First Universalist Church (Auburn, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Universalist Church
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First Universalist Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Auburn, Maine |
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| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | John Stevens |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000126 |
| Added to NRHP | May 7, 1979 |
The First Universalist Church is an old and important church building in Auburn, Maine. It stands at the corner of Pleasant, Elm, and Spring Streets. This beautiful church was built in 1876. A famous architect named John Stevens from Boston, Massachusetts designed it. The church is a great example of Gothic Revival style architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's a special building worth protecting.
About the Church Building
The First Universalist Church is located a little southwest of downtown Auburn. It is a large building made of brick. It has a special roof made of colorful slate tiles. The walls are decorated with stone and wood. The sides and corners of the church have strong supports called buttresses.
Design and Features
The front of the church faces east toward Pleasant Street. It has a tall, three-part tower on its southern side. The tower has big Gothic-style windows at the bottom. Higher up, there are two narrow, pointed windows together. Even higher, you can see small, flower-shaped windows called quatrefoils.
Above these, there is a bell tower, also known as a belfry. It has two arched openings for the bells. On top of the tower is an eight-sided spire that points towards the sky. The church has two main entrances. They are set back into Gothic-shaped doorways. Above these entrances is a large, round window called a rose window. The long sides of the church stick out near the back. This makes the building look like a cross from above.
A Look at Its History
The First Universalist Church was built in 1876. It replaced an older church building. The first church was made of wood and built in 1839 on High Street.
The current church was designed by John Stevens. He was an architect from Boston, Massachusetts. This church is one of the best examples of the Gothic Revival style in Auburn. This style was very popular for churches in the 1800s.
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