In 1846, the Dennysville Academy was incorporated. A group of people who wished to offer a higher education to the older scholars erected an adequate and sturdy building with necessary furnishings and equipment, with no fund or endowment other than their own limited means. The academy was in active operation for eight years, attracting students from other parts of the county as well as from the local area. In anticipation of the establishment of a High School in town, the Academy was closed. In 1857, the Proprietors of the Academy transferred, by deeds, all their rights, titles and interests in the building and land to John Kilby who. in turn, conveyed the same to the Congregational Society for use as a church vestry. In 1914, an annex was built at the rear of the vestry to provide a kitchen. The Ladies Sewing Circle, other groups , and individuals contributed to the project. Changing circumstances through the years rendered the use of the vestry less practical. The sale of parsonage on one side and the I. H. Kilby property on the other deprived it of previously used parking space, extra kitchen facilities, water supply, and bathroom privileges. Ind 1968 the vestry was sold to the William and Muriel (Mahar) Juska family who used it as a summer recreation hall for the children and their friends. In 1995, the building and land were donated to the Dennys River Historical Society by their daughter, Paula (Juska) Smith, in honor of Rebecca Weston Hobart for her lifetime's work in preserving the history of the community. Since that time, the building has been used for summer exhibitions, meetings, and storage, while the Society is preparing for the historic restoration and rehabilitation of the structure.

John P. Sheahan CollectionPhotos for Map

Sunday School Class at the Vestry in Dennysville, Maine
Sunday morning at the Vestry, Dennysville, Maine
The Academy Vestry of Dennysville, Maine, today