A History of East Orrington Congregational Church, Orrington, Maine

The history of East Orrington Congregational Church begins well before Orrington, Maine even existed. Settlers seeking religious freedom were making their homes in a place so new it was known only as Plantation No. 9. With its incorporation on March 21, 1788 Orrington, Maine rightfully claims to be the oldest town on the Penobscot River. When the first settlers began to populate what is today Orrington, Maine, they brought with them the full impact of Congregationalism. There were two distinctively different organizations that coexisted under the umbrella of Congregationalism. The organization called “Society” or “Parish” was the organization responsible for raising funds and eventually maintaining the Meeting House. The organization known as the Church (Congregational) consisted of those people responsible for worship. East Orrington Congregational Church traditionally traces its origin to the Meeting House of 1833. However, it is interesting to note that Orrington, Maine was once larger than it is today and had a previously built meeting house. Based on early documents it can be concluded that the absolute first Meeting House utilized by the Congregationalists was the Meeting House in the northern part of town in what is now Brewer, Maine, and became the First Congregational Church of Brewer. While the history of East Orrington Congregational Church begins circa 1833, it is important to mention the Meeting House of 1800 as the first Congregational Meeting House in Orrington, Maine before Orrington became smaller in 1812 with the creation of Brewer, Maine. There is no doubt that Congregationalists were meeting and worshipping together from the very first days of settlement in Orrington which was at that time located in Hancock County as the result of a division of Lincoln County in 1790. Due to the lack of a Meeting House early religious services were held in private homes. Worship was conducted by laymen and the occasional invited minister. After the establishment of Bangor Theological Seminary, the Congregational Church of Orrington like other local churches was blessed to have seminary students and professors lead worship. There were times when a seminary student would stay for a couple of years offering a sense of continuity in religious leadership. In 1794 when the number of those gathered to worship eventually proved to be too large to meet in private homes it became obvious that a proper meeting house was needed. On January 25, 1795 it was voted to build two meeting houses 42 ft. by 40 ft. at each end of what was then the town of Orrington. Capt. Campbell, Emerson Orcutt, and Charles Burr comprised the committee in charge of the upper structure. Simeon Fowler, Esq., Jeremiah Holmes and George Brooks comprised the committee responsible for the lower structure. Construction was completed in 1800. As mentioned earlier, the Meeting House in the north end of town was actually located in what is today the town of Brewer, Maine. The Meeting House in the southern part of town was located in what is today South Orrington. The following record of correspondence is self-evident in its portrayal of how each of the two original meeting houses in the Town of Orrington, Maine became Methodist or Congregational. The documents hold that it was truly a matter of who lived where; the Congregationalists for the most part living in the northern section of town and the Methodists living in the southern section of town. To the Hon’ble Senate & House of Representative in Gen Court Assembled, humbly shewn – Your Petitioners, members of the Congregational Society in the Town of Orrington, that the Town of Orrington is about twelve miles long & six miles wide or thereabouts the Town has built or very nearly finished Two Meeting Houses, one of which is occupied by a Congregational Society & the other by a Methodist Society. The Town is so equally divided in point of numbers, belonging to each Society, that the Congregationalists have not been able to raise a Tax in the Town for the maintenance of the Gospels. Your Petitioners therefore pray that the Town may be so divided into two Parishes by lines or by the plan annexed as to enable the Congregational parish to assess & raise money for the purpose of supporting the Gospel as Towns by law have a right to do. Your petitioners would further mention that a petition was preferred To the Hon’ble Legislative signed by a large majority of both parties in the winter of 1799 for both parishes to be incorporated by Polls, which we now beg leave to withdraw, and as in Duty bound will ever pray Orrington Dec. 29, 1800. John Brewer ) Committee for the Congregational Society in Orrington Elisha Skinner ) James Robinson) Commonwealth of Massachusetts