Historically Significant Hooked Rugs to be Shown August 10th

Several historically significant rugs hooked by
19th century artist Lucy Trask Barnard
will be seen publicly at a hooked rug
show at Readfield's Union Meeting House
on Saturday, August 10, 2013 10am-3pm.

Saturday August 10^th 10am-3pm at the Union Meeting House there will be an exhibit of both historical and contemporary hand hooked, shirred, yarn-sewn and punch-needle rugs organized by Mrs. Joan Wiebe, a member of the UMH Board, and Mrs. Mildred Cole Péladeau, author of Rug Hooking in Maine 1838-1940.

 One of the hooked rug highlights will be the first public showing of a striking mid-19th century rug attributed to renowned rug maker, Mrs. Lucy Trask Barnard of Dixfield Common, Maine. This is an exciting new discovery and is the sixth rug attributed to Barnard. Three are in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and two are at the Farnsworth Museum of Art in Rockland. Privately owned, it is being made available for the rug show by a noted Maine collector. In all, close to 50 or more rugs will be available for viewing and will include contemporary rugs which have never been out for public display previously.

Rug hooking is an old art form with evidence suggesting that it likely originated in Maine in the second quarter of the 19th century. Early hooked rugs made in the Waldoboro area have achieved great notoriety for their artistic three-dimensional quality and one such rug, made by Minnie Light, will be included. Admission is free but a donation is suggested. All income will go to the UMH restoration fund. Information about being included in the show can be obtained from Mrs. Wiebe at 685-4725.

Maine Bluegrass Concert to benefit Restoration Efforts ~ August 10, 2013 at 7:00pm

On Saturday, August 10, Readfield Union Meeting House will reverberate with Bluegrass music that boasts a distinct Maine twist. Starting at 7:00pm The Sandy River Ramblers and the Maranacook String Band will showcase their repertoire, which includes many original songs about Maine. The concert will benefit restoration efforts at the unique and historic Readfield Union Meeting House on Church Street.

 

The Maranacook String Band is a youthful group of singers/musicians that started as a gifted and talented project at Maranacook Community School in 2010. “The Sandy River Ramblers is our grown-up band,” says bandleader Stan Keach. He and virtuoso mandolinist Dan Simons play and sing in both bands. The Ramblers are known for their breathtaking instrumentals, their 3-and-4 part harmony singing, and their hilarious comedy numbers.

 

The performers present fourteen original songs about Maine, all penned by Keach. The tunes are included on their new CD, Cry of the Loon and other original songs about Maine, which showcase the members of both groups. Among the titles are: Donn Fendler, Logger’s Son; Up on Little Round Top (about the 20th Maine at the Battle of Gettysburg); Boots from L. L. Bean; and Slow Down (You’ll Hit A Moose).

 

Keach is a nationally-known Bluegrass songwriter whose creations have been recorded by some of the biggest names in Bluegrass, but he says, “The (Cry of the Loon) collection, which I’ve been working on for 30 years, is my real labor of love as a songwriter.” Recently he also wrote What the North Pond Hermit Knows which gained notoriety across New England, on You Tube and was featured on the WCSH TV show Bill Green’s Maine.

 

In addition to Keech and Simons there are instrumentalists in both groups that include: Zach Greenham and Megan Dood; Liz Keach on the upright bass; and Bud Godsoe on the banjo. Vocalists include 19-year-old Julie Churchill, of Fayette, and 17-year-old Lee Stetson of Readfield.

 

General admission tickets are $10.00 pre-sold and $12.00 at the door. Children under 5 yrs are free. FMI or to reserve tickets call (207) 685-3531. 

 

Thank you to our event sponsor Saunders Manufacturing  

UMH "Old Vestry" Giveaway

The "Old Vestry" was part of Capt. John Smith's
mansion. It was donated by his daughter, Ursula
(Smith) Gile. to UMH for use as a vestry in 1868
and moved to this location where it has been used
for religious activities ever since.
It was originally part of the
Asa and Ursula (Smith) Gile home on Main Street. 

Our board of directors has voted to give away (for free) the "Old Vestry" to anyone who will move it off the premises. This 19th century post and beam building has a meeting hall on the first floor and several small rooms on the second floor. It retains old doors and mantles. Windows are new. The "Old Vestry" is located next to the Union Meeting House, 22 Church Road, Readfield. If interested in removing the building call (207) 685-4537 or email unionmeetinghouse@gmail.com

Spring has arrived...

We are pleased to announce we made progress last winter on repairs and restorations to the doors and some of our beautiful windows. This work has been made possible with these generous gifts: Two façade windows from the Warren Boenke memorial donations; two front doors - one from Mr. Therrien's gift and one from Evelyn Potter's quilt raffle proceeds; the Huntoon window with Mrs. Donna Page’s donation; three additional windows including the Haines, Pierce and Notables with Susan Wagner memorial gifts. There is still much work left to do at UMH so your donations are welcome and very gratefully received.
Plans are underway for summer activities and the UMH building will be utilized in various ways. For one, there will be a wedding later this month. On June 21st Readfield grammar school alumni (pre- 1956) will be holding a reunion and commencement re-enactment at UMH. Our UMH board and members are planning for Readfield Heritage Days, a benefit concert, lawn sale, and a hooked rug show for later this summer. Stay tuned for details on this and more.
In the meantime we are sprucing up and getting ready for lots of visitors who have interest in touring  UMH. Are you one? If so, please do contact us to make an appointment!

