Sudbury Congregational Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Sudbury Congregational Church
|
|
Sudbury Congregational Church
|
|
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | VT 30, Sudbury, Vermont |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1807 |
| Architect | Stewart, Charles C. |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000101 |
| Added to NRHP | October 28, 1977 |
The Sudbury Congregational Church, also known as the Sudbury Meetinghouse, is a very old and important building in Sudbury, Vermont. It serves as both a church and a town hall. This means people gather here for religious services and for town meetings to make decisions about their community.
The church is located at 2702 Vermont Route 30. It was built in 1807. When it was first built, it looked almost exactly like a design from a famous book. This book was called Country Builders Assistant by Asher Benjamin, published in 1805. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This list recognizes places that are important to the history of the United States.
Contents
What Does the Sudbury Church Look Like?
The Sudbury Congregational Church stands in the small village center of Sudbury. It is set back from Vermont Route 30, behind a village green. You can reach it by a dirt road on the east side of the green.
Building Materials and Shape
The church is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof, which is called a gable roof. The outside walls are covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboard siding.
The Front Entrance and Tower
A two-story entrance area sticks out from the front of the church. This front part faces south. A square tower sits on top, right where the main roof meets the entrance roof.
The tower has one main section. It has a half-round louver, which is a slatted opening, on its front. There are also decorative pointy parts, called Gothic corner pinnacles, around a short steeple. A steeple is the tall, pointed structure on top of a church.
Special Details on the Outside
The edges of the roofs and gables have a decorative pattern called dentil moulding. This looks like a row of small blocks.
The entrance area has two doors. Each door has a half-round window above it with many small panes of glass. Between the two doors, there is a framed space. This space looks like it was meant for another entrance. It has decorative pillars, called pilasters, supporting a flat, decorated beam called a corniced entablature. Today, this space holds a notice board.
On the second floor of the entrance, there are windows on either side of a special central window. This central window is called a Palladian window. It has a large arched window in the middle with two smaller rectangular windows on each side.
History of the Sudbury Meetinghouse
The Sudbury Congregational Church has a long history. It has been used by the community for over 200 years.
When Was the Church Built?
The church was built in 1807. It was constructed by a person named Charles C. Stewart. The church was built for a group of people who formed a congregation, or church community, in 1803.
Changes to the Tower
When the church was first built, its tower looked different. It did not have the Gothic features you see today. It also had a much taller steeple. People were worried that the tall steeple might be blown off in a strong wind. Because of these concerns, the taller steeple was taken down.
How the Building Became a Town Hall
In the 1850s, the inside of the building was changed. These changes were made so the building could also be used for town meetings. Town meetings are where local citizens gather to discuss and vote on important issues for their town. It was around this time that the Gothic decorations were added to the outside of the church.
By 1977, when the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places, it was still being used for both church services and town government meetings. This shows how important the building has been to the Sudbury community for a very long time.
See also
