Name/Title
Blakey Memorial United Methodist Church | 74 High Street, Eastport, Maine | I7-0C2-04 | District #84Entry/Object ID
084Description
This Gothic style church building was built in 1884 and replaced an earlier church building of same Methodist denomination. The building bears the name of the Blakey Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church in honor of L. C. Blakey, a former member of the parish, who left a generous bequest that provided the funds to build the new church edifice. At the time, his bequest was described as “larger than has ever been received by any other religious society in town.” The one and half story building has a tall, steep pitched gable roof on the front of the main building that houses the sanctuary space and clipped gable roof on the side addition that houses the vestry space. Gothic style arched windows line the first floor of the building with stained glass in the windows of the main building. A round Star of David design stained glass window is centered just below the peak of the front gable. The front entrance Gothic style portico is a refashioned remnant of what had been a tower running upwards to the peak of the main building with an elaborate Gothic style steeple above. In recent years, a metal roof has replaced the earlier asphalt shingle roof.
From Eastport Walking Tour Brochure, 2010:
9) The Methodist Church High Street. This church was built in 1820 by the Baptists who later moved to Washington Street. New to Eastport, the Methodists first rented the church on High Street and later purchased it.
From Kilby's Eastport and Passamaquoddy (1888):
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The first regular class of the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in Eastport in November, 1838, by Rev. William Brown, who was stationed at Robbinston; and the first quarterly meeting was held by Presiding Elder Rev. D. Copeland the same year. In 1839, Eastport was made a missionary station, under charge of Rev. Isaiah McMahon, Isaac Bridges, leader, Joseph Bridges, James Luckley, and John Loveley, stewards. The Baptist society having built a new house of worship on Washington Street, their meeting-house on High Street was first hired by the Methodists, and purchased by them in 1842. While in their possession, the building was greatly improved by the addition of a tower, and in other ways. Across the street stood the gun-house of the Eastport Washington Artillery, the lower story occupied by their brass cannon and other equipments, with drill hall above. This building the Methodists converted to peaceful uses, moving it across alongside of the church, and adapting it to vestry and parsonage purposes. By the generosity of Mr. L. C. Blakey, a former member of the parish, who left a bequest larger than has ever been received by any other religious society in town, it was enabled to undertake the building of a new church edifice, which was completed in 1884, and bears the name of the Blakey Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church. The society also owns a parsonage. Organization for 1888. Pastor, Rev. M. G. Prescott. Stewards, A. Flagg, E. J. Farris, G. F. Raye, S. O. Bridges, Joseph Farris, G. Stevenson, Robert Spear, A. K. McLeod, George Farris. Trustees, M. Thompson, R. Flagg, J. Farris, G. F. Raye, R. Spear, Henry Farris, William Irving, Amos Boyd, A. K. McLeod. Recording steward, R. Flagg. District steward, A. K. McLeod. Superintendent Sunday-school, R. Flagg.
