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 Augusta church ready for 150th anniversary Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 19.009 W 069° 46.537
19T E 438147 N 4907354
Large and impressive, this 1865 church is a dramatic Gothic Revival style building, the exterior finished in granite. 2015 was an important year in the church's history - it turned 150 that year!
Waymark Code: WMRXA1
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2016
Views: 0
The church was dedicated in July of 1866, making that its "birth year" in the opinion of the congregation. When South Parish Congregational was coming up on its 150th, there were several news articles published and aired concerning the event. Reproduced in part further below is one of them, from the Portland Press Herald.
Written many years ago, this book was initially published around the same time this church was built. It deals with a controversy of some sort which took place within the church at this time. In reprint now, it was most recently published by "Forgotten Books".
The first meeting house on this site, built in 1809, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1864. Construction of this church, designed by notable Maine Architect Francis H. Fassett, was commenced shortly after.
Graced with twelve stained glass windows down the sides of the sanctuary, the church also has a large rose window at the rear. In the balcony is a large pipe organ, beautifully decorated, which was installed when the church was built. It was made by the firm of E. & G.G. Hook in Boston.
The adjacent parish house is a wood framed "stick built" edifice dedicated in 1890.
More history, from the NRHP nomination form, follows.
Augusta church ready for 150th anniversary
The South Parish Congregational Church was built to endure and its faithful make sure it still shines.
Posted June 13, 2016
BY KEITH EDWARDS KENNEBEC JOURNAL
AUGUSTA — The South Parish Congregational Church United Church of Christ was built 150 years ago with a tower and spire rising 178 feet into the sky, a soaring arched sanctuary ceiling decorated with religious symbols, a dozen intricately detailed stained glass windows that glow and twinkle with sunlight, and a massive, custom-built, 35-foot-tall E. & G.G. Hook pipe organ encased in solid black walnut.
But having just seen their previous church building get struck by lightning and burn to the ground a year prior, church leaders then also made sure their new sanctuary was as practical as it was spectacular.
“You’ll notice this church was built out of granite and has six lightning rods,” said Jane Coryell, the South Parish Congregational Church’s unofficial historian.
Indeed its substantial walls made of locally-quarried granite still stand. And there were relatively recent major restorations of both the classic pipe organ on a raised platform at the rear of the church and the stained glass windows – nine of which were created by Tiffany Studios. The building and the still-active congregation have withstood the test of time to celebrate the church’s and organ’s 150th anniversary with a series of special events.
“There is a definite spirit about it. You can feel it when you walk in,” the Rev. Jane MacIntyre, pastor of the church, said of the spectacular sanctuary.
Bob Dodge, a trustee of the church, said church leaders met immediately after the congregation’s second church building burned after being struck by lightning July 11, 1864, and vowed to rebuild.
Inscribed into the bell in the tower is “In this year of peace,” noting it was built in the first year after the Civil War.
The church building and stately organ, both built in Gothic style, cost $57,000 to build and furnish.
Read more at the Portland Press Herald
Type of publication: Newspaper
When was the article reported?: 07/13/2016
Publication: Portland Press Herald
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: regional
News Category: Arts/Culture
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