after a career as a teacher, author, and store owner, Scontras was named the first Saco city historian, a title that he carries proudly around town. 

As city historian, Scontras merges his love of history with his experience as a public servant, having served on the Saco and Biddeford Chamber of Commerce Board, as well as the Saco Planning Board. 

In the months since his appointment, Scontras said he has been answering lots of questions from residents. 

“It’s natural for people to try to understand what happened before them,” he said. “My father kindled a desire for that in me.” 

Much of his work as historian so far has been City Hall oriented, Scontras said. He is currently in the process of selecting antique photographs to frame for City Hall, and looks forward to identifying the people in old portraits hung throughout the building. 

Wielding an incredible amount of historical knowledge, Mayor Jodi MacPhail said Scontras is a great asset around City Hall. 

“We are happy to have Peter on board as Saco’s first city historian,” MacPhail said. “He brings years of research into the history of Saco.” 

Official city historians are rare in Southern Maine. While most municipalities have a Historical Society of some sort, Saco’s neighboring towns do not have their own official historians. 

The Town of Kennebunk, Saco’s southern neighbor, used to have its own town historian. Joyce Butler was appointed as town historian in 1990, and spent nearly all of her life researching and writing about history, publishing countless articles in many publications over the years. 

In 2013, Butler published a meticulously researched book on the history of Kennebunkport, which was forwarded by George and Barbara Bush and highly regarded as the most extensive book of Kennebunkport’s history. 

Like Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunk has not had an official town historian in several years, making Scontras a rare breed. 

He is known as “the people’s historian” of Saco, and said he will continue to share his vast knowledge with the community through his role as city historian and at the Way Way Store, which he owns with his wife Bridget. 

“I’m not a person that accepts things as they are,” Scontras said. “I want to find out why they are.”