This Coastal Maine Chapel Looks Like Something From A Fairytale

While many people would say that Maine is one of the least religious states in the country, there is no doubt that we have some beautiful houses of worship.  We have everything from very modest country churches to large stone Catholic churches (like Augusta's Saint Augustine).

Recently, we stumbled across one of the most unique, and gorgeous, churches in all of New England.

The Wilson Memorial Chapel, which is located on Shore Road in East Boothbay, is a small, stone, chapel.

According to the Boothbay Register, the chapel has been around for over a century.  According to the article, the chapel was founded by Unitarian Minister Lewis G. Wilson in memory of his beloved wife on Aug. 4, 1917.

The Wilsons first visited the Boothbay Harbor area in the mid-1890s.  And, it sounds as though they fell right in love with the area.  By 1898, the Wilsons had built their first vacation home at Ocean Point.  A few years later, Reverend Wilson began hosting Sunday morning services.  At first, these were held in a home, then in a local casino.

After deciding it was time for the area to have a legitimate chapel, Reverend Wilson started the process of fundraising.  As the story goes, with the help of his neighbors, Wilson was quickly able to raise the amount needed for the beautiful, stone chapel.

It opened in August of 1917.

Reverend Wilson passed away in April of 1928.  Before he past, he wrote a note about the chapel.  It said, in part:

It is open to the world. … It should never be allowed to become a center for denominational propaganda … It has a wonderful individuality and casts a spell of spiritual uplifting upon all who enter it ...More and more, as time goes on, it will become a place of spiritual peace and beauty.

 

According to the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, the chapel hosts regular, non-denominational, services each summer.  They are held at 9:30 AM on Sundays in July and August.

Take a look at the inside:

Here's the view as you look out the door.  Can you imagine this being the first thing you and your special person see after being married?

Check out a video of the chapel HERE

If you want more information about having your ceremony here, you can call Sue Taylor at 207.633.5048.  Of course, the chamber of commerce website says nothing specifically about the chapel being available for wedding ceremonies, but it never hurts to ask.