West Durham Methodist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Durham Methodist Church
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 23 Runaround Pond Rd., West Durham, Maine |
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| Built | 1804 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000291 |
| Added to NRHP | April 22, 2003 |
The West Durham Methodist Church is a very old church building located at 23 Runaround Pond Road in West Durham, Maine. It was built a long time ago, in the early 1800s. The church was updated in 1867. It shows off a cool mix of old building styles called Greek Revival and Italianate.
This church is special because the group of people who started it came from a big church meeting held right here in 1804. This was one of the very first Methodist church groups in the state of Maine! Because it's so important, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Today, the church building is not being used.
What the Church Looks Like
The West Durham Methodist Church is in a quiet, country part of Durham. You can find it on the north side of Runaround Pond Road. It's a one-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof at the front and a strong stone base.
The front of the church faces south. It looks very balanced and has many features from the Greek Revival style. There are tall, flat columns called pilasters at the corners. These go up to a wide band called an entablature. The triangular part of the roof above the front door is called a pediment. It has a cool triangular design in the middle.
There are two doors on the front, with a large window between them. This window has three parts, and each part has a rounded top. The doors also have flat columns next to them and a decorative top. Each door leads to a small entry room. These rooms are separate from each other. The main room inside has rows of benches on both sides of a middle path. The special area for the choir is set back a little.
A Look Back in Time
The exact year the church was built is a bit of a mystery. People in the area believe it was built in 1804. This date is even shown on a panel on the front of the building. This spot was where a big Methodist meeting happened in 1802.
However, the church group didn't officially start until 1810. The land for the church wasn't officially given to the church leaders until 1818. Still, the church might have been used by the group before that date.
Inside, the building shows clues that it once had a balcony on three sides. The benches might have been set up differently too. These clues suggest it was built in the early 1800s. The Greek Revival and Italianate looks you see on the outside probably came from a big update in 1867. Even though Greek Revival was going out of style, they still used it! The church's area used to cover a huge space, from Litchfield all the way to Freeport.
See also
