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 Ellsworth Congregational Church - Ellsworth, ME Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 32.567 W 068° 25.493
19T E 545687 N 4932322
Tall and bright white with an even taller steeple, this church easily manages to impress passersby.
Waymark Code: WMRA7N
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 05/30/2016
Views: 2
Two and a half stories in height and 85 feet long by 45 feet wide, the impressive building is punctuated by the Greek Revival portico at the front, supported by six large fluted columns across its width. Rising from the portico is a square clock tower, atop which is a round belfry, then a very tall and slender octagonal spire with a windowed octagonal base.
Both designed and built by Thomas Lord, a craftsman and designer of Blue Hill, Maine, Ellsworth First Congregational Church was dedicated in 1846, the second church to have been built by the Ellsworth Congregationalists, who organized in 1812.
To the rear of the church is The Old Burial Ground, most likely one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. The first interments were in the early 1800s with the last known burial in 1878, that of Rufus Buck. There is a walkway leading into the cemetery and it is well maintained. Most of the headstones are still legible.
Almost all towns have had their visitations by fire, often times large enough to decimate the town. Ellsworth's turn came in 1933, but, fortunately, that episode left the Congregationalist Church standing, which it continues to do today.
Ellsworth Congregational Church
The Ellsworth Congregational Church is an impressive structure. The
large scale and the plain boldness of the detail is appropriate to a building of such huge size. The church is well sited. It sits on a raised platform of ground on the side of a gently sloping hill. The approach up the hill toward the front of the church emphasizes the soaring verticality of its façade.
One of the buildings to survive the 1933 Fire, the Ellsworth Congregational Church remains today, a fine example of New England church architecture of the mid-nineteenth century. The church was designed and built by Thomas Lord, a carpenter-designer of Blue Hill, Maine. Lord built several churches in Hancock County. The Blue Hill Baptist Church was redone by him in 1856.
The positioning of the Ellsworth Congregational Church in relationship to the rest of Ellsworth is important today. Grouped between the church and Route I are the City Hall, the government buildings of Hancock County, a handsome block of brick stores along the Union River, and several distinguished residences, one now the public library. The Congregational Church, rising from the hill, is a focal point of this architecturally rich district in the center of Ellsworth.
From the NRHP Nomination Form
Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1846
Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source
If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday
Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 10:00 AM
Street address of Church:
2 Church Street
Ellsworth, ME USA
04605
Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Not listed
If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed
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