The First Congregational Church of Brewer was established in 1795, officially recognized in 1800.The building itself was built in 1828 and moved to its present location in 1889. (We find this date potentially questionable as we have found a map dated 1885 which shows the Congregational Church already in place on Church Street in that year. Was there already a church in place which was replaced by the present one?) At the same time, or at least some time prior to 1910, the church must have been substantially remodeled, or even replaced, as we have also found a photo of the church, dated 1885, which shows a completely different building. A 1910 photo shows essentially the building we see today. No mention can be found anywhere of the church's remodeling, nor of the construction of another church after 1885, of 1889. This is, unfortunately, not an unusual situation, as we often run up against questionable dates and chronologically disordered photos when researching old buildings and sites.
Be that as it may, we can state with relative certainty that First Congregational was built before 1910 and possibly as early as 1828. Why it's not on the National Register seems to us a bit of a mystery which could be explained if the building is not as old as it's purported to be.
This is an interesting looking church, built in the shape of an "L", the bell tower and steeple filling the northeast corner of the "L". Forming the main entrance to the church, the tower is square in form with a step about a third of the way to the top. from the step up the tower was given extending rounded corners, somewhat like mini towers, rising past the belfry, each finishing with small conical roofs. Open on each side with three arched openings to a side, the belfry ends in a pyramidal steeple with a gold ball and finial which supports an elaborate weather vane. The three exposed sides of the tower have semicircular windows, with a larger one above the entrance. The sanctuary's gable end sports a not terribly large rose window, while window lintels and the belt line on the tower are decorated with miniature dentils, some of the smallest we've seen.
Though in reasonably good condition as yet, the building is showing its age, most notably in the peeling of the paint on some of the trim and deterioration of some of the woodwork.
We have learned that the church had a pipe organ installed in 1903 and restored in 1969. More to come as the
Pipe Organ Database is nonfunctional at this moment.
A Brief History of the First Congregational Church
by Brittany Goetting
The First Congregational Church of Brewer was labeled by local historian Mildred N. Thayer as the “mother of all churches” in the Penobscot region. It was the first church established in the area and the church from whence at least seven churches of various denominations were founded.
Modern-day Brewer was settled by John Brewer in 1770, who wanted to find a place to set up a mill. He was joined by twenty-one others in 1771. These individuals later formed the first congregation in the area. The First Congregational Church of Brewer was established in 1795 by Oliver Farrington and was held in his home. The church was officially recognized in 1800, which is the date the church now celebrates as its anniversary. The church building was constructed near Indian Trails Parks in 1828 and later moved to its current site on 35 Church Street in 1889. The stained glass windows, organ, and many other architectural features in the current establishment are original to the 1889 building. There is even a Bible in the back of the sanctuary that was used at the dedication of the 1889 building.
The Brewer family, the Chamberlain family, and several other prominent families attended the First Congregational Church. They were active as deacons, members of religious organizations such as the temperance society, and in supporting the minister. Their original pews are located today on the left-side of the sanctuary.
The First Congregational Church of Brewer is also home to Boy Scout Troop 1. The Troop was chartered on October 25, 1909, and predates Boy Scouts of America by four months. The Brewer Congregational Scouts were registered first with the Boy Scouts of England and received their Scout badges from England. The troop has remained active almost the entire time, with the exception of a lapse during World War I. The second floor, or attic of the church, continues to host meetings and serves as a tribute to the Troop’s history.
From the Brewer Historical Society