Name/Title
United Methodist Church (Lost) | 231 Main Street, Calais, Maine | Calais Residential Historic DistrictDescription
Built:1834
Address:
231 Main Street
Calais, Maine
National Register
HISTORIC DISTRICT
From Sunrise County Architecture (2nd revised and enlarged edition) 1996, p. 14:
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The oldest church structure in Calais, originally called "Union Church" but now United Methodist Church, was dedicated in 1834. It stands at 231 Main Street. The design is similar to both the East Machias Congregational Church and the Centre Street (United Church of Christ) in Machias, but the architect of the United Methodist Church of Calais is not known. A Gothic Revival style building with projecting front towers, tall narrow windows to the side of the entrance, it is prominent on Main Street. In the 1960s the tower was removed, and the tower windows covered as welL The west side has two doors, and several four-over-four sash windows. This church is still in use. JCB
From National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
CALAIS RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT
Section number 7, Page 7
8. united Methodist Church, 1834 - C 231 Main street
Although this is the oldest extant religious building in Calais, the gable roofed rectangular frame structure was subjected to extensive alterations in the 1960s. As originally built, the church was relatively typical in its overall form, but was notable for its Gothic Revival style detailing including large tracery windows and slightly projecting frontal tower with a crennelated base and first stage. This tower was removed in the remodeling and the large tower window above the entry covered over. In addition, the building was covered with wide aluminum siding. Among its important surviving features are the tall, narrow windows flanking the entry, the lancet arched windows on the nave endwall as well as those along the four-bay sidewalls. The church rests on a tall basement which is punctuated on the west side by two doors and by groups of three four-over-four sash; four of these groupings are located on the east side; a narrow rectangular apse is attached to the rear elevation.
The old Union Church, now the United Methodist Church of Calais, is the oldest standing church in Calais. It was begun in 1833 and dedicated on May 14, 1834. Its first minister was a young Harvard graduate, Reverend William A. Whitewell, and the congregation included some of this city's most notable early citizens. These included Dr. Shilomette S. Whipple, third owner of the Holmes cottage and Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, fourth owner of the Holmes Cottage and brother to Hannibal Hamlin. Other early citizens of some local renown who were founders of this church include James S. Cooper, Esquire, Benjamin King, M. B. Townsend, Esquire, otis L. Bridges, Esquire, and the Honorable Joseph Granger. The architect of this wooden gothic structure is unknown, but its original design was very similar to the Congregational Churches in both Machias and East Machias. These three buildings were all built at approximately the same time.