Century Old Church in Auburn, Maine, Bought by Developer Who Has Plans for It

An Auburn church that was built over a century ago after a split from the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston, has been bought by a developer.

The St. Louis Church on 3rd Street in Auburn has been closed since the final mass was held there in August of 2013. According to WMTW, the Auburn City Council recently approved the sale of the church to Tom Robinson, a Portland CPA and developer.

The St. Louis parish (above) was formed in 1902 after splitting off from the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston (below).

Maine Preservation says that the cornerstone for the St. Louis Church was laid in 1915. After the church was closed it was sold by Maine’s Catholic to a group of investors in the area but ended up foreclosing and the City of Auburn took possession of it.

The plan from the owner is to renovate the building to create much-needed housing for the Lewiston-Auburn Area, a trend that has been seen across Maine and the country as younger generations are abandoning Christianity.

Developer Tom Robinson told WMTW that he understands how meaningful the building is to residents of Auburn and is excited to "reimagine the space." His plan is to create 20 apartments featuring one or two bedrooms.

As someone who isn't religious, I can still appreciate the amazing architecture of these tall buildings in Maine, some of which have the highest points of a building in the state. It would be a shame to lose this history and it sounds like transforming the building into housing will not only provide a necessity to Auburn but keep this piece of our history here for centuries to come.