Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 26 : Fall 2015 | Page 16

Weston
Community
Church
words courtesy the Town of
Weston by way of Dwayne Young
photos by Our Maine Street

Philip W Foss, Sr., a noted Weston historian
and lifetime resident of Weston, recalls to
Alice Gilpatrick his memories of the Weston
Community Church.
Mr. Foss said the building originated in Green
Mountain, NB, Canada about 1870. It was
brought across Grand Lake on the ice and
delivered unassembled to George W. Brannen,
a resident in Weston. Mr. Brannen had the
building assembled with the help of John
Scanlin and others from the community.
The building was first used as Grand Lake
Lodge. This church was established as a
Good Temple Hall to try to regulate the
liquor problem in the community. In 1915
the steeple and bell were added.
About 1875 it was established as a
Methodist Church. In the book “150 Years of
Methodism in Aroostook County and More”
by Patricia J. Thompson, it is mentioned that
it was the first Methodist Church in Aroostook
County and the oldest existing Methodist
Church building within the boundaries of The
County.
There have been many pastors stand in the
pulpit over the years, a couple of early ones
were Pastor Lidgestone, who served in 191516 and about 1917 Pastor Thomas F. Jones
held the position.

14

FALL 2015

The church is currently not under the United
Methodist appointment. On June 25, 1991,
it became known as the ‘Weston Community
Church’. All denominations are welcome. Rick
Murray is the current pastor; he came to the
church in the summer of 2003, succeeding
Pastor Clinton Kinney. The church is only
open in the summer from June to September.
In 2004 the church got a face-lift with new
white siding that was placed over the original
clapboards. Volunteers continue to work
diligently on the upkeep of the church, and
summer church members purchased a small
building providing space for a Sunday School
classroom.
Update from the Chamber of Commerce
The Church is still open and offering
summer services. Located at 14
Church Lane, just off U.S.
Route 1, it offers easy access to
visitors and spectacular views
of East Grand and Brackett
Lakes and the rolling hills
of New Brunswick. If
you’re in the area, stop by
and check out the historic
building and the heavenly
views.