State Street Church UCC’s original building was designed in 1852 by prominent architect William Washburn of Boston. After its steeple was struck by lightning, a new Romanesque style brownstone facade with three towers was added in 1891-93 by Portland architect John Calvin Stevens. The towers remain a prominent part of the city’s skyline.

Community action has always been a core tenet of the church, reaching back to the congregation’s support of abolition and the women’s suffrage movements. Today, State Street Church continues to support its congregation and the greater Portland community through a winter shelter, clothing distribution, street outreach, and other wellness programs. The church offers monthly music events, mindfulness classes, and an annual church fair, as well as hosting four nonprofits in their building and welcoming several neighborhood and recovery groups for meetings.

A National Fund grant of $420,225 with $420,225 in matching funds raised by the congregation will help State Street Church with exterior masonry repairs including structural issues with the towers and repairing windows at the top of the spire.

Photos by Tim Greenway Photography