Historic Religious Sites

This collection highlights the diverse spiritual heritage of the Maine and New Hampshire seacoast, ranging from 18th-century colonial meetinghouses to early 20th-century immigrant parishes. Notable sites include Portsmouth’s South Parish, a granite Greek Revival landmark, and Biddeford’s First Parish Meetinghouse, dating to 1759. The list also features the Franciscan St. Anthony's Monastery with its riverside grounds and Temple Israel, the first Jewish congregation in the region. These buildings showcase architectural styles from federal-period wood frames to imposing stone structures reflecting the area's social and religious evolution.