Name/Title
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church | 51 Washington Street, Eastport, Maine | I7-0B1-5A | District #214Entry/Object ID
214Description
The current St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was built in 1871 on the same site of an earlier smaller Catholic Church building which was moved to another location to make way for the new larger church building. The new church was dedicate in 1873. The new building was soon found to be still too small and it was doubled in size in 1887 and rededicated in 1888. At the same time the building was raised two feet and a brick and stone foundation built under it, giving the enlarged building a full basement. Creary and Mulneaux,built the addition. The organ at the church is a Hook and Hastinga organ made in Boston, Massachusetts. It dates to about 1887, the year the church building was enlarged. It is a two manual tracker organ.
From Eastport Walking Tour Brochure, 2010:
64) St. Joseph's Catholic Church Washington
1826, Rev. Charles French came to Eastport as a clergyman of the Roman Catholic faith and began to gather a society. Shortly after Rev. French's arrival, steps were taken to erect a chapel. Mr. Edward Gilligan, formerly of Ireland, was an efficient assistant and had a number of Protestants contribute toward the funds. The cornerstone was laid May 3, 1828; and the chapel was completed the following year, with a residence being built for the priest at a later date on the same lot. When the parish had outgrown the capacity of their house of worship, it was moved to another place on Chapel Street; and the present St. Joseph's Church was built on the same site.
• From Eastport Sentinel, September 14, 1887, p.3,c.1: “St. Josephs Catholic church is undergoing extensive alterations and enlargement. In 1871 the present edifice was built during the settlement over the parish of the late Rev. Father Vetromile, the old building erected near fifty years before, being moved to the corner of Boynton and Chapel streets, where it was finished for a dwelling. The present church building has of late years been found entirely too small for the congregation, and to the main building, 50x37 ft. an size, is to be added on the north end, fifty feet more giving a building one hundred feet in length and thirty-seven feet wide. The whole building has been raised two feet, and a brick and stone foundation built under it, giving a large basement under the new part, opening on Sullivan St., in which steam heating apparatus will be placed for heating the church and the connecting dwelling belonging to the Society. Many improvements have been made under the direction and through the efforts of Rev. John ODgwd. Messrs. Creary and Mulneaux, carpenters, have charge of the work of enlarging the building.”
From Kilby's Eastport and Passamaquoddy (1888):
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. In 1826, Rev. Charles Ffrench came here to labor as a clergyman of the Roman Catholic faith, and began to gather a society. The few Catholic churches then established in Maine were connected with the diocese of Boston, and the Sentiniel of that time published the following report of the first visit of the bishop : " 20th July, 1827, Bishop Fenwick arrived from Boston on the steamer Patent, and was escorted on the same day by Rev. Mr. French and several Indians dressed in rich costume to Pleasant Point, where he was most graciously received by that people amidst their salute from their large cannon and several discharges of musketry; and on Thursday evening, at the request of gentlemen of Eastport, he delivered in the Congregational (Unitarian) meeting-house, before a crowded and most respectable assemblage of citizens, an impressive and most eloquent discourse." Soon after, steps were taken for the erection of a chapel; and, in this undertaking, Mr. Edward Gilligan was a most efficient assistant to Father Ffrench, and a number of Protestants contributed toward the funds. The corner-stone was laid May 3, 1828 ; and the chapel was completed the following year. Later, a residence was built for the priest the same lot. When some years after the parish had out- grown the capacity of their house of worship, it was moved to another place; and the present St. Joseph's Church, which was dedicated by Bishop Bacon in 1873, was built on the same site. Recently, extensive additions and alterations have been made in the building, a larger organ introduced, and it was rededicated by Bishop Healey July 17, 1888. Rev. John 'Dowd is the present priest in charge of the parish, and Stephen Sherlock superintendent of the Sunday-school.
Conversation with Edward French, April 5, 2024: The organ at St. Joseph's Catholic Church building is a Hook and Hastinga organ made in Boston, Massachusetts. It dates to about 1887. It is a two manual tracker organ.
