Beaver Meadow Union Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Beaver Meadow Union Chapel
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View from Beaver Meadow Road
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | North side of Beaver Meadow Road, Norwich, Vermont |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1915 |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000185 |
| Added to NRHP | March 09, 1995 |
The Beaver Meadow Union Chapel, also known as the West Norwich Union Church, is a special old church in Norwich, Vermont. It stands on the north side of Beaver Meadow Road. Built in 1915, it is a great example of church buildings from that time. This chapel is famous because it was the starting point for the Home Prayers program. This program was a unique way to share church services through the mail. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
Contents
What is the Beaver Meadow Chapel?
The Beaver Meadow Union Chapel is located in West Norwich, Vermont. It is a simple, one-story building made of wood. It has a steep roof and a stone foundation. The outside is covered with clapboard siding.
A Special Building
A square tower rises from the roof near the front of the chapel. This tower has an open area for a bell, topped with a pointed roof. The main front of the church has a plain entrance in the middle. There are windows on each side of the door. More windows are found higher up in the bell tower. A small kitchen area is attached to the left side of the main building. Inside, many of the original features and furniture are still there.
How the Chapel Began
The church was built in 1915. A woman named Margaret Kerr helped make it happen. She was a schoolteacher from New York City. Margaret wanted a positive place for the community to gather. The land where the chapel stands once had a different church. That older church had been moved to Sharon. People who would attend the new chapel helped build it themselves. Ministers from nearby Hanover, New Hampshire often led services. They usually came during the warmer months of the year.
The "Home Prayers" Program
One of the ministers, Reverend Allen W. Clark, had a clever idea. He started mailing parts of a church service to people. These mailings included lessons and sermons. This was for times when the church was not holding services. This idea grew into the "Home Prayers" program. It became very popular. By the time Rev. Clark retired in 1977, more than 23,000 people were getting these mailings. They came from 850 different churches.
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