St. Anne's Church and Mission Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Anne's Church and Mission Site
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | On Indian Island off ME 43, Old Town, Maine |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1668 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000141 |
| Added to NRHP | November 26, 1973 |
St. Anne's Church and Mission Site is a very old and important religious place. It is located on Indian Island in Old Town, Maine. This site has a church that was built around 1830. It also has a cemetery that started way back in 1668. The mission here, which began in 1668, is one of the oldest Roman Catholic places in New England. The church building itself is also one of the oldest Catholic churches in this area. Because of its long history, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Contents
Exploring St. Anne's Church
St. Anne's Church sits on the east side of Down Street. This is near the southern part of Indian Island. Indian Island is where the Penobscot Indian Island Reservation is located. The church building is made of wood and has one story. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, with the front part pointing up like a triangle. The outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboard siding.
Church Building Changes
The church building has changed quite a bit over time. When it was first built, it had a small tower and a bell tower on its roof. The main door was on the west side. There was also a special fan-shaped window above the door. Around the year 1900, this small tower was replaced. A larger, square tower was built in front of the church. Now, you enter the church through the bottom of this new tower. The fan-shaped window is just above the entrance. The top part of the tower has special windows on each side. These windows are called Palladian windows. The tower's pointed roof has decorative spires at each corner.
A Long History: The Mission Site
The Catholic mission for the Penobscot Indians began in 1688. A French missionary named Louis-Pierre Thury started it. He was baptized in Quebec in 1667. A church building was built, and the cemetery was started at this time.
Missionaries and Priests
In 1702, the mission was given to the Jesuits. Antoine Gaulen led the mission until 1732. For many years after that, there wasn't a full-time missionary living here. However, traveling missionaries and priests would visit. They came to help and teach the Penobscot people.
Starting in 1792, missionaries began to stay here during the summer. It was during the time of Rev. John Cheverus (1792–1798) that the second church was built on this site. The church building you see today was built later. It was constructed between 1828 and 1830. Rev. Virgil Barber was in charge then. The state even helped pay for the church. Finally, in 1926, the church got a full-time priest.
See also
