Rockingham Meeting House facts for kids
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Rockingham Meetinghouse
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Front of the Meeting House
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off VT 103, Rockingham, Vermont |
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| Area | 4.4 acres (18,000 m2) |
| Built | 1787-1801 |
| Architect | General John Fuller |
| Part of | Rockingham Village Historic District (ID07001346) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000232 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1979 |
| Designated NHL | May 16, 2000 |
| Designated CP | January 4, 2008 |
The Rockingham Meeting House, also known as Old North Meeting House, is a very old and important building in Rockingham, Vermont, United States. It was built a long time ago, between 1787 and 1801. This special building was used for two main things: church services and town meetings. Imagine a place where people gathered for both worship and to make decisions about their town! Church services stopped in 1839, but town meetings continued until 1869. The building was fixed up in 1906 and has been kept safe ever since.
In 2000, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a super important historical place because it's a great example of an old colonial-style meeting house. Today, the town owns the building. You can even rent it for special events like weddings!
Contents
What Does the Rockingham Meeting House Look Like?
The Rockingham Meeting House is located on Meeting House Road. It sits on a piece of land about 4 acres (1.6 hectares) big. On this land, you'll also find the town's first burial ground. Some of the graves there are from as far back as 1776! This area was the original center of Rockingham. It was planned after the French and Indian War ended in 1763. That war was a big fight between Great Britain and France.
The building itself is a large, two-story structure made of wood. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding, which are long, thin boards. The building sits on a strong granite foundation.
Main Entrance and Inside Features
The front of the building faces south and has five sections with windows. The windows are placed in a balanced way around the main door. The main entrance is decorated with columns and a triangular shape above it. On each side of the building, there are enclosed stairwells that also have decorated entrances.
When you walk through the main entrance, you enter a central hallway. This leads to the pulpit area, which is where the speaker would stand. The pulpit still has its original "sounding board" above it. This board helped the speaker's voice carry through the room. The second floor has a balcony that goes around three sides of the building. This balcony is also lined with old-fashioned box pews. These are like small, enclosed seating areas. The pulpit area is about 7 feet (2.1 meters) wide. You can reach it by stairs on its left side. The pulpit was fixed up in 1906, but it looks very much like the original. The only other big changes have been replacing some windows.
History of the Rockingham Meeting House
The town of Rockingham was first settled by colonists from England and America. This happened after the French and Indian War ended in 1763. People started talking about building a meeting house in 1771. A building was finally put up on this spot in 1774. That first building was used until the current one was approved in 1787.
It's not totally clear when the current building was finished. The first town meeting held here was in 1792. At that time, the building was still not complete. In that same year, the town allowed local Christian groups to use the building for their services.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, different church groups built their own places of worship. The original church group stopped holding services here in 1838. This happened as people's religious beliefs changed. The building continued to be used for town meetings until 1869. That's when a new town hall was built in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
Around 1850, the original pulpit was taken out. Most of the old benches around the pulpit area were also removed. Even though the building was empty for many years, its outside was kept up. Sadly, the inside was damaged by people who broke in. They even stole things like door handles and old hand-cut nails.
Restoration and Recognition
After being unused for a long time, the town fixed up the building in 1906. The first "Old Home Day and Pilgrimage" to the Meeting House was held in August 1907. The building almost burned down in a big fire on April 14, 1908. That fire destroyed much of the nearby Rockingham Village.
In 1911, a group called the Meeting House Association was formed. This was thanks to Professor Franklin Hooper. He was the director of the Brooklyn Museum. Professor Hooper was also a great-great-grandson of one of the first members of the original church from 1773.
The Rockingham Meeting House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Then, in 2000, it was named a National Historic Landmark. It's a fantastic example of an old colonial meeting house. Its setting still looks much like it did when it was built. The landmark status includes the building, the cemetery, and a special receiving tomb.
See also
- Oldest churches in the United States
- List of the oldest buildings in Vermont
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Vermont
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Windham County, Vermont
