Cape Split Schoolhouse is a nonprofit community center located at 253 Cape Split Road in Addison Maine (also known as South Addison Maine, also known as Cape Split). We are open from May through December, offering various events that are open to all. You can see our current list of offerings on the main page. We have no membership fees. We hold celebrations, holiday parties, educational lectures, entertainment programs, and more. We consider our primary communities as Addison, Cherryfield, Harrington, and Jonesport, with people often coming from further.
Our Mission Statement
The Cape Split Schoolhouse exists to enrich community life by providing an inclusive and welcoming place for gatherings, educational and cultural programs, celebrations, climate resilience activities which are fun and interesting to bring neighbors of all ages together and strengthen community connections. We also support local nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity, economic hardship, basic human needs, and the well-being and dignity of vulnerable people.
The town of Addison, Maine was given permission to incorporate by the General Court of Massachusetts on February 14, 1797. The settlers chose the name in honor of the British writer Joseph Addison.
The earliest town records were lost but information has been pieced together from original family documents. The earliest settlers that we have knowledge of were: Moses Plummer, William Ingersoll who came around the Revolutionary War, the Drisko brothers, John, Joseph and Samuel Nash, Daniel Merritt, John Hall, William Tibbetts, Charles Tabbutt and Lemeul Dyer. Later documented settlers were Jeremiah Plummer (son of Moses), Freeman Yates, William Hix and Wilmot Wass. And many of the present Cape Split residents are direct descendants of the earliest settlers. And that is how Cape Split chapel began…
Other interesting documents
And one more thing:
Feel free to contact us at capesplitschoolhouse@gmail.com
A brief History of Addison Maine
President: Barry Grant
Secretary: Gren Blackall
Treasurer: Andy Steinharter
Board Member: Lisa Marin
Board Member: Pammy Mullin
Board Member: Craig Curry
Board Member: Naftali Bechar
Board Member at Large: Mark Stein
Board Member at Large:: Don Williams
Board Member at Large: Carol Shloss
Events Committee: Laura Charette
Building and Grounds Committee: Barry Grant
CSS Librarian: Lisa SutcliffeBoard Members and Committee Chairs
A Brief History of our facility
Gilman Wass, son of Wilmot helped build a new schoolhouse in 1875 using hand hewn beams cut from the timber on the small cape. His son, Harry S Wass and most of Gilman’s grandchildren and great grandchildren attended school there.
As time went on three generations of Cape Split children had attended school in that building. There was no electricity, no plumbing, and the only heat was supplied by a wood stove.
For almost 70 years, the building was used as a school, until 1943 when it was announced that the grades one through six would attend school in Mooseneck and grades seven and eight would move to the (now demolished) S.S. Nash School in the center of town.
Eventually the building was repurposed as a church and the school bell was used to announce events such as the end of War War II.
Chapel services were conducted for over 30 years. The membership eventually decided to incorporate as Cape Split Chapel in March 1983.
In 1998 a new belfry was constructed in the memory of Roland Nims, a long time community member and trustee. In June 1998 at the time of the dedication of the Belfry the original school bell rang out once again from the top of Cape Split Chapel.
In 2025, the 150th anniversary of the building, the name changed back to Cape Split Schoolhouse. The purpose of the facility as a community center had expanded beyond the confines of the word "chapel” and the original name was restored.