February 2013 Update

Just because there is snow piled against the front door does not mean that The Union Meeting House (the Brick Church) is inactive. The stained glass in the bottom sash of the Hunton-Atkinson has been com-pleted by Stained Glass Express (a division of Oakes & Parkhurst in Manchester/Waterville) and returned to the building. The entire win-dow is being restored because of a gift from Mrs. Donna Page... (a Hunton descendent). Mr. Joseph Caputo has taken the top sash to his workshop and is working on the repair of the wooden parts of the window. The entire unit will be re-installed during warmer weather.
Mr. Caputo has also taken the left front door for a complete overhaul in his shop. It needs to be strengthened and tightened up, coats of old paint removed and new primer and paint applied. This is being restored with a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Dana Therrien of Readfield in memory of Mr. Therrien’s parents. Once that door is done Mr. Caputo will take the right hand door and likewise restore it. Funds for that door are coming from the successful quilt raffle organized this past summer by Advisory Board member Evelyn Potter.
At the last Board meeting this month it voted to follow the wishes of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Wagner of Read-field to use the funds donated by friends of their late daughter, Susan, to continue the restoration of the large windows. Three windows are on the list to be done this winter and they will receive a memorial plaque in memory of Miss Wagner once they are returned and installed. More details on this in the February Messenger.
Therefore, persons driving by the Brick Church this winter will see a lot of plywood closing up windows and doors that have been removed for restoration but this is a good time to get the work behind us before the sum-mer season.
If you have not renewed your membership this is a good time to do so. If you want to join with other inter-ested persons and become a first time member, the Board would welcome you on board. We hope that every-one would help to keep the Brick Church as an important Readfield landmark. Thanks for your support.
Contact the UMH at: 685-4537 or 158 Thorp Shores Rd., Readfield 04355.

January Board of Directors Business Meeting

 

The Board of Directors are meeting January 17th 6:30pm. This is a business meeting to determine / prioritize which stained and stenciled glass windows can be repaired / restored with monies in hand. There is still time to make a donation for this worthy effort! Donations can be sent to: Marius Peladeau, UMH President, 158 Thorp Shores, Readfield, ME 04355. Thank you for your kind consideration!

Please Remember Readfield Union Meeting House when Planning Your Year-End Giving...

Readfield Union Meeing House c1950

This picture of Readfield Union Meeting House  was taken c1950 - notice the steeple and clock. Efforts are underway to preserve them now - along with the interior repairs and restorations to the invaluable trompe l'oiel artwork by Charles J. Schumacher, the stained glass and stenciled windows and more. This is a daunting task for a handful of volunteers. Community support has been and continues to be vital to this process - some have helped through hands on, others have given gifts in kind and last but not least we have gratefully received the much needed individual and business cash donations and grants from foundations. All are imperative to the success of preserving this national treasure so PLEASE remember Readfield Union Meeting House as you plan your end of year giving!

December 2012 Update

A happy holiday to everyone from the Board and Advisory Board of The Union Meeting House. We are buttoned up tight for the winter but before it got too cold workmen from Oakes & Parkhurst stained glass restorers came and took out the Nancy Hunton Atkinson memorial stained glass window. Over the past decades the bottom third had sagged badly and the entire sash was in danger of letting go. This would mean hundreds of pieces of broken glass on the ground and the loss of a beautiful window.

    This past summer Mrs. Donna Page, a former Readfield girl and a Hunton descendant, donated $1,000 to have the window taken out and completely restored. Between Oakes & Parkhurst, which will repair the stained glass, and Joseph Caputo of East Pittston, who will scrap, prime, repair and paint the wooden casing and sashes, the window should be back in place by springtime. Our thanks for Mrs. Page for her thoughtfulness.

   October was the Meeting House Board’s annual meeting. Elected to serve until October 2013 were: Marius B. Péladeau, president; Barbara Boenke, secretary; Donn Harriman, treasurer; and Florence Drake, Marianne and John Perry, Karen B. Peterson; Joan Wiebe and Milton R. Wright. On the Advisory Board are Dale Marie Potter Clark, Mary Jernigan, Brianne M. McNally and Evelyn A. Potter.

   The newsletter to all members and donors is in the mail. If anyone else wants a copy let us know at 685-4537. The UMH is honored that the branches of The Bank of Maine in Readfield and Winthrop made a kind donation to sponsor this newsletter.

Getting Married Soon?

                                                                                 Donna Hall photo, 5/18/2002

Amanda Clark & David Linton wedding at
Readfield Union Meeting House. 
The trompe l'oeil art provided a
beautiful backdrop for the wedding.

Have you thought about reserving the Union Meeting House for your wedding? The setting could not be more beautiful - or historic. FMI email unionmeetinghouse@gmail.com.

Did you get married at the Union Meeting House? We want to include more pictures in the slideshow, on this website, of weddings performed at UMH. Email jpegs to unionmeetinghouse@gmail.com. Be sure to include names, dates and photographic credits.

Scroll down to the slideshows in the left column to see the wedding pictures slideshow. Enjoy!

"I knew from the time I was a little girl that I wanted to get married at the Union Meeting House because I always thought it was so beautiful inside. It was like a dream come true for me."

Mandi Clark Linton, Readfield

The Dome has been Removed for VITAL Repairs!

The UMH done was removed for repairs Thursday.
Cindy Cushing photo

Readfield Union Meeting House made a big step yesterday! The dome was removed and stored so that VITAL repairs can be made. Thank you to the Lewiston Sun for covering the landmark event in both words and pictures!!
Donations are still needed and appreciated to complete this project and others - all vital to the survival of Readfield Union Meeting House! Read on to our next post to learn more about the projects we are undertaking to preserve UMH. To see more pictures of the event go to our "Repair and Restoration" slideshow. This slideshow will also give you an idea of how much work has been done over the past two years! You can also read more in the Lewiston Sun news article, along with their pictures,  by going to our MEDIA LINKS. Thank you, as always, for your support!