The community of Sandy Point stretches along Highway 1 in Waldo County 12 or 13 miles northeast of Belfast, the county seat. When the writers of the American Guide series book, Maine, a Guide 'Down East', passed through Sandy Point in 1937 it was much the same as it is today. Their only references to the town concern the church, the cemetery and the rather interesting headstone of Captain Albert Partridge (1842-1901), the one with a globe atop, a world travelling ship's captain, and his wife Martha (1840-1914). On the globe are drawn the continents with the names of some of the captain’s most noted ports of call, such as Boston, Liverpool, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brest, Valparaiso and Rio de Janeiro in South America, and ports in Australia and New Zealand. They also mention that the cemetery, across the highway from the church, contains the headstones of many seafarers who died or were lost at sea. We found this to be the case, as well.
The church itself, dedicated on September 23, 1840, is relatively small with a very tall steeple, creating an easily seen landmark in the community. The steeple has even been used as a USGS benchmark for its high visibility. The building under the steeple is relatively simple, in the style of eighteenth century meeting houses. Painted bright white, it is in very good condition for a building coming up on its 183rd birthday.
Below is the excerpt from the book, Maine, a Guide 'Down East', page 273. Further below is a quick history of the church, which was dedicated on September 23, 1840.
SANDY POINT (alt. no, Stockton Springs Town), 3.2 m., is an attractive settlement of green-shuttered, white frame houses retaining all the charm of old New England. The graceful facade of the white church in the center of the village looks toward Penobscot Bay, from which many men from this township departed for foreign ports. Immediately opposite the church is a small burial ground with many stones marked 'Lost' or 'Died at Sea.' The most pretentious monument is that in memory of Captain Albert Partridge; a globe of polished granite bears the names of the many distant ports he visited.
From Maine, a Guide 'Down East', Page 273
History
In the summer of 1839, a group of people residing in the Sandy Point area of the Town of Prospect and members of the Second Congregational Society of Prospect petition that society to be dismissed from their fellowship to form a church of their own.
They pledged to build a meeting house and selected a committee to engage a pastor for their fledgling congregation. The church was officially organized October 16, 1839 and the following year, September 23, 1840, the meeting house was dedicated.
There were eighteen charter members signed on the original papers.
I like to believe that like all the great churches in rural New England, their members chose a hill (as these 17 chartered members did) not only for the majestic views but also as a symbol of a cross on a hill far away some 2100 years ago.
On Sept. 23 1840 a new meetinghouse was dedicated. A hymn was composed by John Martin (a Revolutionary soldier who was famous in his day for a diary he published of his experiences during that time) and sung by the congregation. It has been used in all the anniversary celebrations since then.
This church is fortunate in that all the original books from the very beginning have been preserved.
From the Sandy Point Congregational Church