TOURS of the historic Winter Street Center at 880 Washington St., Bath, will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for the remainder of July and August.
The former church building and parish hall will be open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays during July and August.
“Visitors can view an exhibit that focuses on the architecture of the buildings and how their design was adapted over time in response to the changing needs of the church’s congregation,” an SPI release states. “The exhibit, titled ‘Winter Street Center — Past, Present and Future,’ also encourages viewers to share their ideas about how the buildings, no longer used as a church, can continue to serve as a center for the community.
The Winter Street Church building was designed and built in 1843 by Anthony Coombs Raymond, a Brunswick master builder responsible for buildings at Bowdoin College, commercial buildings in Brunswick and Bath, and for several notable churches in the area. The design is Gothic Revival, but also incorporates classical, Greek Revival motifs into a building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and that has been called “an important part of the architectural heritage of the state,” the release states.
Francis Fassett, a Bath native, designed the adjoining parish hall. Fassett became Maine’s leading architect in the mid- to late-1800s, with more than 400 buildings to his credit. In 1864, he designed this “chapel” addition in the newer Italianate style to serve the growing congregation.
Fassett’s young associate, John Calvin Stevens, who later became Maine’s most prominent and influential architect, designed interior alterations to the church building in 1890, expanding the space and adding Colonial Revival motifs to its design and decoration.
After the Winter Street Church congregation merged with the Central Church congregation, they built a new church on Congress Avenue. SPI formed in 1971 to save the Winter Street property, which it transferred in 1973 to the Bath Marine Museum as a place for exhibits and lectures.
When the renamed Maine Maritime Museum consolidated its four locations at the former Percy and Small shipyard, SPI reacquired the Winter Street property.
Since then, SPI has restored the former parish hall and installed a catering kitchen. The building now is available for private rentals and community events.
“The roof and steeple of the church building have been repaired and there are plans to move forward with restoration of the former sanctuary while also modernizing the mechanical systems to bring them up to current code requirements, so that this building too can be available for large community events,” the release states. “SPI hopes that visitors will enjoy learning about the role that Winter Street has played in the community for nearly 170 years, and will also contribute their ideas on what its role will be in the future.”
The Winter Street Center is located at 880 Washington St., across from City Park. For more information, visit www.sagadahocpreservation.org or call 443-2174.
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