First Baptist Church (Sedgwick, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Baptist Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | High Street, Sedgwick, Maine |
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| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Architect | Deane, Benjamin S. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000109 |
| Added to NRHP | April 24, 1973 |
The First Baptist Church is a historic and beautiful building located on High Street in Sedgwick, Maine. It's a great example of a building designed in the Greek Revival style. This style was very popular in the early 1800s and looks a bit like ancient Greek temples.
The church was built in 1837 for a group of people who started their congregation in 1805. A talented architect named Benjamin S. Deane designed it. Today, it's known as one of the best Greek Revival churches along the coast of Maine. Because of its special history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This list helps protect important historical places in the United States.
Discover the First Baptist Church's Design
The First Baptist Church faces east on High Street in Sedgwick. It's located between Maine Routes 172 and 175. The front of the church is very impressive. It has a large, triangle-shaped roof section called a pediment. This part sticks out and is supported by tall, round columns. These columns are called Doric columns and have special grooves carved into them.
The corners of the building also have flat, column-like decorations called pilasters. These details make the church look very grand, like an ancient Greek temple. The front wall of the church is made of smooth, flat boards. The other walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards.
Above the main building, the church has a tall tower. This tower has several sections. The first two parts are square. Above them is an eight-sided section called a belfry. This is where the church bell would have been. It has four arched openings with louvers, which are like angled slats. On top of the belfry is a round dome, called a cupola, and then a tall, pointed spire reaching towards the sky.
A Look at the Church's History
The story of the First Baptist Church congregation began even before the building was constructed. In 1794, a group of people in Sedgwick formed a religious organization. In 1805, many members of this group decided to become Baptists. About 75% of the original members joined the new Baptist congregation.
This new congregation hired Bangor architect Benjamin S. Deane to design their church. He created the plans for the building in 1837. Deane's design was inspired by drawings published by another famous architect, Asher Benjamin, in his book Practise of Architecture.
Later, between 1892 and 1905, beautiful stained glass windows were added to the church. These windows were gifts from the church members. Some people believe these windows might have been made by famous artists like John LaFarge or Louis Comfort Tiffany.
The church congregation continued for many years. However, in 2008, the congregation officially ended. Today, the building is owned and cared for by the local historical society. They work to preserve this important piece of Sedgwick's history for everyone to enjoy.
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