The Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, now housing a modern restaurant and catering facility within the historical post and beam church, was built in 1855 by the Congregationalists and Methodists of Georgetown Island, after the sale of the previous meetinghouse to the Baptists.
Funds for the construction were raised by selling shares (pews) for sixty dollars each. Forty shares in all were sold and an extra two hundred dollars was donated to meet the $2600 fee contracted with Jesse Gardner of Orland to construct the meetinghouse. The pews were "deeded" and are registered at the county seat. Moses Riggs, a local resident, was responsible for the design of the meetinghouse which he did in the Greek Revival style that can be found in many of the Riggs family homes built in Robinhood.
During its long tenure as a community meetinghouse, the Robinhood Meetinghouse also served as the local high school and library. Some of the original books remain in the sitting room and the former location of the desks can be seen in the blocking in the floor.
Two local residents, Pat Burns and Elizabeth Spaulding, purchased the Robinhood Free Meetinghouse in 1995 and renovated and restored the building. Great care and considerable expense assured a pleasing combination of history with a commercial operation. In 2001, Chef Michael Gagné purchased the building from Pat and Elizabeth.
For more information, contact The Robinhood Free Meetinghouse. We'd love to hear your comments!
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