Univer

The Universalist Society

Rev Thomas Barnes at the time the only Universalist preacher in the district of Maine, preached the first Universalist sermon in Poland September 17, 1798, at the meeting-house in Poland. When they say meeting-house in Poland. This leaves question; for this date, we are sure of only town meeting-houses in Poland: one was Rev Scott's meeting-house in Northern Minot area, and the proprietors meeting-house which stood somewhere in the Minot Corner area. However in My of 1802, tow other ministers Rev Hubbard and Rev Williston made an arrangement with Rev Thomas Barnes to hold a public discussion in a meetinghouse in Poland, on an eminence near Minot Corner; so this would seem to indicate the old proprietors house.

Following the death of Rev Barnes in 1816, the Universalist Society in company with Methodist and Baptists built a meetinghouse at Poland Corner where joint services where held until the building burned some twenty years later. Research into historical documents has not to date been able to relate the exact location of this building.

No further Univeralist services were conducted in Poland. However, a society was organized in Hebron and west Minot in 1842 and services were conducted in Mechanic Falls in the 1850's.