Universalist Church, Main Street, Norway
At the time people were beginning to clear land and build homes in what would become the Town of Norway, we must remember that Maine was not yet a state and was governed by the laws of Massachusetts. When a town reached a specified number of residents, certain requirements came into play. Preaching was one of those requirements.
Designated land was reserved for this purpose and local landowners, called freeholders, were taxed to cover the cost of this required preaching. What was referred to as a Standing Order designated Congregationalism as the denomination to receive the land and payments.
This Standing Order is especially interesting, as the US Constitution was still a young document. Even younger was the First Amendment, passed in December of 1791, which prevented the government from establishing an official religion.
Again, the Standing Order was a Massachusetts Law and, perhaps, the state’s governing body didn’t understand, or didn’t think it applied to them, or didn’t care. Massachusetts, having been settled by the Puritan movement, was primarily a Congregationalist state, and voting rights were determined by membership in that church.
Many of Norway’s early settlers tended to be Congregationalists from Massachusetts. Soon after establishing cabins and farms, they began to meet in homes or barns for worship and to make plans to found a church.
According to Lapham’s History of Norway, the first Congregational (Orthodox) minister to preach here was Rev. Daniel Gould. Bethel’s Gould Academy bears his name, as he was its founder.
In October of 1804, the Congregational Church was officially organized and services were held at the spacious home of Amos Upton. It was some years before there was a regular pastor; therefore, services were led by traveling preachers or missionaries who were paid from $5.00 to $5.50 for services, which included two sermons. Deacons presided when no minister was available.
Major Jonathan Cummings, though not officially a member of any denomination, initiated the building of a Congregational meeting-house which was completed in 1808. The members then petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts for an Act of Incorporation, which was granted, and Rev. Noah Cressey was installed as pastor.
When the town was being settled, Universalism had only recently arrived in this country and had not yet been brought to Maine. But by March 1799, the Universalist Society in Norway was officially organized, five years before the Congregationalists. The first Universalist preacher for the new Society was Rev. Thomas Barns, who moved his family from Gloucester to a farm in Poland, Maine, and also served parishes in Gray, New Gloucester, and Falmouth.
The first Universalist Church building was completed in 1801 on land donated by Henry Rust. This was the first religious meeting-house in town and the first Universalist Church in the State of Maine.
After being used for a number of years, the building was sold to the Baptist parishioners and moved across the street. Eventually, the building was again sold and became part of the tannery.
The present building, completed in 1829, was designed by architect Ezra B Beal. The sum of $137.17 was dedicated for the purchase of the bell. In 1863, the building was raised to allow for the construction of the Concert Hall beneath. Until the building of Norway Hall, this served as the only public hall in town. Norway Hall was destroyed in the fire of 1894 and replaced by the present Opera House.
Visit the Norway Museum and Historical Society on the corner of Whitman and Main Street on Saturdays from 9 to noon and visit the website: www.norwayhistoricalsociety.org.
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