Community Baptist Church and Parsonage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Community Baptist Church and Parsonage
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2 and 10 Mountain Rd., Montgomery, Vermont |
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| Area | 4.7 acres (1.9 ha) |
| Built | 1866 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000737 |
| Added to NRHP | October 13, 2015 |
The Community Baptist Church and Parsonage are two important old buildings in Montgomery, Vermont. They are located on Mountain Road, right in the center of the village. The church was built in 1866. It has a special design called Greek Revival, which makes it look a bit like an ancient Greek temple. The house next to it, called the parsonage, is also very old and has a classic American style known as Colonial Revival.
For many years, the church was a busy place for social events in the town. It was a central spot for people to gather. The church closed its doors in 2011. However, a local community group now uses the building. These historic buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. This means they are recognized as important parts of American history.
Contents
Exploring the Church's Design
The Community Baptist Church stands right in the heart of Montgomery village. It is on the east side of a three-way road split, near the Trout River. The church is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards. The foundation is made of strong fieldstone.
The Front of the Church
The front of the church faces west. It has a tall porch that looks like a Greek temple. This porch has four large, square columns. These columns support a flat, decorative band and a plain, pointed roof section. A two-part square tower rises from the main roof. Both parts of the tower have decorative flat columns on their corners. The top part of the tower has openings with slats, like a bell tower. On the main front wall, there are two doors. A rectangular stained glass window is placed between these two entrances.
The Parsonage House
The parsonage house is just north of the church. It is one and a half stories tall. This house was built in the Colonial Revival style. It stands on the foundation of an even older house.
A Look at the Church's History
The Baptist church group in Montgomery first started in 1820. It began with just ten people. This was the third Christian group to form in the community. The original group split up around 1843. A new Baptist group was then formed in 1846.
Building the Church and Parsonage
These church groups met in different places until this church was built in 1866. In 1873, a building for carriages was added behind the church, but it is no longer there. The house next door was bought to be the parsonage, which is where the minister lived. The current parsonage house was built in 1922. This was the same year that the Baptists joined together with another church group called the Congregationalists.
A Center for Community Life
The church has always been a very important place for activities in the town. It hosted many social events, like community dinners. Groups such as the Boy Scouts also met there. The Baptist church group eventually became very small. Because of its size, the group officially ended in 2011. Since then, a local community group has taken over the building. They continue to use it for town activities.
See also
