BIDDEFORD — It was April 1864, one year before the end of the Civil War, when 16 men in Biddeford Pool decided they wanted to open a new church, a free church, open to all.

Each of the men put up $200 to found the church, and thus the Union Church was born.

Initially, the congregation met in a house next door from where the current church now sits.

Then, in 1900, the church on Stonecliff Road was built.

Union Church, which was founded as a Methodist church but is now non-denominational, has been through some rough times, but it has survived for 150 years.

“We hold a significant place in the history of Biddeford Pool at a time when many communities have no sense of history, or the significance of their people and their places,” said local resident and church member Peter McPheeters.

Union Church is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a gala celebration on Saturday and Sunday, which will be free and open to the public.

Festivities will include food, music and fun, said Union Church Rev. Jan Hryniewicz.

On Saturday, the celebration under a tent will last from 4-8 p.m., featuring music by Michelle Currie and Christian Eason from 4-5:30 p.m. and a concert with the Jessie McKinnon Band from 5:30-8 p.m.

Food will be for sale, including lobster rolls, clam chowder, strawberry shortcake and more, or people can bring their own picnics.

On Sunday, Hryniewicz will lead a special worship service under the tent at 9:30 a.m. From 10:45 a.m. to noon, there will be fellowship and tours of the historic church.

Part of the celebration is simply that the church “is still here,” said Hryniewicz.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the church was the focal point of the community, she said, but in later years, the congregation dwindled.

“When I was invited in 2000,” said Hryniewicz. “I was the last-ditch effort.”

At that time, there were only six members.

“We said we’d give it two years,” she said. “Now there are 100 members.

“I was excited to build a church from the ground floor,” said Hryniewicz. “We’re celebrating that we survived.”

In addition to being a place of worship, the Union Church is active in the community. It hosts a popular summertime speaker series that has featured nationally known authors such as Anita Shreve, Dennis Lehane and Christina Baker-Kline.

Proceeds from the series and other fundraisers are used to support community organizations like the Stone Soup Food Pantry, the Community Partnership for the Protection of Children, Seeds of Hope, In a Pinch non-food pantry and other charitable causes.

In order to keep the church alive and going strong, during this anniversary year, a preservation fund is being created. The current building is more than 110 years old, but having undergone a major renovation in 2000, it is in good condition, members said.

“Our goal is to keep the building in this same condition for generations to come,” said Robert Sherman, the moderator at the church. “All monies in the preservation fund will be used only on the church building, not for any ongoing operating or outreach expenses.”

Many people in Biddeford support Union Church, said Biddeford resident and church member Anita Coupe. Some supporters are descendants of those who attended the church for many generations, but there are others who aren’t of the same religious faith.

“They recognize that there is a tremendous sense of place here; this is our landscape,” said Coupe. The “community wants to preserve it because we all treasure this place and each other.”

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].