First Parish Church (Brunswick, Maine) facts for kids
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First Parish Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 217 Maine St., Brunswick, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1845 |
| Architect | Richard Upjohn |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Part of | Federal Street Historic District (ID76000092) |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000008 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 02, 1969 |
| Designated CP | October 29, 1976 |
The First Parish Church is a welcoming church that is part of the United Church of Christ. You can find this historic church building at 217 Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine. It was built in 1845. The church was designed by a famous architect named Richard Upjohn.
What makes this church special is its unique style. It's an example of Gothic Revival architecture built mostly from wood. The outside walls have vertical wood panels called board-and-batten siding. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The church community itself is very old, starting all the way back in 1717. Today, the Senior Pastor is Rev. John Allen.
Contents
Discovering the First Parish Church
The First Parish Church stands in an important spot. It's on a small hill between downtown Brunswick and the Bowdoin College campus. The college is right to the south of the church.
Church Design and Features
The church is a single-story building made of wood. It has many features that show its Gothic Revival style. These include a tower with strong supports called buttresses. The doors and windows are shaped like tall, pointed arches, known as lancet arches. As mentioned, the outside walls are covered with vertical board-and-batten siding. The church originally had a tall spire on its tower. However, a big storm in 1866 blew the spire off. It was never replaced after that.
A Long History of Faith
The First Parish Church community began in 1717. The building you see today is actually the fourth church building for this group. It was built in 1846 on the same spot where the third church once stood. The church members themselves helped build it.
The design came from the well-known American architect Richard Upjohn. Bowdoin College also helped pay for the church. Because of this, the college has used the church for important events, like graduation ceremonies. A smaller building attached to the church, called the vestry, was added in 1883.
A Place of Inspiration
On May 2, 1851, something very important happened at this church. The American author Harriet Beecher Stowe was sitting in pew 23. While there, she had a powerful vision. She imagined an enslaved man who had been hurt by his enslaver. This vision deeply inspired her. It led her to write her famous book, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Over the years, the church building needed a lot of repairs. It went through a big restoration project that finished in 2004. This careful work helped bring the church back to its beautiful condition. Because of this excellent restoration, the church received a Maine Preservation Honor Award in 2006.
Past Leaders of the Church
Many ministers have served the First Parish Church over its long history. Here are some of the people who have led the congregation:
- James Woodside (1718-1719)
- Isaac Taylor (1721-1722)
- Robert Rutherford (1735-1742)
- Robert Dunlap (1747-1760)
- John Miller (1762-1789)
- Ebenezer Coffin (1794-1802)
- Winthrop Bailey (1811-1814)
- Asa Mead (1822-1829)
- George Eliashib Adams (1829-1870)
- Ezra Hoyt Byington (1871-1879)
- William Phones Fisher (1879-1889)
- Edward Beecher Mason (1890-1902)
- Herbert Atchinson Jump (1903-1909)
- John Hastings Quint (1909-1913)
- Chauncey William Goodrich (1913-1917)
- Thompson Eldridge Ashby (1917-1951)
- John Arthur Samuelson (1951-1958)
- Horace Martin McMullen (1959-1962)
- William Brotherton Davis (1962-1966)
- John Harry Wild (1967-1984)
- William Carl Imes (1985-2001)
- Larry Robert Kalajainen (2004-2008)
- Mary Eileen Begley Baard (2009-2021)
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