Biddeford in York County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)

McArthur Library
⎯⎯⎯
La Bibliothèque McArthur

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2021

1. McArthur Library / La Bibliothèque McArthur Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Frederick Douglas was denied the pulpit of the Second Parish Congregational Church in Biddeford. Abolitionist members of the church were disappointed and met in a pavilion tent erected for the 1855 Maine Republican Party convention. The Pavilion Church was thus founded in the same year. John Stevens of Boston was the architect who erected this splendid brick church and a similar one in Saco in 1863. Both churches, in the Romanesque style, had an Inigo Jones-type steeple. This particular church was up for sale in 1906.

The Biddeford Library was also begun in 1863, but was lost in the 1894 City Hall fire. Robert McArthur, an agent for the Pepperell ills, bought the church building and created an endowment to re-establish the library. The steeple was thought inappropriate and removed. Additions were made in 1995 thanks to a gift from the local Rotary Club.

Lorsque la chaire de l'Église Congrégationaliste, Second Parish de Biddeford en 1855, fut refusée à Frederick Douglas, les membres abolitionistes, déçus, se rencontrèrent dans un pavilion érigé pour la convention du Parti

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Rèpublicain du Maine. C'est alors que fut fondée L'Église du Pavilion en 1855. John Stevens de Boston fut l'architecte de ce beau bâtiment et d'un autre à Saco en 1863. Les deux églises étaient du style romanesque et avaient chacune un clocher style Inigo Jones. La bibliothèque de Biddeford fut commencée le même année, en 1863, mais elle fut incendié en 1894. Cette église fut achetée en 1906 par Robert McArthur, agend de la Compagnie Pepperell, afin de rétablir une bibliothèque municipale qu'il dotta. Considéré importun le clocher fut enlevé. En 1995, un agrandissement fut accompli grâce à un don du Club Rotary local.

Erected 2006 by The Museum in the Streets®. (Marker Number 20.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Charity & Public Work • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the The Museum in the Streets: Biddeford, Maine series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.

Location. 43° 29.663′ N, 70° 27.489′ W. Marker is in Biddeford, Maine, in York County. It is on Main Street just west of Jefferson Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 275 Main St, Biddeford ME 04005, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Southern Maine Coast.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2021

2. McArthur Library / La Bibliothèque McArthur Marker

markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Society Saint Jean-Baptiste de Bienfaisance / La Société Saint Jean-Baptiste de Bienfaisance (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Tracy House / La Maison Tracy (about 300 feet away); The Opera House / La Salle de L'Opéra (about 500 feet away); Biddeford City Hall / L'Hôtel de Ville (about 600 feet away); The Lincoln Street Mill and Clock Tower / La Filature Et Sa Tour Sur La Rue Lincoln (about 600 feet away); John E. Maxson (about 600 feet away); Biddeford, Maine (about 600 feet away); St. Mary's Church / L'Église St. Mary (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Biddeford.

Additional commentary.
1. Spelling on the marker
The spelling of Frederick Douglas has been used verbatim from the marker. The person spelled his assumed last name Douglass.

— Submitted November 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

Additional keywords. Frederick Douglass

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 328 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

McArthur Library⎯⎯⎯La Bibliothèque McArthur

McArthur Library
⎯⎯⎯
La Bibliothèque McArthur