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DURNHAM — The Shiloh Church in Durham was at the center of one of Maine history’s great controversies. Now, the Durham Historical Society will welcome members of the public to a tour of the property and presentations about its history.
The event is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. at the church, 38 Beulah Lane.
In the late 19th century, the Rev. Frank Sandford established what was then a much larger Shiloh Church complex as the home for a secretive, apocalyptic Christian cult. In the years that followed, he would be convicted of cruelty to children, causing the deaths of six followers in separate cases, and sued by a wife for forcible detention.
The current Shiloh Chapel, whose congregation meets in the church in what remains of the complex, has no affiliation with Sandford’s original group or its contemporary successor organization, Kingdom Christian Ministries. The remaining church building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shiloh’s current pastor, the Rev. Ron Parker, as well as Shiloh experts Linda Craig and Jeff Wakeman, will lead talks at the property.
Tickets to the event are being sold for $10 each at the Durham Town Office at 630 Hallowell Road and Get & Go convenience store at 697 Royalsborough Road. For more information, visit the Durham Historical Society on Facebook at www.facebook.com/durhammainehistoricalsociety.
