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. This makes it the oldest public building still standing in the city! In 1875, it got a new look designed by Francis H. Fassett. Because of its history and importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
About the Church Building
The First Baptist Church building is right 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. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with wooden boards called clapboard. The bottom part of the building is made of strong granite.
The church has a rectangular shape. There's a special entrance area that sticks out from the front. At the back, there's an extra room called a vestry. The front of the building is very fancy! It has decorative columns on the corners. The windows are tall and narrow. Above the second-floor windows, there are fancy molded decorations.
A tall tower rises above the main roof. It has a square base, then an eight-sided section with openings for bells. On top of that is a tall, pointed steeple.
A Look at Its History
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. In 1824, the group began collecting money to build their own church. Two years later, in 1826, they finished building this very church!
In 1875, the church building was updated. It was given a new style that was popular at the time, called Victorian. The famous architect Francis H. Fassett from Portland, Maine designed these changes. He was one of the top architects in Maine back then.
Later on, under the leadership of Stephen O. Meidahl, the church changed. It became a non-denominational church. This means it's no longer officially part of the Baptist Church group. It is now called "First Church." On its website, it says it teaches "historic Christianity" in this historic building.
See also
