First Congregational Church (Orwell, Vermont) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Congregational Church
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Orwell Congregational Church, February 2011
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 464 Main St., Orwell, Vermont |
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| Area | 1.1 acres (0.45 ha) |
| Built | 1843 |
| Architect | Bostwick, Frederick and Fobes |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| MPS | Religious Buildings, Sites and Structures in Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000210 |
| Added to NRHP | March 2, 2001 |
The First Congregational Church is an old and important church in Orwell, Vermont. People also call it the Orwell Congregational Church. This beautiful building was finished in 1843. It is a great example of a style called Greek Revival architecture. Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Contents
Church Design and Style
The First Congregational Church stands out in the middle of Orwell village. You can find it near the west end of an oval road on the north side of Main Street (Vermont Route 73). It is a large brick building with one main floor.
Building Features
The church has a pointed roof and a tall tower with two parts. The first part of the tower is square. It has flat, column-like decorations on its corners called pilasters. This part also holds a clock.
The second part of the tower is shaped like an octagon (eight sides). This is where the church bell is kept. It has four rectangular openings with slats, called louvered faces. These are separated by angled sides with two fluted (grooved) columns in the Ionic style. A smaller, eight-sided dome, called a cupola, sits on top.
Front of the Church
The front of the church has a triangular shape at the top, called a pedimented gable. Below this is a decorative band, or entablature. Four brick pilasters and two fluted Doric columns support this band.
The columns and inner pilasters create a covered space. This is where the main entrance to the church is located.
Original Details and Windows
Church members built this church themselves. It still looks much like it did when it was first built. The windows in the main worship area, called the sanctuary, were once clear glass.
Later, in the late 1800s, people started replacing them with colorful stained glass windows. These windows were put in to remember people. One special window is called the Children's Window. It is unique in New England. Children from the Sunday School paid for it to remember other children from the church.
Church History and Traditions
The church started as an independent group of worshippers in 1789. This means they made their own rules and decisions.
Stained Glass and Seating
The stained glass windows are not just colored glass. They are traditional stained glass art. They show stories and lessons from the Bible. For example, one window shows Jesus with children. Another shows the Trinity.
The main worship area can seat about 350 people. It still has its original pews (church benches). Many of these pews were once "family pews." Families bought or rented them when the church was built.
Even in the late 1900s, some members still sat in their family's special pew. Today, anyone can sit anywhere they like.
Music and Organ
The church has great acoustics, which means sound travels well. This is perfect for organ concerts and singing together. It also makes it easier for people to hear the preacher from the large Victorian pulpit.
Music has always been important to this church. Organists have played for many years on the beautiful Hook-Tracker organ. This organ was built in the 1860s. It was repaired and made new again in the early 1990s. It is a small instrument with only 16 stops and two keyboards (including the foot pedals). But it can play many different kinds of music.
The Parsonage
The church's parsonage (the house where the minister lives) is at the corner of Main and Church Streets. It was built around 1825. It was first shaped like a cross, but two extra parts have since been removed.
See also
