Seaman’s Church, 1828-29

26 Middle Street, Eastport, Muselenk (Moose Island), Maine.

View of the main sanctuary space of Seaman’s Church building during architecture lecture by Earle Shettleworth, Jr., Maine state historian.

The Congregational Church, long known as the Seaman’s Church, was constructed in 1828, dedicated in February, 1829, with Daniel Low as local architect and builder. The building employs uniquely strong construction techniques not found elsewhere in New England. The original steeple of the church blew over in the Saxby Gale of 1869 and was replaced by the current steeple of different design. The original main sanctuary space (as shown in photograph above) is very largely intact though the original balcony was enclosed in about 1890. The building is deemed “the finest example of federalist architecture in Washington County, Maine” and it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

The building and property were gifted to TIMA by the Congregational Church congregation in 2016. Many of the original church records are now in the collections of TIMA. TIMA is developing the building for TIMA and other public talks, workshops, celebrations, and receptions; as exhibition space for maritime and architectural artifacts drawn from TIMA’s extensive collections; as an important feature of a walking tour of TIMA’s campus of historic buildings; and for other community events. The main sanctuary space can host an audience of up to 250 people. The small congregation continues to meet seasonally at the church building on Sunday mornings.