The Union Church of Vinalhaven is a historic church on East Main Street in the center of Vinalhaven, Maine. Built in 1899, it is a high quality example of Shingle style architecture, designed by one of its major promoters, John Calvin Stevens. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[1]
Union Church of Vinalhaven | |
   | |
| Location | E. Main St., Vinalhaven, Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°2′54″N 68°49′52″W / 44.04833°N 68.83111°W |
| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Built by | Otto Nelson |
| Architect | John Calvin Stevens |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001388[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 1984 |
Description and history
editThe Union Church stands on the south side of East Main Street in downtown Vinalhaven, just east of its junction with Atlantic Avenue. The church is a single-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and shingled exterior. The long side of the building faces the street, with a square tower projecting at the right end. The tower rises to a louvered belfry and a pyramidal roof, whose corners have projecting hip sections over the piers that flank the belfry louvers. The main entrance is at the base of the tower, sheltered by a gabled porch. A wide wall dormer is set in the center of that facade, with a tripartite Gothic window. The west-facing gable end is also adorned with a large Gothic window, with small oriel windows on either side.[2]
The church was built by Otto Nelson according to a design by Stevens, who was Maine's best-known architect of the turn of the 20th century. Stevens was a major promoter of the Shingle style, and this church is an excellent example of the style. It was built to replace an earlier structure, built in 1860 when Vinalhaven was a major center for granite quarrying and shipping.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b Frank Beard (1984). "NRHP nomination for Union Church of Vinalhaven". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-07-08. with photo from 1983