Walpole Meeting House, State Route 129, Walpole, Lincoln County, ME

Includes photo of pewter communion set .
Significance: Built by the Town of Bristol in 1772, the Walpole Meeting House remains today in a virtually unaltered condition. Originally the home of a Presbyterian church, in 1796 it became Congregational and even today serves a place of worship during the summer months.

The two-story, wood-framed building is rectangular and has a high gable roof. Its three doors (each of a different design) open directly into the body of the meeting house. The hand-crafted, paneled pulpit is located directly opposite the large entryway and is 5'6" above the first floor. The box pews are all paneled. First floor pews, elevated about 6" above the floor, are painted gray and have hinged seats on three sides. A gallery of plain board seats, said to have been placed there for use by community members' slaves, surrounds the room on three sides. Two sets of stairs lead to the gallery. (Text from the 1976 National Register of Historic Places nomination.)
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-21
Survey number: HABS ME-50
Building/structure dates: 1772 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 76000104