Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Parish 

65 Mellen Street, Portland  |  Nominated to Places in Peril in 2015

The Issue

Designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style by noted architect Francis H. Fassett, this church is notable for its size, beauty, and construction technique. Sacred Heart was one of the first houses of worship in the US to utilize steel frame construction, so no sight lines are blocked by supporting columns inside the church. There is a lack of funding for much-needed preservation projects. The copper roof is deteriorating, allowing water infiltration into the interior of the church which is damaging the interior’s ornamental plaster. The structural integrity of ornamental figures on the bell towers have been compromised due to weather.

UPDATE: Sacred Heart Church exceeded their fundraising goals to stabilize the bell tower and make interior repairs caused by water infiltration.

Our Position

The building is intact and in use by an active and diverse congregation. Church members are proud of their building and its history and have been raising funds earmarked for repairs to masonry and the roof, but they need a wider base of funding support to address the preservation and maintenance of the building. The congregation is working to obtain National Register designation.

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