National Register of Historic Places

St. Anne's Church and Mission Site

Old Town, Penobscot County, Maine
Listed
November 26, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
73000141

About this property

St. Anne's Church and Mission Site is a historic religious site on Down Street at the southern end of Indian Island in Old Town, Maine, United States. The site includes a church, dating to about 1830, and a cemetery, established in 1668. The mission, with a history dating to 1668, is one of the oldest Roman Catholic establishments in New England, and the building is one of the oldest Catholic churches in the region. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. St. Anne's Church is located on the east side of Down Street, near the southern end of Indian Island, location of the Penobscot Indian Island Reservation. It is a single-story wood frame structure, with a front-facing gable roof and clapboard siding. The building has had a series of significant alterations, having been originally built with a small tower and belfry on its roof, with an entry in the western facade and a fanlight in the gable. Around the turn of the 20th century, this tower was replaced by the more elaborate square tower seen today projecting in front of the body of the church. The entrance is now at the base of the tower, with the fanlight just above. The tower's fourth stage has Palladian windows on each side, and its pyramidal roof is framed by pinnacles at the corners. The Catholic mission to the Penobscot Indians was established in 1688 by Louis-Pierre Thury, a French missionary baptized in Quebec in 1667, with the construction of a church building and establishment of a cemetery. The mission was transferred to the Jesuits in 1702, and headed by Antoine Gaulen until 1732. Until 1792 there was no permanent missionary presence, although traveling missionaries and priests would stop to minister to the Penobscots. Beginning in 1792, missionaries were stationed here in the summer, and it was during the tenure of Rev. John Cheverus (1792–98) that the second church was built on this site. The present church was built during the tenure of Rev. Virgil Barber between 1828 and 1830, and was funded by the state. The parish received a full-time priest in 1926. National Register of Historic Places listings in Penobscot County, Maine

Location

Old Town, Penobscot County, Maine
44.94278, -68.65220

Categories

NATIVE AMERICANARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about St. Anne's Church and Mission Site

This page lists St. Anne's Church and Mission Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your St. Anne's Church and Mission Site report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bodwell Water Power Company Plant
Listed
0.3 mi
Milford Congregational Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
St. James Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.7 mi
US Post Office-Old Town Main
Industrial
0.9 mi
Patch, Edith Marion, House
Industrial
2.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Anne's Church and Mission Site listed on the National Register?

St. Anne's Church and Mission Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 26, 1973.

What type of historic resource is St. Anne's Church and Mission Site?

St. Anne's Church and Mission Site is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Anne's Church and Mission Site?

The period of significance for St. Anne's Church and Mission Site is recorded as the colonial era.

Can I research the history near St. Anne's Church and Mission Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near St. Anne's Church and Mission Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Penobscot County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Penobscot County.

Explore PenobscotCounty ›

More historic places in Maine

Browse all historic places in Maine.

View Mainehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maine history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Mainehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near St. Anne's Church and Mission Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report