Shiloh Temple
About this property
The Shiloh Temple, now Shiloh Chapel, is a historic religious facility in Durham, Maine. Built in 1897, the building is a small portion of the once-extensive religious enclave established by the evangelical Christian leader Frank Sandford. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Frank Sandford was an ordained Baptist minister who in 1893 left his ministry in Topsham, Maine after claiming to hear the voice of God tell him to leave. He wandered around Maine's coastal hill regions and over time attracted a large number of followers. In 1897, after Sandford became convinced that God wanted him to build a home for his Bible school near Durham, Maine, construction of the Shiloh Temple began. The commune was initially called "The Holy Ghost and Us," but over time the name Shiloh, initially just referring to the Temple building, was applied to the entire property. At its height, the complex had 500 rooms and space for more than 1,000 residents. Starting around 1901, Sandford claimed he was an incarnation of the prophet Elijah. After a visit to Jerusalem in 1902, he claimed to be an incarnation of the biblical King David, as well. Life at Shiloh was strictly regulated by Sandford. He encouraged parents to whip children for perceived sins and in 1903 he mandated a thirty-six hour Nineveh fast for everyone at Shiloh, including infants, animals, and the sick. A fourteen-year-old boy who had previously tried to escape Shiloh, Leander Bartlett, died of diphtheria while forced to take part in the fast. Shortly after, Sandford ordered his own six-year-old son to be deprived of food and water until he declared himself glad to be whipped. Sandford was charged with cruelty to children and manslaughter for each of these incidents, but escaped serious prison time due to a hung jury. Around 1905, Sandford used his followers money to purchase the racing yacht Coronet. Despite his claims that their trips were missionary expeditions, Sandford and his followers did not go ashore to preach, instead sounding trumpets as they passed by shorelines in the belief that the noise would convert listeners to Christianity. While near Africa in 1910, a secondary ship of Shiloh members was grounded, and all the passengers boarded the Coronet, overloading it. Shortly after this, Sandford claimed to hear God telling him "Continue," which he interpreted to mean he had to sail to Greenland. The Coronet attempted to do so, with Sandford passing up many opportunities to resupply for food and supplies along the way. In late 1911, crew members began to fall victim to scurvy. After a quiet mutiny against Sandford, the ship was turned towards Portland, Maine, and Sandford was charged with manslaughter in the deaths of six crew members. He was imprisoned for nearly seven years, during which time Shiloh persevered under temporary leadership.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Shiloh Temple listed on the National Register?
Shiloh Temple was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 11, 1975.
What type of historic resource is Shiloh Temple?
Shiloh Temple is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Shiloh Temple?
The period of significance for Shiloh Temple is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Shiloh Temple?
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