First Baptist Church (East Lamoine, Maine) facts for kids
The First Baptist Church is a really old and special building in East Lamoine, Maine. It's located at 362 Lamoine Beach Road. This church was built way back in 1832. It has a cool design called Greek Revival. A local builder designed it. Later, in 1879, some parts were changed. They added a Victorian-style tower and porches. Because of its history, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
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About the Church Building
The First Baptist Church is a single-story building. It is made of wood and has a front gable roof. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding. The church sits on a strong concrete foundation.
Cool Features of the Church
A tall tower sticks out from the front of the church. On each side of the tower, there are porches with slanted roofs. These porches have fancy columns and posts. The tower has a round window in the middle. Above that, there is an open bell tower. This part has decorative wooden designs. An eight-sided steeple sits on top of the tower.
Inside the Church
The church has two entrances. These doors still have their original Greek Revival style frames. They lead into separate small rooms called vestibules. From these rooms, stairs go up to a gallery area. You can also enter the main worship area from here. This main area has rows of wooden benches. These benches replaced the original ones in 1852.
History of the First Baptist Church
The Baptist church group in Lamoine started in the early 19th century. This church building was finished in 1832. Seth Tisdale, a famous local builder, designed and built it.
Changes Over Time
In the 1840s, the church group split into two. This led to another church being built in town. But later, the two groups came back together. In 1879, the building was updated. Asa Hodgkins, a well-known builder from Ellsworth, designed these changes. He replaced the tower and added the porches. These new parts were in the popular Italianate and Stick styles of that time.
Who Owns the Church Now?
In the 1900s, the church building was given to the cemetery association. This group takes care of the cemetery behind the church. Then, in the 1970s, they gave the building to the local historical society. The historical society helps protect old buildings and stories. In the 1980s, the building was moved back a bit. It was also placed on a new foundation at that time.