First Congregational Church, Searsport: Exterior

First Congregational Church, Searsport, Maine, built in 1834. It is Greek Revival in style. The Congregational Society in Searsport gathered on October 4, 1815 with sixteen members including a minister. The Society erected the first of its two buildings, the Harbor Church, in 1819 at Searsport Harbor, about one mile east of the present village. As the center of the community life moved into the village, the Society abandoned its church and built on Townhouse Hill, the present site, in 1833. A bell cast at the Revere Foundry in Massachusetts was installed in the church's steeple. The sanctuary was dedicated on March 5, 1834. The church underwent extensive remodeling in 1902. The building was raised, the foundation strengthened, new pews were installed, and the ceiling and floor coverings replaced. In 1906 the Society replaced an earlier pipe organ, probably a Simmons, with an instrument manufactured by E.W. Lane. As part of the 1902 renovations, new memorial stained-glass windows were installed. While documentation is currently lacking, the windows have been attributed to the Tiffany Studios. The adjoining parish house was completed in May 1994 and replaced the earlier brick building at the foot of Church Street. That building is now part of the Penobscot Marine Museum and the town's historic district. The Congregational Church is governed by its members and by fellowships with state and national organizations of the Congregational Christian Churches.