SAINT FRANCIS de SALES CHURCH
52 Elm Street

With the French migration to Waterville, priests from Canada made occasional visits. It wasn't until 1851 that the Catholics secured a home of worship in the city when they bought the Drummond Estate on Grove Street and built St. John's Chapel. By 1872 they had outgrown their chapel, which only seated 300. Under the leadership of the fifth pastor to St. John's, Father Halde, they built a large brick church on Elm Street which seated 600 at the cost of $22,000. This location was also more central for the working population.

Again in 1888, due to the ever-growing Catholic population, the church added side galleries to increase seating capacity to 1,000. During renovations between 1964 and 1969, the side galleries were dismantled and windows depicting the twelve apostles replaced the original stained glass windows.

In 1885 the church purchased the Caswell and McCaffrey properties next to the church. The Caswell house served as the rectory from 1885 to 1888 and the first convent from 1888 to 1891.

In 1888 the Ursuline Sisters arrived to educate the local students, and a convent was built for them adjacent to the church. It served both as a residence for the Ursulines as well as a school with an enrollment of 400 students. In 1891 a larger convent building was completed and furnished for $8,788.

This historic property is currently for sale.