West Brooksville Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Brooksville Congregational Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | ME 176 E side, 1 mi. NW of jct. with Varnum Rd., West Brooksville, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Jesse Gardner; Thomas Lord |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000727 |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1995 |
The West Brooksville Congregational Church is a special old church located in West Brooksville, Maine. You can find it about one mile northwest of Varnum Road, right on Maine State Route 176. This beautiful building was finished in 1855. It was built for a church group that started way back in 1812.
The church is a great example of Greek Revival architecture. This style was popular in the 1800s. Because of its history and design, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Today, the church is part of the United Church of Christ. They have worship services every Sunday morning.
About the Church Building
The West Brooksville Congregational Church sits on a small hill. It is just south of the quiet village of West Brooksville. The building is made of wood and has one story. It still looks much like it did when it was first built.
Outside the Church
The front of the church faces west. It has two main doors. Each door has tall, flat columns next to it. Above each door, there is a small window and a decorative top. Even taller columns stand between the doors and at the corners of the building. These columns hold up a large, triangular roof section called a pediment.
Above the front doors, there is a tall tower. It starts with square sections. Then it has a fancy fence-like railing. This railing goes around the octagonal (eight-sided) bell tower. Four sides of the bell tower have openings for sound. These openings also have columns. Above the bell tower, an octagonal steeple rises to a point. A room called a vestry was added to the back of the church.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has beautiful decorations. The window frames have designs of flowers and vines. There are also flat columns next to the doorways. These columns lead into the main seating area, called the nave, and the chancel area. The nave still has its original wooden benches, called pews. The metal ceiling was added later in the 1800s. The inside of the church was damaged by a fire in 1982. But it has been carefully fixed and looks great again.
Church History
The West Brooksville church group first came together in 1812. For many years, they met in a building they shared. This building was also used as a school and for town meetings.
In 1854, the church group decided to build their own church. The building was finished the next year, in 1855. People usually say that Thomas Gardner designed the church. He was a local builder. However, another famous builder named Thomas Lord might have helped a lot. Thomas Lord was from Blue Hill. He built many other churches in the area. Some of these churches look very similar to the West Brooksville church.
See also
