River Meetinghouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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River Meetinghouse
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | U.S. 201 at Oak Grove Rd., Vassalboro, Maine |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1786; restyled 1895 |
| Architect | Douglas, William H. |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000073 |
| Added to NRHP | September 19, 1977 |
The Oak Grove Chapel is a special building in Vassalboro, Maine. You might also hear it called the River Meetinghouse or the Sophia D. Bailey Chapel. It's located near United States Route 201 and Oak Grove Road.
This chapel was first built in 1786. It started as a meeting place for a group called the Quakers. It was the very first religious building in Vassalboro. Later, in 1895, it got a new look. It was changed to the Shingle style, with a new front porch and a tower. At that time, it became a chapel for everyone, used by the Oak Grove-Coburn School. The school is now closed. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
What Does the Chapel Look Like?
The Oak Grove Chapel is in a quiet, countryside area. It stands at the corner of US 201 and Oak Grove Road. The Maine Criminal Justice Academy is just across the road. This academy used to be the Oak Grove-Coburn School.
The chapel is a single-story building made of wood. It has a unique T-shape with pointed roofs. A square tower rises from one corner of the "T". Most of the outside is covered in wooden shingles. You'll see many rounded arches in its design. These arches are on the main entrance, a flower panel, and a side entrance. The tower has an open top section called a belvedere. It also has round-arch openings and a pointed roof.
A Brief History of the Chapel
People called Quakers first settled the Vassalboro area in the 1770s. They came from a place called Nantucket. The main part of the chapel you see today was built in 1786. It was their meetinghouse, a place for their religious gatherings. It even hosted larger regional meetings.
The Quakers also started the Oak Grove School. They wanted to make sure their children received a good education. This school later joined with the Coburn Classical Institute from Waterville, Maine in 1970. The combined school closed in 1989.
As fewer people attended the Quaker church, the meetinghouse was given to the school in 1895. The school then used it as a chapel for all faiths. This is when the building got its big makeover. The changes were designed by an architect named William H. Douglas. A woman named Sophia D. Bailey paid for these improvements. Because of her generosity, the building was known as the Sophia D. Bailey Memorial Chapel while the school owned it.
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