Name/Title
Washington Street Baptist Church (now Eastport Arts Center) | 36 Washington Street, Eastport, Maine | I7-0B3-20 | District #109Entry/Object ID
109Description
For its first 167 years, this building was known as the Washington Street Baptist Church. The Baptist congregation that worshiped here started out as a religious society of Calvinists in August of 1802 with Aaron Hayden as the first deacon. Known then as the First Baptist Church and Society of Eastport, the society met at various places in town before and after the War of 1812. In 1820, the society had a modest one story Baptist meetinghouse built on High Street near Boynton Street that was designed by architect and builder, Daniel Low. The society soon outgrew this building and in 1837 the society had a more substantial church built on Washington Street. It became known as the Washington Street Baptist Church. When first constructed, the building was one story with a square bell tower facing Washington Street. In 1882, the church building was raised 13 feet to accommodate a new vestry in the basement with vestry, parlor, library, and other rooms arranged, giving the parish its needed equipment all under one roof. The organ contained at the Washington Street Baptist Church building is a H.C. Harrison organ made in Portland, Maine. It dates to about 1890 when it was first installed in the building. It is a two manual tracker organ. The building is now owned by the Eastport Arts Center and serves as a community arts center. When the building was sold by the Baptist society to the Eastport Arts Center at the end of 2004, the two large c.1900 glass mosaic religious themed panels that once were mounted to the wall on either side of the organ were removed to the society's new church building, The Cornerstone Baptist Church, on County Road in Eastport. One of the panels was designed and created by Tiffany Studios of New York City. The bottom cast panel of this mosaic reads: ”To the Glory of God, In Loving Remembrance of Samuel Stevens and his family and of Emory Lyon.“ The original upper windows on the front of the tower have been removed and covered over. As well, the original flat tower roof with decorative border has been changed to a pitched roof of plain design. The original pews in the second floor sanctuary space have been removed and replaced with pitched theater style seating. More recently a covered extension has been added in front of the modified original front entrance.
From Eastport Walking Tour Brochure, 2010:
Washington Street Baptist Church Washington Street.
This church started as a religious society in August of 1802 with Aaron Hayden as the first deacon. The society moved around both before and after the War of 1812. In 1837 the Washington Street Baptist Church was built at its present location. The church was built as a two-story building with a square bell tower facing Washington Street
From Kilby's Eastport and Passamaquoddy (1888):
WASHINGTON STREET BAPTIST CHURCH. As has been related in preceding chapters, a meeting-house was built on Moose Island as early as 1794; but several years elapsed before any permanent religious organization was effected. Services were conducted in the meeting-house from time to time by itinerants, who were mostly Baptists; and in July, 1801, Elder Edward Manning baptized over thirty persons. At length, on the eighth day of August, 1802,* the church now known as the Washington Street Baptist Church was instituted by Rev. James Murphy, who became pastor, assisted by Rev. Elijah Brooks, of New Brunswick. Aaron Hayden was the first deacon. The church at the beginning consisted of fifty-seven persons, widely scattered about the vicinity and neighboring islands, some as far away as Pennamaquan, who soon after withdrew and formed a church at home; and several years later others established a church at Lubec. At first, the up island meeting-house was occupied. After the South School-house was built, services were held there; and later the society worshipped in a room above a store on Water Street. The breaking out of the War of 1812 interrupted plans for building a meeting-house ; but services were continued with considerable regularity during the British occupation, and, after the departure of their forces, the work was taken up again. The meeting-house on High Street was dedicated Nov. 12, 1820, the pastor, Rev. Henry J. Ripley, preaching the sermon. This house was plainly built, without tower or steeple; and the interior was arranged in a peculiar manner, the pulpit standing between the en- trance doors, with the congregation seated in the pews facing that way. In 1837, when under the pastoral care of Rev. John B, Hague, the new house of worship was built on Washington Street, and dedicated Dec. 13, 1837, Rev. James Huckins of Calais preaching the sermon. In 1818, Samuel Wheeler was appointed deacon. Both he and Deacon Hayden continued in service until their decease; and their sons, Charles H. Hayden and Loring ¥. Wheeler, were their immediate successors. For many years, the prayer and conference meetings of the church were held in the Hayden School-house, on the ledge at the top of Boynton Hill. Afterward, a commodious vestry was built on Green Street. Recently, the church building has been raised, and in the basement spacious and convenient vestry, parlor, library, and other rooms arranged, giving the parish its needed equipment all under one roof; and the former vestry is now the armory of the Frontier Guards. Although the society had been in existence for so many years under the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it was not until the separation of the State of Maine that steps were taken to secure a legal organization; and on the 15th of June, 1820, the petition of Aaron Hayden and seven others was presented to the Maine legislature for the incorporation of the " First Baptist Church and Society in Eastport." The prayer of the petition was granted and organization completed Aug. 28, 182 1. Bequests amounting to $1,000 have been received from the estate of Deacon Samuel Stevens. Organization in 1888. Pastor, Rev. A. J. Hughes. Deacons, John S. Pearce, Samuel Campbell, Harvey Bishop, T. C. Adams. Church clerk, Horace Wilder. Parish clerk, Simon Stevens. Treasurer, T. C. Adams. Collector, B. A. Gardner. Trustees, P. M. Kane, T. C. Adams, John McGregor. Sunday-school superintendent, E. S. Kinney.
*Mr. Weston fixes the date of the organization of this church as 1798; but among the Sabine papers is a sketch written in 1848 by Rev. Kendall Brooks, Jr., pastor at the time, which makes the year 1802, and is doubtless correct. It is not only the earliest religious organization in town, but the oldest in the county east of Machias. The Eastern Lodge of Masons, instituted August 11, 1801, is the oldest organization in the Passamaquoddy region except the town of Eastport.
• From Eastport Sentinel, July 12, 1882, p.3,c.2: “The Baptist Church is now being raised preparatory to finishing off a vestry in the basement.”
• From Eastport Sentinel, July 26, 1882, p.3,c.3: “BUILDING NOTES.— Building operations are being carried on quite extensively in town just now. The work of building a new vestry under the Baptist Church is progressing finely. The church has been raised 13 feet, and the frame for the vestry has been placed in position. The contract for raising the church was taken by St. John parties, who accomplished the job in much less time than was expected."
• From Eastport Sentinel, October 25, 1882, p.3,c.1: “The improvements on the Baptist Church are rapidly nearing completion; when finished it will probably be the largest and one of the handsomest buildings in town. The society expects to occupy the church in about two weeks.”
• From Eastport Sentinel, February 7, 1883, p.3,c.1: “The Baptist Society opened the new rooms in the basement of their church to the public last Thursday evening with a supper, entertainment and sale of useful and fancy articles. There was a large crowd present and the affair was very successful. The Baptist Society may well feel proud of their new vestry.”
*Conversation with Edward French, April 5, 2024: The organ at the Washington Street Baptist Church building is a H.C. Harrison organ made in Portland, Maine. It dates to about 1890. It is a two manual tracker organ.
