History Discovered in 2018
Jeff Davis of New York has shared old photographs of the Elder Grey Meeting House contained in a photo album kept by his grandfather Carll Sinclair Downs, grandson of founding member Annie (Chadbourne) Sinclair.
These are 1943 reprints of much older photographs. The original photos were most likely taken by Bert Chase, and these reprints were definitely made by him.
Bert Chase (1870-1952) was born in North Waterboro, not far from the Elder Grey Meeting House, to John and Amanda (Lord) Chase. Bert and his wife Alice lived in Westbrook, Maine, for about thirty years prior to their deaths. They had a summer camp on the north end of Little Ossipee Lake near the bridge to the outlet. In hymnals originally the property of Mount Vernon Church in Boston, Alice’s lovely handwriting reads, “Donated to The Elder Grey Meeting House.”
The captions on the back of these newly discovered photos (including the one at the head of the page) are in Bert’s handwriting.
Vandalized Windows
The old windows are 12-over-8, indicating that they were likely the original 1806 windows.
Although we have no record of the vandalism, the Association does have a list of “those who gave for the fix up of the Old Gray Meeting House” dated October 27, 1924. Additionally, the Ladies’ Aid of North Waterboro donated the proceeds of a supper specifically for the windows. As Steve Vincent recently worked on restoring the windows, he noted that along the hidden edge of the frame is the lettering, “J.G. Deering & Son, Biddeford.”There is an accompanying report on the cost of repairs including $46 for windows, $2 for freight on windows, $5 for shutters, and $1 for screws. The committee members in charge of these repairs were Martha Goodwin, Annie E. Sinclair, Chester Chadbourne and Herbert Bradeen, Chairman.