SCARBOROUGH – A recent inscription inside the door of this c. 1800 First Universalist church expresses a welcome: “May all who enter as guests leave as friends.”

The sentiment was applied when the church was being re-created as the first Hindu Temple of Maine, and is appropriate to both religious identities. And also no doubt will be fitting for the next use of the two-building property – church and parish house/fellowship hall – in its long history. Today, 450 County Road is listed for sale at $200,000.

Ample parking and a high-traffic location are among the advantages here, so close to the intersection of Broad Turn, Portland and Long Plains roads that a sliver of the 1.86-acre lot is actually in Buxton. The property is zoned rural/agricultural, but listing broker Judy George explained that other permitted uses and variance information can be explored through the town of Scarborough.

The parish house includes a full kitchen and two bathrooms at the back of a fair-sized function room with a cool stage, several pews, hardwood floor, and a lofty tin ceiling like that of the church next door. A pair of Rinnai units provide heat.

The church exudes its own charm, its choir loft intact, some pews in place, and its multi-level altar area bedecked with Hindu art and furnishings. For now, Indian music plays softly ’round the clock. An Om sign, bright accent paint, and a half-hoop with lights and mango leaves that are hung outside as a Hindu New Year Blessing, complement the traditional, arched-door facade very well.

To view the property, and to learn more about potential uses, please contact Judy George of The Maine Real Estate Network at 319-2445, 774-4224 ext. 111, or at jgeorgemaine@hotmail.com.

Photos by Diane Maines.

Produced by the Marketing Department of the Portland Press Herald, the Design feature is provided at no cost.