Agora Grand Event Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agora Grand Event Center |
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| Former names | St. Patrick's Church |
| General information | |
| Type | Event center |
| Location | 220 Bates Street, Lewiston, Maine, Maine |
| Coordinates | 44°05′41″N 70°12′44″W / 44.094837°N 70.212183°W |
| Construction started | 1887 |
| Completed | 1890 |
| Owner | Andrew Knight |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Patrick Keely |
The Agora Grand Event Center is a large place for events in Lewiston, Maine. It is also the second-tallest building in the state.
The Agora Grand used to be a Catholic church called St. Patrick's Church. Its first stone was placed on July 24, 1887. The last church service was held there in October 2009. The building is 220 feet tall at its highest point. This makes it the second-tallest building in Maine.
A developer named Andrew Knight bought the building in March 2014. He opened the Agora Grand as an event center in May 2016. Mr. Knight even won an award for bringing the building back to life. His own wedding was the first one held there after it was renovated.
In 2014, Mr. Knight also turned the old church rectory (where the priest lived) into a small hotel. This building is also known as the Albert Kelsey Mansion. The church building itself has a special room called a crypt in the basement. This is where the church's first priest, Monsignor Thomas Wallace, was buried for many years. In 2015, Mr. Knight changed the crypt into a unique hotel room. It is thought to be the world's first "crypt hotel room."
What the Church Looked Like in 1896
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In 1896, a newspaper called The Sacred Heart Review wrote about St. Patrick's Church. They said it was a "beautiful Gothic structure" made of brick with a strong granite base. It had a great spot, facing a public park and looking over the lower parts of the city.
The church had two tall, graceful spires, one 220 feet high and the other 160 feet high. It was 180 feet long and 65 feet wide. About 1,000 people could sit inside comfortably. The church had seven sections, and its brick supports were decorated with cut granite. The side walls also had white granite details around the windows.
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