Monson Community Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Monson Community Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 19 Greenville Rd., Monson, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1861 |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000453 |
| Added to NRHP | July 30, 2012 |
The Monson Community Church is a special church building in Monson, Maine. It's located at 19 Greenville Road. This church is unique because it's made from two older church buildings joined together! One part was built in 1845 for a Baptist group. The other part was built in 1861 for a Congregational group. In 1959, these two churches merged, and their buildings became one. This building is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This list recognizes places that are important to history and architecture.
The Church Building's Story
The Monson Community Church stands on the northeast side of Greenville Road. This road is also known as Main Street or Maine State Route 6. The building from 1861, originally the Congregational church, is closer to the street. The Baptist church building from 1845 was moved and attached to it in 1959.
How the Buildings Look
The Congregational church building has two stories. It now holds church offices, meeting rooms, and Sunday School classes. The Baptist church was once on Pleasant Street. It was moved to its current spot when the churches joined. Both buildings are covered with clapboard siding. They also have classic Greek Revival style details. These include tall, flat columns called pilasters and triangular gable ends. The Congregational church has a two-part tower with an open bell area. The tower of the Baptist church was taken off when the building was moved.
A Look Back in Time
The town of Monson was settled between 1815 and 1820. It became an official town in 1822. The Congregational church group started in 1821. They built their first church in 1831. This was said to be the first church between Bangor and the Canadian border. That first church burned down in 1860. But the church members quickly built a new one.
The Baptist church group began in 1827. However, they did not build their own church until 1845. Both church groups were strong and active until the 1940s. At that time, fewer people attended their services. Discussions about merging the two churches started around 1955. The big move of the Baptist church building happened in 1959. The Monson Community Church officially became one group in 1982. The Congregational Society ended in 1986, and the Baptist Society in 1996.
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