Center Meeting House and Common facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Center Meeting House and Common
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Oxford, Maine |
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| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1829 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000606 |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1997 |
The Center Meeting House and Common is a special historic building and a piece of land in Oxford, Maine. A meeting house is a building used for both religious gatherings and important town meetings. This one is located at 476 Main Street.
The town of Oxford officially became a town in 1829. Soon after, the common, which is a shared open space, was created. The meeting house itself was built in 1830. Both the meeting house and the common are important because of their long history in the community. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This list recognizes places that are important to the history of the United States.
Contents
What It Looks Like
The meeting house is a rectangular building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and sits on a strong foundation made of granite blocks. It stands on the common, which is a grassy area. This common is now about 1.35 acres, but it used to be 3 acres. It is located near where Maine State Routes 26 and 121 meet. The common is surrounded by tall, old trees on its edges.
Outside the Building
The meeting house is covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards. It faces towards the east. The outside of the building looks like many other meeting houses from its time, which is called the Federal style. However, its windows are special. They have pointed arches, which is a style called Gothic Revival.
The front of the building is balanced, with two entrance doors. Above these doors are arched windows with decorative frames. There are also two windows between the doors and two more above them. All these windows have the same pointed arch shape. A modern ramp has been added to make it easier for everyone to enter. The sides of the building have four larger windows. The back of the building has one smaller window and a modern chimney.
Inside the Building
When you enter the meeting house, you step into a hallway that goes across the whole building. In one corner, there's a staircase that leads up to a balcony. This balcony looks down over the main part of the building, which is called the nave.
The nave is the largest part of the building. It is divided into three sections of box pews. Pews are like long benches for people to sit on. Aisles, which are walkways, lead from the entrance hallway to the pulpit area. The pews seem to be original, meaning they are from when the building was first made. They still have their doors, latches, and even some of their original paint. The pulpit area is a flat, open space at the back of the building. It looks like it once had a raised platform where speakers would stand.
History of the Meeting House
Oxford was originally part of another town called Hebron. It became its own town in February 1829. Andrew Craigie, who owned a local mill, offered to pay for the meeting house to be built. He also gave 3 acres of land for the common and a cemetery. The cemetery is no longer part of this property.
The meeting house was used by different religious groups. These included Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, and Free Will Baptists. They would take turns using the building for their services. It was also used for important town meetings, where citizens would gather to discuss and vote on local issues. Today, the meeting house is still used for town meetings.
See also
