We begin our tour at
Central Parish Church. Now the First Universalist Church, the congregation of this church has come full circle, from Universalist to Congregationalist to Universalist.
Actually organized in 1859 as a Congregationalist church, it was formed by a breakaway group from the First Universalist Church. Dedicated June 5th, 1860, it became known as the First Universalist Church in 1920 and merged with the Unitarians in 1962.
A rather well designed Italianate building, Central Parish Church, today known as First Universalist Church, was the design of Thomas Holt, a native of Bethel, Maine. Standing on a tall brick basement, the facade and tower are quite impressive, exhibiting a great deal of embellishment. Partially set into the front gable end, the square tower has paneled corner pilasters which extend through a curved cornice to a simpler cornice at the bottom of the eight sided belfry which is open on four of the eight sides, above which is an eight sided spire.
Next stop is the second of the two old wood churches,
First Parish Congregational Church. This is one beautiful church, a real treat for those who appreciate both architecture and craftsmanship.
Much of the beauty of this church lies in the craftsmanship and attention to detail which went into its construction. Every aspect of the building has received embellishment and adornment, from the hand carved, multi-panelled entrance doors to the diamond shingling on the spire. Each cornice is dentiled, each door is flanked by pairs of round wooden columns, one plain and the other done in a spiral, with spiraled bars above, while the belfry is, well... look at the pix.
When First Parish Church was established it was the ninth church in the state of Maine, with its first building being erected in 1730. In 1818 a second, larger, church was constructed across the street from this one and served until the construction of the present church in 1868. The design was the work of talented and prolific architect Charles M. Harding. When it was built, the bell was removed from the 1818 church and installed in the belfry. That belfry and steeple are the highest in the Yarmouth area, visible for miles around.
Third stop is the
North Yarmouth Academy, a little farther west. Of the many secondary education facilities established in New England in the nineteenth century, North Yarmouth Academy is one of the few which survive to this day.
With its act of incorporation being signed on February 4, 1814, the academy opened its doors in 1815. Beginning in small wood framed buildings, by the beginning of the 1840s enrollment had increased sufficiently to require the construction of Russell Hall in 1841 as a dormitory and Academy Hall in 1847 as a classroom.
Originally a private school, in 1873 an agreement was reached with the town to provide free schooling to residents. After the town built a school the academy reverted to an all private school. As towns throughout New England built public schools, one by one the private academies fell by the wayside, leaving just a handful operating today. Whether through good luck or good management, North Yarmouth Academy is one of those few.
Then we take a half kilometre hike west down Main Street, where we end our tour at the
Grand Trunk Railroad Station. Unique in the state of Maine, this is the only railroad station built with one end rounded, and granite block pony walls about three feet in height.
The end of the station, covered by a wide overhang, is termed as being apsoidal in form, a word with which I'm not familiar. Perchance they meant apsidal. In any event, the northern end of the station forms a semicircle, as does the overhang above it. The entire station is protected by the wide overhang, as is the norm for railway stations from all eras, supported by timber brackets, each having a curved hypotenuse with a round finial in its centre.
Built in 1906 by the Grand Trunk Railroad, it is, of course, no longer in service. The Yarmouth Village Improvement Society, organized in 1911, purchased the station from the Grand Trunk's successor, Canadian National Railway, in 1968, rescuing it from demolition. The Society had the station meticulously restored, now one of the best restored stations in the state. Of wood frame construction, the station's frame walls stand on substantial granite block walls rising about three feet above ground, another of its unique features.