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All Souls Congregational Church (Bangor, Maine) facts for kids

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All Souls Congregational Church
All Souls Congregational Church, Bangor ME.jpg
All Souls Congregational Church (Bangor, Maine) is located in Maine
All Souls Congregational Church (Bangor, Maine)
Location in Maine
All Souls Congregational Church (Bangor, Maine) is located in the United States
All Souls Congregational Church (Bangor, Maine)
Location in the United States
Location 10 Broadway
Bangor, Maine
Area 1.2 acres (0.49 ha)
Built 1911–12; 1953–54
Architect Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson (1911–12); Eaton W. Tarbell (1953–54)
Architectural style Late Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 92000790
Added to NRHP June 18, 1992

All Souls Congregational Church is a very old and important church located at 10 Broadway in Bangor, Maine. It was built in 1911 and is a famous building in the city. A well-known architect named Ralph Adams Cram designed it. He was famous for designing buildings in the Gothic Revival style. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Today, it is part of the United Church of Christ.

What Makes the Church Special?

All Souls Church is on the edge of downtown Bangor. It sits on a small hill overlooking the city center. The church building takes up a whole city block.

The main part of the church is made of stone. It is shaped like a cross, which is called a cruciform shape. The longest part of the church goes from east to west. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, is at the western end.

The roof is very steep and has a pointed shape, known as a gabled roof. There is a tall, thin tower where the two main parts of the cross shape meet. This spot is called the crossing. There is also a shorter, square bell tower on one corner.

The front of the church faces east. It has a main entrance set inside a curved archway. Above this entrance, there is a large, round window with beautiful patterns. This is called a rose window. The building also has strong supports on its corners and sides, called buttresses.

A History of Rebuilding

The first church building on this spot was built in 1822. Sadly, it burned down in 1830. A new church was built in its place, designed by Charles Pond.

Later, in 1859, another church was built. This one was designed by Harvey Graves. It used the same foundation as the previous building.

However, in 1911, a big fire swept through Bangor. This fire, known as the Great Fire of 1911, destroyed the Graves church. Two church groups, the First Congregation and the Third Congregation, decided to work together. The Third Congregation's church had also been destroyed in the fire.

They hired the famous architect Ralph Adams Cram to design their new church. He was known for his Gothic Revival designs. The new church used some stone pieces from the Third Congregation's old building. It cost $110,000 to build.

Between 1913 and 1947, beautiful stained glass windows were added. These windows were designed by Charles J. Connick, an artist from Boston.

In 1953 and 1954, a school building was added to the church. Local architect Eaton W. Tarbell designed this addition. It was built in a more modern style. However, it was made to fit well with the older church building. This addition is now named after Arlan A. Baillie.

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