Meeting House
When the Historical Society's village was assembled, beginning nearly 60 years ago, the founders felt strongly that such a historical reproduction of a mid-19th century town would be incomplete without a meeting house. Such meeting houses were the center of village life from the earliest settlements in the colonies.
This meeting house is styled after a simple structure in Wayne, Maine, which is located 15 miles west of Augusta on Lake Androscoggin. Called the Town House, it was built in 1840 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It was selected because of its plain, unassuming character.
The Wayne, Maine Town House was built to hold town meetings and as a town office. Made of wood, the Town House had benches inside for people to sit on -- the men on one side and the women on the other side because the women could not vote.
Our village's founders measured that building ... made drawings ... they took photos ... they tried to replicate the original in every sense -- hand-cut nails, mill work, hardware, paint ... to be as true to the original as possible, including the wide floor boards, the 12 over 8 windows, and furnished it with benches in the original style.
Our concession to the 20th century and the purposes to which this building is now put are electricity, and a full basement with oil furnace. An ell was added to accomodate a modern kitchen and bathroom. And, of course, the two emergency exits.
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