Description and history
The Readfield Union Meeting House stands in Readfield's main village, on the west side of Church Road, a short way north of its junction with Maine State Route 41. It is a single-story brick building, with a gable roof topped by a frame tower. The tower projects slightly from the front facade, and has a single tall round-arch window at the center of first level, with a low pedimented gable separating the brick base from the upper stages. The tall second stage is square, with a clock in the upper section; it is topped by an octagonal belfry with louvered openings flanked by Doric pilasters. It is covered by a bell-cast roof. Flanking the tower on the front facade are bays with building entrances at the ground level, with round-arch windows above. The side walls have tall round-arch windows set in recessed openings.[2]
Originally built in 1828, the church is an unusually fine example of Federal period church architecture in rural interior Maine.[2] The building was remodeled in 1866-1868 by Hubbard Lovejoy, an architect and builder of central Maine.[3] Part of this renovation included the painting of the walls and ceiling in the trompe-l'œil style, claimed to be the work of artist Charles J. Schumacher of Portland, Maine.[2][3]
More information is available on the Readfield Union Meeting House Official Website: https://www.unionmeetinghouse.org.
