1823 - Built by the Baptists, Methodists, and Universalists
1837 or 8 - Baptist Church built their own church
1849 - Methodist Church built (enlarged 1869)
1882 or 1890 - Town took possession of Union Church (fallen into decay); converted it to a "Town House"
-Steeple damaged by a storm and
Traditional pointed steeple replaced with the "Onion" Dome
10/29/96 - Steeple removed for repair
2/24/97- New steeple (constructed by Robert Hanscom of Greene ) replaced on tower
From Bowdoinham Advertiser Vol. II No. II (c. 1974)
By FRANK CONNORS
In 1912, Silas Adams described Bowdoinham's present day Town Hall in his History of Bowdoinham, Maine. He called the building the "conspicuous landmark of this Town", and then added, "situated on the highest ground in this locality, it has been a vigilant sentinel ovcrlooking and noting the rapid flight of time, on the very spot where Samuel Coombs, the first settler in this village, located.
Adams later hoped aloud that, "this old guard which has withstood so many tempests in its lifetime, may continue for many years as a proud ancestor, preserved from the wastes of time".
Sixty years have passed since the day Adams had those thoughts, more than half a century that has been hard, at times even brutal on the old building he loved. Yes it still stands there on the highest ground, still conspicuous and still vigilant. But for how much longer? Today she is brittle with age, vulnerable to wear. Would anyone be bold enough to predict the building will stand another half century .
The Universalist Society in Bowdoinham built the present day Town Hall as their Church, in 1823. Their modest Landing, as the Town was then called was different from the Town we have today, there was no public meeting house, no fraternal halls, no Grange, and no places of public worship. Religious services were conducted in private homes.
The Baptists and the Methodists of that day shared the same hall with the Universalists for many years, until these separate groups had the numbers and money to build separate meeting places. The Baptist finally built their own Church in 1837, and the Methodists in 1849.
Ministers at the old Universalist Church included the ReverendsJ. H. Little, S. L. Crosley, W. R. French, B. Brunning, E. W. Webber. ~; A. Reed, W. F. Small and F. T. Nelson. Some of the early, more prominent families of the church included the J. P. Rideouts, the George W. Rideouts, the S. W. Carrs, the R. W. Carrs, the William Bibbers, the C. F. Staples, the Edward Raymonds, the G. M. Gowells, the Elbridge Curtises and the F. K. Jacks. The Jacks were residents of Bowdoinham when the Town's first census was taken in 1790.
The Universalists refurbished their building in 1882, and used it as their meeting place until 1890. On January 29, 1890 the Universalists dedicated what they considered a more modern and serviceable church below their old place. That second Universalist meeting house is used by the Nazarenes as their meeting house today, on the corner of School and Main Streets.
The Universalists chose not to abandon their old meetinghouse on the hill however. Instead, they donated it to the Town of Bowdoinham, on condition that the Town maintain the structure, and that Universalists retain the right to services in the building whenever they desire.
One can only look at the present building and wonder if local selectmen and citizens realize the obligation they have to their old Town Hall. Some people in town are already concerned about the building. Those that are not concerned, or the ones who are taking the structure for granted, should perhaps readjust their thinking. The town needs a meeting place, and if we don't start caring for the one we have, we might lose it.