First Universalist Church
Elm and Pleasant Sts., Auburn, MEAs with his Italianate First Congregational Church, in Calais (N. R. 7/12/78), the First Universalist Church in Auburn by John Stevens of Boston is an outstanding statement of High Victorian Gothic church architecture in the latter city. Although some of the crispness of the original appearance has been lost by the removal of the wrought iron cresting from all the gable ridges, nevertheless the building retains the grandeur and intricacy of detail which marks it as a fine example of its style.
Also, regrettably, the open porch entry at the base of the tower has been enclosed but this does not materially affect the massing of elements that create the overall impression.
Upon its completion in 1876, this church, which supplanted one of 1839 on High Street, was viewed as the finest addition to the architecture of the city that had so far been erected. It retains today a reputation as one of Auburn's outstanding landmarks.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.