Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church
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the church as restored in 2008
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | U.S. 1, Grand Isle, Maine |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1893 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000100 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1973 |
The Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel is a special museum in Grand Isle, Maine. It shares the story of local history. This museum is inside the old Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. This church is one of the few 1800s Acadian churches still standing in northern Maine. The building has a unique design. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is an important historical site.
Contents
Discovering the Church's Design and History
The museum is on the south side of United States Route 1. It sits in the quiet village center of Grand Isle. The building used to be a church. It is a large wooden structure. It has a rectangular shape with extra parts added to the back. The main part of the building has a very steep roof. It also has a special upper section with windows called a clerestory.
Unique Features of the Church Building
The most interesting parts of the building are at the front. This front section sticks out from the main building. It is divided into three parts. The two outer parts are identical square towers. These towers rise two full stories high. They have open bell towers at the top. These bell towers are held up by eight columns. These columns support a rounded, fancy dome.
The middle part of the front has three double doors. Each door has a half-round window above it. A small gable roof sits above these windows on the first floor. Most of the church's windows are narrow. They have rounded tops. Each window is made of two rounded sections. There is also a circular design at the very top.
A Look Back at the Church's Past
The area around the Saint John River was settled by Acadians. This happened in the early 1800s. Back then, the border between Maine and New Brunswick was not yet decided. In 1842, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty set the border. The river became the dividing line. This split the Acadian community.
Acadians living on the south side of the river wanted their own church. They asked the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fredericton for one. Their first church was built in 1848. In 1870, the church parish moved to the Diocese of Portland. The current church building was constructed in 1910. Léonide Gagné built it. The inside of the church was designed by Théophile Daoust. It looked like an ancient Roman basilica.
Saving a Historic Landmark
The church closed in 1978. This was because it cost too much to keep up. For a few years, legal issues stopped anyone from fixing or maintaining it. In 1983, these issues were resolved. The next year, a non-profit group was formed. This group bought the building from the church diocese. Since then, they have carefully restored the church.
The Museum Today
The old church now holds many historical items. These items tell the story of the Acadian people in the area. The museum also hosts cultural events. It is open to visitors every year. You can visit from June 15 until Labor Day.
See also
