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 a beautiful old church building in Auburn, Maine. It stands proudly at the corner of Pleasant, Elm, and Spring Streets. This church was built way back in 1876. It was designed by a famous architect named John Stevens from Boston, Massachusetts. Since it was built, it has been a very important and well-known building in the city. It's a great example of a building style called Gothic Revival architecture, made with bricks. Because of its history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Contents
What Does the Church Look Like?
The First Universalist Church is located a little southwest of Auburn's main downtown area. It's a big building made of brick, designed in the Gothic Revival style. Imagine a castle or an old European cathedral, and you'll get an idea of this style! The roof is made of colorful slate tiles, and the walls have stone and wood decorations. The sides and corners of the building have strong supports called buttresses.
The Front and Tower
The main front of the church faces east toward Pleasant Street. On its southern side, there's a tall, three-part tower. This tower has large, pointed Gothic windows on the first level. Higher up, on the second level, you'll see two narrow, arched windows side-by-side. The third level has cool, clover-shaped designs called quatrefoils. At the very top, the bell tower has two arched openings with slats, where the bells would be. Above that is a tall, eight-sided spire that points to the sky.
Entrances and Windows
There are two main doors to the church. They are set back into the building within grand, arched Gothic openings. Above these entrances, there's a huge, round window with beautiful patterns, known as a rose window. If you look at the church from above, you'd see that its long sides have parts that stick out near the back. This makes the building look like a cross, which is called a cruciform shape.
A Bit of History
This church was built in 1876. It replaced an older church building that the congregation used to have. That first building was made of wood and was built in 1839 on High Street. The current church was designed by John Stevens, who was a well-known architect from Boston, Massachusetts. It is considered one of the best examples of the Gothic Revival style in Auburn.
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