A once-globally influential religious commune, veiled in controversy and led by a man who claimed direct communication with God.
Shiloh, established by Frank Weston Sandford in Durham, Maine, near the Androscoggin River, was a sprawling religious community that captured global attention in the early 20th century. Sandford, a former Baptist minister and Bates College graduate, founded Shiloh as a Bible school in 1897 on land donated for the purpose. He claimed to be the second coming of the prophet Elijah, asserting that God spoke directly to him, a belief that formed the cornerstone of his teachings and leadership style.
The community quickly expanded, driven by Sandford’s charismatic preaching and apocalyptic teachings. Shiloh was built through the labor of its followers, who were required to surrender all earthly possessions to join. The complex included the Shiloh Chapel, now the only remaining structure, and at its height, housed between 500 and 1,000 residents. It featured a large quadrangle of buildings, a chapel with a seven-story tower known as the Jerusalem Tower, and an extension that housed over 500 rooms. Other facilities included a hospital for faith healing called Bethesda and a Children’s Building named Olivet, reflecting the self-sufficient nature of the community that resembled a small colonial town.
The community was highly regimented, with members participating in continuous prayer shifts around the clock for over 22 years. This intense devotion, coupled with Sandford’s control over the community, led to significant controversy. Sandford’s practices, including severe fasting and discipline, eventually attracted legal and public scrutiny. He was arrested and convicted of manslaughter following the death of six members from scurvy during an ill-fated evangelical mission around the world aboard a yacht. Despite these controversies, Sandford’s movement, known as “The Kingdom,” continued to spread globally.
After Sandford’s imprisonment and subsequent release, the community’s influence waned. The Bible School was closed in 1920, and Sandford moved to Hobart, New York, where he lived until his death. The Shiloh complex, once a symbol of his grand vision, was largely dismantled in the 1950s, leaving only the original chapel standing. Today, the chapel serves as an independent evangelical church, a testament to the complex legacy of Frank Sandford and the Shiloh community.
image via William Branham
