The Clough Meeting House was originally built by the Second Free Will Baptist Church of Lewiston, Maine in 1846 at a cost of $808.57. It is located across the street from the Clough Cemetery. The original structure was 36′ x 40′, and is one of 16 known ”reverse plan” churches in the state. Meaning the preaching stand is in the front of the building – note in the photos that there are paired front doors leading to symmetrical vestibules, so that as you entered the building you would have been looking at the congregation sitting in the 40 pews…best not be late to service! The Clough Meeting House is considered to be one of Maine’s best preserved reverse plan churches, and it is the oldest church structure still standing in Lewiston. As seen in the photos, the Meeting House is also significant for the examples of both grain painting and smoke painting. The Meeting House is owned and maintained by the Clough Cemetery Association and has recently been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information on the building’s historical significance, please visit: <http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000438.htm>
Historic New England Meeting House
2 Comments
Thanks for the great work in preserving and gaining recognition for this building. I especially admire its originality, very much including the false graining. The smoked two step swirling is spectacular. The curved ceiling must make the acoustics special, too. D.S., Union, Maine
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