The Old Pittston Congregational Church (also previously known as the First Congregational Church of Pittston) is a historic church building on Pittston School Street in
Pittston, Maine
Pittston is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,875 at the 2020 census. The town was named after the family of John Pitt, who were early settlers. Pittston is included in the Augusta, Maine micropolitan New En ...
. Built in 1836, it is an architecturally distinctive blend of Federal, Greek Revival, and Gothic Revival architecture, and was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1978.
The congregation, organized in 1812 by Major
Reuben Colburn Reuben Colburn (1740–1818) was a shipbuilder in Pittston, Maine who made great contributions to the American side in the Revolutionary War. His home, the Major Reuben Colburn House, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Biograp ...
, now meets at 21 Arnold Road. It is affiliated with the
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.
Description and history
The Old Pittston Congregational Church stands in a small crossroads village south of the main village of Pittston. It is located on the east side of Pittston School Street (a former alignment of
Maine State Route 27
State Route 27 (abbreviated SR 27) is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from the village of Newagen in Southport at SR 238 to the Coburn Gore-Woburn Border Crossing, where it continues into Quebec as Route 161.
SR ...
), just north of its junction with East Pittston Road (
Maine State Route 194), and northeast of that road's junction with the current alignment of SR 27. It is a 1-1/2 story rectangular wood frame building, with a gabled roof, clapboard siding, and granite foundation. The front facade, facing west, has six Doric pilasters supporting an entablature, with a fully pedimented gable above. There are two doorways between two pairs of pilasters, each topped by a sash window with a fixed rounded top. Similar windows adorn the building sides. Rising from the roof is a two-stage square tower, its upper stage housing a belfry with round-arch louvered openings.
[ with ]
Pittston's First Congregational Church was organized in 1812 by Major
Reuben Colburn Reuben Colburn (1740–1818) was a shipbuilder in Pittston, Maine who made great contributions to the American side in the Revolutionary War. His home, the Major Reuben Colburn House, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Biograp ...
, who lived to the south, and is best known for his work assisting
Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec
In September 1775, early in the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Benedict Arnold led a force of 1,100 Continental Army troops on an expedition from Cambridge in the Province of Massachusetts Bay to the gates of Quebec City. The expeditio ...
in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. This church was built in 1836, and represents a distinctive blending of architectural styles. Its basic form is Federal, but its facade has Greek Revival elements, with Gothic style windows. Historic documentation indicates that the church tower was once adorned by corner pinnacles, also a Gothic feature. The building was used by the congregation until 1894, when it relocated to a more centrally located facility.
[ The congregation currently meets at 21 Arnold Road, just north of the Major Reuben Colburn House.
]
See also
*
References
External links
First Congregational Church of Pittston websiteHISTORY OF GARDINER, PITTSTON AND WEST GARDINER
by J.W. Hanson (1852), pg. 267-271
{{National Register of Historic Places
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
Federal architecture in Maine
Churches completed in 1836
19th-century churches in the United States
Churches in Kennebec County, Maine
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference churches in Maine
National Register of Historic Places in Kennebec County, Maine