Students from the Fort Fairfield Elementary School 4th Grade class got to tour the oldest still-standing church in Fort Fairfield last month as part of their Maine Studies program.

Friends Church, as it’s called is the first church ever built in Fort Fairfield. Constructed by the Haines family in the mid-1800s, Friends Church started off as meeting house for Quakers.

Friends Church is currently managed by the Frontier Heritage Historical Society (FHHS) in Fort Fairfield.

Presenting a brief history of the church and its role in the “Underground Railroad” during the War Between the States, was Art Mraz, a member of FHHS.

“You will notice there are no religious symbols in this church,” said Mraz. “The Quakers’ faith came from their hearts, not symbols. There are no religious symbols in the stained glass window, or ornaments on the walls.”

While called “church” today, the Quakers refer to the buildings they assemble spiritually as “Meeting Houses.” A normal service featured the Quakers sitting quietly until the “Spirit called them” at which time they would speak to the group. The chief minister did not usually preach since the assembly believed God led those to speak as He wished.

The Quakers were a pacifist group and did not condone war in any form. “They believed in peace and kindness toward each other and recognized the equality between man and woman.”

During the hour-long presentation, Mraz showed some of the Historical Society’s various artifacts of bygone days.

As part of the Underground Railroad, the Friends Church was a resting point for escaped slaves on their way to Canada. After resting there a while, they would head east, across what is now U.S. Route 1, cut across the field and use an animal trail to take them as far as Tomlinson Lake in Canada.

“The Haines family was very much against slavery. Even though the Supreme Court and the Congress made slavery legal, the Haines family was so against it, they actually broke the law in order to help slaves get to freedom.”

Mraz showed the children a quilt which featured sample patterns of codes and symbols that were adopted for use by those assisting freed slaves.

“In those days it was common for people to air their bed linen and quilts out after sleeping. They would hang them out windows, on clotheslines or fence posts. Some quilts contained special patterns that told the slaves and their guides what to expect; whether it was to come on in, go into hiding, or wait for a day or two.”

The children also were shown an 1860’s era black powder muzzle loading musket, and some household items and toys of that day.

Mraz talked about the construction of the church and an intriguing feature of the platform in the front of the room.

“Some of the boards in the platform came from the packing crate the stained glass windows arrived in,” he said. “What’s interesting is the Haines family had a sawmill and with all that lumber available, why would they use packing crates as part of the riser.”

The church building was donated to the FHHS in 2000 by Rev. Charles Stanton, who had purchased it some time ago.

In addition to managing Friends Church, the FHHS also maintains the McIntosh one-room schoolhouse, CP Railroad Museum and dining car, and the Blockhouse - all in Fort Fairfield.

For more information, go to their web page at: www.mainemediaresources.com/fhhs.htm