1 jan 1820 ano - Christ Church, Gardiner

Descrição:

Our roots were planted by Dr. Sylvester Gardiner, one of the Kennebec Proprietors, who provided funds to build the first St. Ann’s Church, forerunner of today’s Christ Church. St. Ann’s was dedicated on August 13, 1773 by Jacob Bailey, the Frontier Minister. We were incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the Episcopalian Society of Pittston on March 28, 1793 when the Church was finally completed. Soon after the little wooden church was destroyed by fire. A second St. Ann’s was erected immediately, but the expanding congregation rapidly outgrew the Church. Dr. Sylvester’s grandson, Robert Hallowell Gardiner I. supplied $10,356 of the total cost of $14,171, and the granite from his Litchfield quarry to erect the present Church.

Designed by the Rev. Samuel Jarvis, DD, Christ Church was the first Maine Church to use the Gothic style throughout, and had Gothic spires at the corners of the building and the bell tower. It was consecrated October 19, 1820. It is the oldest Episcopal Church in Maine and features a Paul Revere bell, an Aaron Willard clock and the original bannerette weathervane.

Gardiner was the Diocesan See in 1847 when the George Burgess became Maine’s first Bishop. He died at sea off the coast of Haiti in 1866, where today we support a school. The large cross in our burying ground designed by E T. Patton and sculptured by J. M. Moffett is in Bishop Burgess’s memory. Robert Hallowell Gardiner I is also buried here beneath a gothic brownstone monument designed by Richard Upjohn.

To celebrate the 1894 Centennial year, church services were held in the Henry Richards lecture room of the Parish House for six weeks while the Boston architectural firm of Sturgis and Cabot transformed the church interior. The re-dedication service revealed terra cotta walls, olive green woodwork, brass gaslight fixtures and altar rail, and an oak altar, pulpit, and choir stalls designed by Henry Richards.

1920 was a dual centennial celebration for Christ Church and the Diocese of Maine, so the annual convention was held in Gardiner. Once again the Church was closed in preparation. The Ecclesiastical firm, Cram and Ferguson designed the altar and reredos and the wood carving was done by Johannes Kirchmayer. Generous
contributions from members of Christ Church made it possible to install the great chancel window as a memorial to all the men and women of this community who served in World War I. The noted stain glass creator, Charles J. Connick, designed the window that embodies the spirit of thanksgiving for victory, and celebrates the men and women who were leaders in peace as well as war.

Robert Hallowell Gardiner I presented the first organ in 1824 which was used until 1846 when Joseph Alley provided an instrument. That work is seen today with Moller’s opus 8280 7 ranks of pipes within. Dr. T. Tertius Noble designed the organ and George Faxon was the dedicatory organist in 1951.

Christ Church has been blest with several long rectorships including the Rev. Charles Karsten whose legacy is the adjoining Parish House. Designed by Dean Woodward of Alonzo Harriman’s Auburn firm, it was dedicated by Bishop Oliver Loring on September 26, 1965.

This “Old Stone Church” has been a local landmark since 1819 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

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