North Newport Christian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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North Newport Christian Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of ME 222 and Pratt Rd., NE corner, North Newport, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | Steward, Abiah |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000726 |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1995 |
The North Newport Christian Church is a very old and special church building located in Newport, Maine. It sits right where Maine State Route 222 meets Pratt Road. This church was built way back in 1857. It's a great example of a building that mixes two cool architectural styles: Greek Revival and Italianate.
At first, two different church groups, the Baptists and the Congregationalists, shared this building. Later, only the Christian Church congregation used it. Today, the church is not used very often for services. Because of its history and unique design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. This means it's an important historical site!
Contents
What Does the Church Look Like?
The North Newport Christian Church is a one-story building made of wood. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, with the front part facing south. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding, which are long, thin boards. The church sits on a strong stone foundation.
Special Design Features
The roof has decorative parts called "returns" at the ends. The edges of the roof also stick out a bit and have fancy brackets, which are like small supports. The corners of the building have flat, column-like decorations called pilasters.
The front of the church is very balanced. It has two doors, one on each side of a single window. Each door has its own pilasters and a bracketed cornice, which is a decorative molding above it. High up on the front, in the triangular part of the roof, there's a large, fake louver. A louver is usually a set of angled slats, but this one is just for decoration.
Inside the Church
When you go inside, you first enter small areas called vestibules. These lead into the main room of the church. This main room still has its original wooden pews, which are the long benches where people sit. There are two aisles for walking. At the far end of the room, there's a raised platform, which is where the services would have been led.
A Look Back: The Church's History
The North Newport Christian Church was built in 1857. A person named Abiah Steward was the architect and builder. This church is a wonderful example of how building styles changed over time, especially in country areas. It shows a mix of older Greek Revival styles and newer Italianate designs.
How the Church Came to Be
The Baptist church group in North Newport started meeting in 1817. The Christian Church congregation began around 1840. Both groups used to meet in local schoolhouses. Around 1850, the two congregations started talking about building a shared place to worship. This led to the construction of the North Newport Christian Church. It was supposedly built right in the middle of where their two old meeting places were.
Later Years and Today
By 1907, the building was being used only by the Christian Church congregation. They met there regularly for many years, until about 1975. Today, the church building is only used sometimes for special services or events. It stands as a reminder of the community's history and faith.
See also
