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 Belfast’s First Church getting new entrance Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 25.479 W 069° 00.418
19T E 499445 N 4919039
The First Church of Belfast, Maine, a Congregationalist Church, was formally organized December 29, 1796, consisting of seven members. This, their second church building, was erected in 1818.
Waymark Code: WMR29C
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 05/01/2016
Views: 1
Given that the church is coming up on its 200th birthday, it should come as no surprise to anyone that it is in need of a bit of an update, especially given that it is one of the least modified churches of its age in Maine. In December of 2015 the church received a bit of TLC in the form of a new entrance. The renovation is, as much as anything, being done to allow wheelchair access to the venerable building. The Bangor Daily News reported on the renovations and their story is reproduced below.
The architect and builder of the First Church was Samuel French, though the design was apparently based on the " Design for a Meeting House" which appeared in Asher Benjamin's handbook The Country Builder's Assistant, 1798. Containing a Paul Revere Bell, the first church bell in Belfast, the building's frame was raised on June 13, 1818 with dedication occurring November 15 that year. Pew auctions, at $90 to $201 each, paid the entire cost of construction, which amounted to $6,000. The Paul Revere bell was hung in the belfry in 1820, a belfry clock by Timothy Chase and Phineas
P. Quimby was installed in 1836 and the present organ was installed in 1848. $2,000 worth of remodelling took place in 1868 and the parish house was added in 1926, costing $26,000.
THE FIRST CHURCH congregation built this meetinghouse and dedicated it on November 15, 1818. The frame was raised by men from Belfast and neighboring towns. The parish committee provided a barrel of punch for the workers. Notable features include a Paul Revere bell, the first church bell in Belfast, hung the following year, and the town-owned clock built in 1836 by Phineas Quimby and Major Timothy Chase. Over the years the church has been lovingly maintained by its congregation. In 1975 the George Stevens tracker organ, which was installed in 1848, was fully restored, and the clock tower and steeple were refurbished in 1998. The first minister of the church, the Rev. William Frothingham, served for 27 years and many distinguished ministers have followed in his footsteps.
From a plaque at the church
Belfast’s First Church
getting new entrance
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Dec. 11, 2015, at 4:49 p.m.
BELFAST, Maine — This fall, one of Belfast’s most recognized buildings, The First Church, is getting a new entrance with a deck and patio, granite steps and a brick walkway.
“The First Church building is an icon in Belfast with its federal-style architecture,” church officials said in a Facebook page post about the new construction. “The work underway will provide visitors with new handicapped entry into the church building … and will serve as a visible reminder to the greater community.”
The downtown Belfast church, located at 8 Court Street and home to a United Church of Christ congregation, will mark its 200th anniversary in 2018.
Mark Durbin of GO Logic, which is serving as the general contractor for the project, said this week that work began in late November and the new deck and patio must be completed in time for the Christmas Eve service. He said that the new deck will replace a dilapidated one and that wooden stairs will come down into a patio made of brick pavers. The work that is being done will essentially double the flat area on the hillside in front of the church, he said.
From the Bangor Daily News
Type of publication: Newspaper
When was the article reported?: 12/11/2015
Publication: Bangor Daily News
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: regional
News Category: Arts/Culture
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