Union Meeting House (Whiting, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Union Meeting House
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | 153 US 1, Whiting, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1836 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000139 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 2014 |
The Union Meeting House, also known as the Whiting Community Church, is a very old and special building in Whiting, Maine. It was built way back in 1836. This church is a great example of a building style that mixes two older styles: Federal and Greek Revival. Because of its history and unique look, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. This means it's an important place to protect!
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About the Union Meeting House
This historic church stands right in the middle of Whiting, a small village. You can find it on the north side of a three-way road crossing, where United States Route 1 meets Maine State Route 189.
What it Looks Like
The Union Meeting House is a one-story building made of wood. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, called a gabled roof. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding, which are long, thin boards. The building sits on a foundation made of decorative concrete blocks.
Look up at the roof, and you'll see an open bell tower, called a belfry. It has a pointy, pyramid-shaped roof. At the very top of this roof, there's a cool spire shaped like a sculpted metal fish! The front of the church has three sections. The main door is in the middle, with windows on each side. Above the door and windows, the roof forms a triangle shape, called a pediment. Inside this triangle, there's a curved panel. The main entrance has decorative pillars on each side and a fancy top part.
A Look Inside
When you step inside, you first enter a small area called the vestibule. From here, narrow stairs wind up to a balcony, called a gallery, on one side. A double door in the center leads you into the main worship area, called the sanctuary.
The sanctuary has a curved ceiling covered with pressed tin, which looks very decorative. This tin design goes down the walls to a wooden paneling called wainscoting. The floors are made of wide pine boards. There are three rows of long wooden benches, called pews, where people sit.
Its Long History
The Union Meeting House was built in 1836. It was a joint effort by two different Christian groups, who worked together to create this shared space. The church mostly looks like buildings from the Federal period, but it also has some touches of the Greek Revival style, like the triangle-shaped pediment on the front.
Churches from this time period are quite rare in eastern Maine. This one is special because it has been kept in such good condition.
Changes Over Time
The inside of the church was updated a few times. It was remodeled in 1886 and again in 1904. It's thought that the bell tower and the pressed tin ceiling were added during the 1904 renovation. In the 1960s, a heating system was put in, which changed the vestibule area. However, these changes have since been reversed, bringing the vestibule back to its original look.
A New Chapter
Over time, fewer people attended the church services. Because of this, the groups that owned the building decided to give it to the town of Whiting in 2012. Now, the town helps take care of this important historic building.
