PATTEN, Maine — An old church that was nearly demolished a few years ago is now yielding mysterious new surprises as locals work to uncover its history and revive it as a community center.
Marcia Pond and others who have worked to save the 1845 Regular Baptist Church on Main Street are now getting ready to expose more of its hand-painted trompe l’oeil ceiling that was hidden at some point by a drop ceiling that was built underneath it.
They first learned of the original hand-painted ceiling about two years ago, when a small portion of it was revealed as Pond and other members of the Patten Historical Society worked to avert a town-approved demolition.
They’re now set to unveil the rest of the apparent masterpiece, which features elaborate three-dimensional sky-blue imagery. It’s one of only a few ceilings of its kind remaining in the state, according to Brad Miller, director of programs for Maine Preservation. He also pointed to Victoria Mansion in Portland and Readfield Union Meeting House.
However, it’s still unclear who produced the painting on the ceiling.
“A quarter of it has been exposed. Now it will be fully exposed,” said Pond, president of the Patten Historical Society, who has led the charge to save the town’s oldest structure. “I have been researching possible artists that may have done that painting. We are compiling a list and researching particular buildings in the state that have similar ceilings.”
Initially, Pond stood up to town leaders when she heard they had approved the demolition of the church, requesting time to gather the resources to save a critical piece of the town’s heritage. A large Save the Church Preservation Committee was formed, and in 2023, residents voted nearly unanimously to stop the planned demolition.
Since then, it took less than a year for them to raise the funds to replace a leaking roof and maintain the integrity of the church, now known as the Patten Cultural Center. To pay for the $30,000 roof replacement, they were awarded a $10,000 matching 1772 Foundation grant in collaboration with Maine Preservation, and they collected another $21,200 in donations.
Unparalleled Roofers, LLC, a Windham-based company with experience working on historic buildings, replaced the old roof last June.
“Our intention with the church in Patten is to take a comprehensive look at the building and treat it as one large artifact,” Miller said. “Certainly part of that is making sure all the repairs and improvements to the building are going to protect the historic fabric, which includes the ceiling, the most significant element in the building.”
The term trompe l’oeil, meaning “fool the eye,” was coined in 1800 by French artist Louis Léopold Boilly, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting on Patten church ceiling, created 45 years later, gives the impression of decorative plaster work, complete with shadows to make the ornamental shapes appear raised.
To uncover the rest of the painting, Pond and experienced volunteers will remove a metal frame and the tile drop ceiling.
“It’s going to be very exciting,” she said, adding that it will unfold in stages.
Carefully removing the drop ceiling and then figuring out how to stabilize it is the first step before the longer-term effort to restore the actual painting, Miller said.
A new furnace, slated for installation in February, will help balance the temperature and humidity for the plaster on the ceiling, he said, adding that Maine Preservation can help Pond with those parts of the process.
As far as finding the artist, Miller said that two things Pond has been working on make it a very real possibility they will solve the mystery.
She has been exploring the history of the building, and it might come down to figuring out if there are any letters or bills from when the painter came through town, he said.
“These were usually itinerant master craftspeople,” he said, adding that there may also be a maker’s mark on the ceiling painting. “Hopefully there is some kind of paper trail there. I think the odds are pretty good that the documents exist.”
Pond has also contacted Tony Castro, a well-known plaster and painted wall conservator, Miller said.
“He is a very talented artisan and a very gifted trompe l’oeil painter. His work is breathtaking,” Pond said. “I reached out to him some time ago to have a discussion about our ceiling and what we want to accomplish. In our conversation, he patiently and lovingly explained the painting process.”
As the church’s historic treasures continue to appear, Pond had a thrill this past week while getting the basement cleared for a new furnace installation. She found 15 hand-painted delicate glass window panes wrapped in brown paper.
“I flew upstairs,” she said. “I don’t even remember my feet on the steps.”
Additionally, a fellow historian shared a ledger from the church’s earliest days. After staying up all night reading the entries, Pond learned that the church was the heartbeat of the community — with voting and many other records logged in that book.
The Patten Cultural Center appears to be on its way to becoming a town hub again, hosting events, jam sessions, poetry readings, educational sessions and a kids summer camp. Over the recent holidays, it held an artisan marketplace, along with a visit from Santa and caroling that continued long past plans.
“A lot of wonderful, good-hearted people stand behind us,” Pond said. “This is all about the community enjoying it and coming together to have a nice time.”
