First Baptist Church (Waterville, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Baptist Church
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General view in 1907
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Park St., Waterville, Maine |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1826 |
| Architect | James Packard; Francis H. Fassett |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000095 |
| Added to NRHP | November 07, 1976 |
The First Baptist Church is a historic building located at 1 Park Street in Waterville, Maine. It was built way back in 1826, making it the oldest public building still standing in the city! In 1875, it was updated by a famous architect named Francis H. Fassett. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Contents
About the Church Building
The First Baptist Church building stands in the middle of Waterville. You can find it at the corner of Park and Elm Streets. It's a two-story building made of wood, with a pointed roof and flat wooden boards on the outside. The bottom part is made of strong granite.
Building Design and Features
The church has a rectangular shape. There's a part that sticks out at the front where you enter. At the back, there's an extra room called a vestry. The front of the building is decorated with fancy details. It has flat columns on the corners that go up to the roof. The windows are tall and narrow. Above the second-floor windows, there are decorative covers.
The Church Tower
A tall tower rises above the main roof. It starts with a square section. Then, it changes to an eight-sided part with openings for bells. This is called a belfry. On top of that is a tall, pointed steeple with a wide base.
History of the Congregation
The Baptist group in Waterville started in 1818. Their first leader was Rev. Jeramiah Chaplin. At first, they met in the town's main meeting house.
Building Their Own Church
In 1824, the church members began collecting money to build their own place of worship. Two years later, in 1826, they finished building the church you see today.
Renovation and Updates
In 1875, the building got a big makeover. It was updated to match the popular Victorian styles of that time. The design for this renovation was done by Francis H. Fassett. He was a very well-known architect from Portland, Maine back then.
Becoming First Church
Later, under the leadership of Stephen O. Meidahl, the church changed. It became a non-denominational church, meaning it was no longer officially connected to the Baptist Church. It was simply renamed "First Church." According to its website, it is now a "non-denominational reformed church teaching historic Christianity" in this historic building.
See also
