The South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church on
Vermont Route 110
Vermont Route 110 (VT 110) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Vermont. The highway runs from VT 14 in Royalton in northern Windsor County north to U.S. Route 302 (US 302) in the town of Barre in central Washington Coun ...
, about one-third of a mile north of the
Royalton town line in
Tunbridge, Vermont
Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the town population was 1,337. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of ...
. Built in 1833, it is one of the finest examples of late Federal period architecture in
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
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, and was a mainstay of social and civic life in southern Tunbridge for many years. It 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 2001.
Description and history
The South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church stands facing east on the west side of Vermont 110, on a rise overlooking the road and the adjacent First Branch
White River. It is one of two public buildings in what is now a rural cluster of residences; to its south stands a 1920s community hall. The church is a single-story brick structure, with a gabled roof and stone foundation. The roof is topped by a single-stage clapboarded square tower, which is topped by a corniced flat roof, and has arched louvered openings for the belfry. The main facade is three bays wide and symmetrically arranged, with entrances flanking a central sash window on the ground floor, and three windows above. The second-level windows are set in recesses and topped by distinctive recessed sunburst-patterned brickwork. The sills of these windows are formed out of
ogee
An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinat ...
-shaped bricks. The windows on the side walls have the same features. The interior of the church has a vestibule area topped by a now-enclosed gallery, with the main hall featuring a pressed tin roof and raised pulpit at the western end.
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Prior to the construction of this church, area Methodists met in a house known then as the "old parsonage", a short way to the north. This structure was built in 1833 by William Hutchinson and E. Colburn. Its brickwork and distinctive sunburst decorations set it apart from other Federal period buildings in the area. For much of the 19th century, South Tunbridge was a thriving community, with a district school, post office, saw and grist mills, and blacksmithy. The church was a center of the local social life, hosting dinners and other social events for many years.
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See also
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References
{{NRHP in Orange County, Vermont
Methodist churches in Vermont
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont
Federal architecture in Vermont
Churches completed in 1833
19th-century Methodist church buildings in the United States
Buildings and structures in Tunbridge, Vermont
Churches in Orange County, Vermont
National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, Vermont