Tucked into the corner of Townsend and Eastern avenues is a special place that has been undergoing a transformation. Over the past three years, a meditation garden has been designed and planted on the north side of the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor property.

Congregant Ted Repa suggested the project in 2015 to honor the church’s founders for its 250th anniversary the following year. Church member Catherine Conn of Landscape Gardens & Design in East Boothbay designed and coordinated the construction, which began in 2017. The garden was completed this spring.

Three landscaped areas called a pastors' garden, a founders' garden and a memorial garden gently blend into a green sanctuary next to the church.

Conn took as her inspiration the 1798 church covenant, which reads in part: “We will make it our business as far as in us lies, to build up of lively, and only lively, stones, a spiritual-house, growing into an holy temple in the Lord."

“I wanted to build the garden from ‘lively stones,’” she explained. Stone is used throughout the space. 

An egg of stones in the founders’ garden is directly based on the covenant. Conn wanted to commemorate the founders by showing it takes many stones to build one church.

The pastors’ garden includes the church’s original cornerstone. The secluded memorial garden provides a place to sit and remember loved ones or to meditate. It includes a stone wheel with areas that can be engraved with the names of loved ones who have died.

“Everyone in the church contributed to the garden,” said Rev. Sarah Foulger, church pastor. “I’m delighted that it’s there. The garden is open to everyone as is our church,” she added.

Foulger has seen the garden used in a number of ways, from quiet picnic lunches to a photo session for Boothbay Region High School seniors at Baccalaureate.

Asked what presented the greatest challenge, Conn answered without hesitation. “The location. It was a challenge to make it intimate so that it has a sense of meditation and contemplation.” Plants, including ground cover and flowering shrubs, were selected to add to the sense of intimacy by creating several layers.

Volunteers tend the garden. Foulger said professionals help on heavy maintenance. Besides Conn, other professionals involved have been Joe Norton of Norton Stone & Tile, Pat Farrin of Pat Farrin & Sons, Inc., Bob Williams of Brooks Monuments, and Matt Spurgin of Spurgin Stoneworks.