Know-Nothing Riots of Bath, 1854

The Know Nothing Riots of Bath, Maine, 1854

Anti-Catholic Sentiment Found an Audience in Our City

The 1840s and 50s was a time of a huge increase in immigration to the United States, especially coming from Ireland, where the failure of the staple potato crop caused widespread famine. Refugees fled to America, in hopes of a new start, or at least a chance to survive.

Many Irish immigrants came to Bath. 20% of the staff of the Sagadahoc House Hotel in the 1850 Census were Irish. Many settled in north Bath. Today, all - Irish or not - frequent Byrne’s Irish Pub for their friendly atmosphere, good food, and regular sign-alongs (and trivia on Thursday nights!)

But in 1854, on July 6th, an adherent of the Know-Nothing political movement (some say political party) held a rally on the corner of Front & Center in Bath (as was happening all around New England). The Know Nothings started out as a fraternal organization with a central aim - to combat what they perceived as the threat caused by the influx of immigrants. Irish Catholics were a particular “nemesis” - economically, culturally. The rally turned into a frenzy and someone called out “To Old South!” The crowd marched west on Centre Street, then turned south to a church, formerly protestant and known as Old South Church, that was being used for services by the local Irish Catholics. This was the mob’s target. They broke in, raised an American flag, started throwing things off and out the windows and then, set it on fire.

An artist, John Hilling, witnessed the events first hand and created a series of paintings. A chilling depiction of hate, of mob violence, of history. Two of these paintings can be seen in our Patten Free Library (above), and one is in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

Read a bit more about what happened to the Know Nothing movement and what Abraham Lincoln had to say about events like that in Bath. Learn a bit more at the actual site where the riots started on Embark Maine Tour’s Downtown Walking Tour.