En Francais

In the 1860s, the first French speaking Canadian migrants come to Lewiston-Auburn, Maine to work in the textile mills & shoe shops. In 1907 many arrived at the Grand Trunk Rail depot on Lincoln Street in Lewiston where they settled in an area know to this day as Little Canada. In 1907 St. Mary’s Parish was established in the Little Canada neighborhood. It served the people and became an important focal point for the population.
At one time St. Mary's Parish was a thriving and well attended church, however with the decline of the industries that encouraged families to populate the neighborhood, the church began to suffer financially. The Catholic Diocese of Portland announced that it would be closing St. Mary's as of July 1st, 2000. Many people in the community wanted to preserve this symbol of Franco-American culture. After closing St. Mary's Church, the Franco American Heritage Center at St. Mary's was established, as a Performing Art, Museum and Learning Center.

For more information about 
The Franco American Heritage Center
rdube@francoamericanheritage.org   or  rmartin@francoamericanheritage.org

Tel: (207)783-1585

Fax: (207)689-2355