First Congregational Church And Meetinghouse
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - First Congregational Church And Meetinghouse
OR:
First Congregational Church And Meetinghouse on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The First Congregational Church and Meetinghouse, also known as the Church of Christ and the Townshend Church, is a historic church at 34 Common Road in
Townshend, Vermont Townshend is a New England town, town in Windham County, Vermont, Windham County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for the Townshend family, powerful figures in British politics. The population was 1,291 at the 2020 United States Census, ...
. Built in 1790 and restyled in 1840, it is one of the oldest church buildings in continuous use in the state. The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 2002; the congregation was established in 1777, and is affiliated with the
United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximatel ...
.


Description and history

The First Congregational Church and Meetinghouse is located in the village center of Townshend, on the north side of the common, near the junction of Vermont Routes 30 and 35. It is a two-story wood frame structure, with a gable roof, clapboard siding, and a brick foundation that is partially set on ledge. Its front (east-facing) facade is symmetrical, with three bays articulated by pilasters, supporting a full pediment with a modillioned rake edge. The outer bays have entrances at the ground floor. The second-floor bays are filled with sash windows, each with a lancet-shaped louver above. This detail is repeated in a window in the center of the gable, and in windows on the second floor side elevations. A two-stage tower rises above the facade, with a square first stage, and an octagonal belfry stage above, capped by an octagonal steeple. The church was built in 1790 (although it is not described as completely finished until 1795) as a five bay meetinghouse with the main entrance set on the long side that faces the common (which is used today as a secondary entrance). At that time, the hall had a narrow gallery on the second level. In about 1840 a sixth bay was added, with the tower, and the entrance was reoriented to the eastern facade. At that time the building's Greek and Gothic Revival characteristics were also added. The church congregation was founded in 1777, and this building was used to house town offices until 1908.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Windham County, Vermont __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Windham County, Vermont. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Verm ...


References

{{NRHP in Windham County, Vermont Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont Carpenter Gothic church buildings in Vermont Churches completed in 1790 Buildings and structures in Townshend, Vermont Churches in Windham County, Vermont Congregational churches in Vermont 1790 establishments in Vermont 18th-century churches in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Vermont