The Old Parsonsfield Town House is located on the east side of Merrill Hill Road just before it intersects with Middle Road. It was built in 1832 across from what was then the Congregational Church. The Church had built a new building closer to the road and they would no longer agree to share the building for town meetings as they had been doing since 1790.
The 1832 Town House was built by town resident William E. Moulton Jr. – a south-facing Greek Revival structure. A unique feature of the building is a slanted floor with fixed bench seats which gave everyone a good view of the podium. It was the town’s first civic building.
The Town House as it looked in 1938.
Parsonsfield’s municipal offices relocated at Kezar Falls Village in 1988, but all residents south of North Road continued to vote at this location until 2012. In 2012 the Town Offices were moved to the former Fred Morrill School building on North Road and the Old Town House ceased to be used for any Town purposes.
This picture, taken in 2005, looks much the same today but with a small flower garden on the side.
In 2001 a group of interested citizens called “ROOT” (Restore Our Old Town House), worked to restore the building to its original design and placed it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. They were also instrumental in having Historic Preservationist Steven Mallory come out and do a comprehensive assessment of the building. This group has since disbanded and many of the issues identified as a problem at that time have not been addressed.
Today there is concern that this historic building has been unmaintained for 8 – 10 years and that it continues to deteriorate.
The Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society holds an open house here annually the second Saturday in August hosted by Lyn Sudlow. Anyone interested in the preservation of the Old Parsonsfield Town House and its history can tour the building. Watch for the ad in Your Weekly Shopping Guide at the end of July.
