Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-01-17
THE OLD MEETING HOUSE.

THE OLD MEETING HOUSE.
I'm the north side OF the main road lead
;rg from the four corners to the village,
s,ood the meeting house, built before 800,
and burned Sunday, Jan. 2, 1872. The
liter well remembers IL, and those who
,rsoched in it, from Father Fisher to the
,ir,e of its destruction, and was present at
,be fire that consumed it and saw its
frame. all ablaze, fall to the ground.
There was a meeting house OF some sort
,store this-one at or near the Tide Mills, to
which allnsion is made in the town records
and in which the church services were
held after the church was organized in
,-72 ten years after Wood and Roundy
s,st landed in town and built their log
cohips on the island near the Fore Falls,
now called Mill island.
Inst where the meeting house in the
Tide Mill district was located, cannot now
undetermined, as traces of 1t have not been
preserved, but mention OF town meetings
heiug held in it and of repairs to it are
found noted in the town records. The
first mention OF il was at the March meet
ing of the town in 1772, when 1.-THE meet
ing by adjournment is to be at the meet
ing house, the first Monday in May, at 3
O'Clock in the afternoon.
The settlement of the town grew in
numbers and spread from the Neck and
Tide Mill districts to the head OF the bay
and beyond, so that the first meeting
house was not centrally located, even II of
sufficient size to convene the people, and
there began an agitation for a new meet
ing house to be built nearer the centre of
the town.
At the annual meeting OF the town held
April 5, 1870, 1T was "Voted, That the
meeting house should be on the main road
at the north end of Mr.. Obed Johnson's
Lot q that the school house should be near
it,.
At town meeting held October 4, 1790,
"Voted, not TO procure materials for build
ing meeting house. Voted, not to choose
committee to procure a meeting house
lot"
At meeting OF the town held April 25,
1871, it was Voted, that the vote passed
at their meeting April s, i7eo, respecting
where the meeting house should stand, be
reconsidered. Voted, That the meeting
house should stand either on the road
leading to John Gibbson's, or on obed
Johnsons land, or near Mile-mark bill.
Voted, That the meeting house should
stand near obed Johnsons.
Voted, That the meeting house should
be fifty feet long and forty feet wide.
Voted, That hundred pounds should be
raised on the town for the purpose of
building the meeting house. Voted, That
committee should be chosen to procure
materials to build said meeting house and
inspect the same, also to fix on the spot
where said meeting house will stand.
Voted, That the committee should con-
sist OF five persons. Voted, That the
following persons should compose said
committee, Daniel Spofford, John Peters,
Col. Nathan Parker, Robert Parker and
Capt. Joseph Wood.
Voted, That the town should appear
on the spot where the meeting house is to
stand, the first Tuesday in June next, in
order 10 clear the same il fair weather, il
not, the next fair day. Voted, That the
committee appointed to procure materials
to build a meeting house should be the
committee to carry the foregoing votes
into execution.
"Blue Hill, May q, 1871. The Freehold
ers other Inhabitants of the town
having met at Col. Nathan Parker's, agree
able to the Warrant OF the 9th inst, pro-
eeeded to the following business, viz.
LIST. John Roundy chosen Moderator to
said meeting. End. Voted, That the
votes passed at the last meeting respecting
where the meeting house should stand
should be reconsidered. Voted, That the
meeting house should stand about twenty