Central Parish Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Central Parish Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 97 Main St., Yarmouth, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1859 |
| Architect | Thomas Holt |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000892 |
| Added to NRHP | June 23, 1988 |
The First Universalist Church, sometimes called the Central Parish Church, is a historic building at 97 Main Street in Yarmouth, Maine. It was built a long time ago, in 1859–60. This church is a great example of the Italianate style of architecture for religious buildings. It is also one of the few churches left in Maine that was designed by the famous architect Thomas Holt. Because of its importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The church group started in 1859 and is now part of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
About the Central Parish Church
The First Universalist Church is located right in the middle of Yarmouth. You can find it on the north side of Main Street. It is east of the North Yarmouth Academy and across from Portland Street.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is a rectangular building made of wood. It has a roof that slopes down on the front and back, called a gable roof. The outside is covered with clapboard siding and smooth flushboard. It sits on a tall foundation made of brick.
A square part sticks out from the front of the church. This part holds up a tall tower and has the main entrance. The entrance is inside a tall, arched opening with pillars on the sides. Above the entrance, there are two round-arch windows. This part of the tower has a rounded gable at the top. The main roof also has decorative details called modillions.
Above this, there is a plain square section with pillars. On top of that is an eight-sided belfry. A belfry is where bells are kept. This one has four round-arch openings. The very top of the tower has an eight-sided steeple, which is a tall, pointed structure. The windows on the sides of the church are also round-arched.
History of the Church
The church was built between 1859 and 1860. It is one of only four known church designs still standing in Maine by architect Thomas Holt. He was an architect from Bethel, Maine.
The church group itself started in 1859. It formed when some members left another local Universalist group. After 1885, fewer people attended the church. Most of its members went back to the original group. The two groups then joined together shortly after that. At this time, they started calling themselves the "Central Parish Church."
In 1920, the church changed its name again to the "First Universalist Church." It kept this name even after joining with a Unitarian church group in 1962.
See also
