The Sorrento Community Church

By – Tobey Connor - SSHS

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The historic Sorrento Community Church is a simple single-room place of worship located on East Side Road in Sorrento which remains open to the public due the care of generous volunteers and community members. 

 

When Waukeag Point was still part of the Town of Sullivan, the church was known as the Sullivan Point Union Meeting House.  It had been in existence since at least 1859, when a record indicating Lyman M. Bragdon et al as the Building Committee deeded a pew to John White and Jonathan White in November of that year. There are some references to it as the Union Church of that area during that time. Years later, W.H. Lawrence began developing the area and purchased the original pews from the church in 1895, as it had fallen out of use.

 

In the 1930s, the community raised funds to bring the church back into use, and it was renovated in 1935. Through 1946 at least, it hosted a regular congregation numbering anywhere from 15 to 55 people and had an active Sunday School. Upkeep and maintenance were done entirely by the community. Membership waxed and waned, and it was used by the United Methodist Church in the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this time that Rev. Margaret Henrichsen was assigned to the area by the Methodists and the Community Church was among her circuit of Sunday stops she highlighted in her book Seven Steeples.

 

The Hale family had long been involved with the church, with Lillian Hale spearheading the revival effort in the 1930s.  In the 1980s another reclamation effort was made thanks to a generous donation from a local family, and Michael Parker was hired to restore the interior.

 

From Lelia Clark Johnson’s book Sullivan and Sorrento since 1760, we know the builders of the church to be:

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Benjamin Preble, b.1798

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Lyman Bragdon, 1811-1901

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Oliver Bragdon, 1826-1919

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Newell Bragdon, 1817-1891

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Fabins Downing, 1793-1884

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Richard Downing

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Samuels Ingalls (deacon), 1800-

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Willard Hall, 1821-

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Jonathan White, 1821-

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John Stover, 1825-

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Asa White, 1800-

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Nathan White, 1806-

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The Census of 1860 has the above men and their families in the same 3 pages, living nearby, so it makes sense that it would have been built in the late 1850s. Lydia (Arey) Bragdon, wife of Oliver, donated a handsome Bible for use in the church, which was rediscovered by community members in the building.  

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Johnson’s book also mentions that a hymnal was dedicated to the Sorrento Community Church in honor of its builders and old resident families. 

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First Families of Waukeag Neck (Sorrento):

Benjamin Ash, James Bean, John Bean, Ebenezer Bragdon, Joseph Bragdon, Richard Downing, Samuels Ingalls, William Ingalls, Moses Bragdon, John Hammond, John Preble, Nathanial Preble, Samuel Preble, Daniel Sullivan, Jabez Simpson, John Urann, John White, Benjamin Welch.

 

“They rest their labors, but their works do follow them.”