Union Church

The Union Church was gathered in 1841 by a group of Universalists, who asked other people of faith to join them in providing a “union” church in North Harpswell. It echoes beautifully many of the design features of the Kellogg Church, its neighbor down the road, both outside and in. In our time, it has become the property and province of the Harpswell Garden Club, who offer and “flower” the space and their services to others.

Union Church is an important and small, virtually intact example of a tower-less rural Maine religious building. Built in 1841 as a meetinghouse for the community of North Harpswell, the Union Church represents the Greek Revival style. Of note is the full gabled pediment, double columned corner pilasters rising to an entablature and an entrance doorframe reflecting this same architectural makeup. In 1844, a Universalist Society was organized and began using the building for its services. By the mid-1870s the Universalists became inactive and the building was used for services by the Congregationalist Society. In the early 1920s the building was closed and remained vacant until 1969 when the Harpswell Garden Club began restoration. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.