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PHOTO: Jesse Lee Meeting House, dedicated in 1795, is the oldest Methodist church in New England to have remained in continuous use as a Methodist house of worship. Readfield History Walkers will receive a tour of the church on May 21. This photo of Jesse Lee was taken circa 1900. (Submitted photo)
READFIELD — History walkers will enjoy a glimpse into East Readfield’s past when they visit the historic Jesse Lee Meeting House and East Readfield Cemetery on Friday, May 21.
The walk is free and open to anyone who is interested. It begins at 10 a.m. at Jesse Lee Church, 4 Plains Road (corner of Plains Road and Route 17). Walking is on level ground or a slight incline with stops along the way.
Jesse Lee Meeting House was dedicated in 1795 in honor of Jesse Lee, the Methodist missionary who had traveled into this sparsely populated backcountry by horseback from Virginia two years prior. Lee, who preached at the log cabin of Nathaniel Whittier, suggested to Whittier and other early settlers that they build a meeting house. They immediately set their hands and hearts to doing so on the five-acre “Bowdoin lot” that had been set aside in the 1791 town plan/survey, for the addition of a house of worship, a muster ground and a school.
Today, Jesse Lee is the oldest Methodist Church to have remained in continuous use as a house of worship in all of New England.
Partpicipants will visit the inside of the church while learning more about its history. From there they will walk across Plains Road to visit the graves of some of the early residents who helped build and attended the church, and to place American flags on the graves of Readfield veterans in observance of Memorial Day.
In case of rain, postponement will be announced by 8 a.m. on May 2t, on the Readfield History Walks website readfieldhistorywalks.blogspot.com, as well as by email. To be added to the Readfield History Walkers email list, send a request to crossings4u@gmail.com.
For more information about Readfield History Walks, visit the website or contact Dale Potter-Clark at the above email or call 207-441-9184.
