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Union Church (New Haven, Vermont) facts for kids

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Union Church
Union Church, New Haven Mills, Vermont.jpg
Union Church (New Haven, Vermont) is located in Vermont
Union Church (New Haven, Vermont)
Location in Vermont
Union Church (New Haven, Vermont) is located in the United States
Union Church (New Haven, Vermont)
Location in the United States
Location Jct. of River Rd. and East St., New Haven, Vermont
Area 1.2 acres (0.49 ha)
Built 1851 (1851)
Architect Case, Eastman
Architectural style Greek Revival
NRHP reference No. 00000829
Added to NRHP July 20, 2000

The Union Church, also known as the Union Church of New Haven Mills, is a very old and special building in New Haven, Vermont. You can find it where River Road and East Street meet. This church was built in 1851. It's a great example of a building style called Greek Revival. It also has some fancy Queen Anne Victorian details. This church is one of the oldest buildings left in what used to be a busy mill village. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Exploring the Union Church

The Union Church stands out in the middle of New Haven Mills village. This village is now mostly rural, but it used to be a small industrial area. The church is a single-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboard siding.

Church Design and Features

A simple square tower rises above the roof. This tower has an open belfry, which is where the bells would be. It also has a pointed, pyramid-shaped roof on top. The corners of the building have flat, column-like decorations called pilasters. These go up to a decorative band that goes all around the building. The front of the church has a triangular shape at the top, like a classic Greek temple.

The front of the church is quite plain. The main entrance is in the middle, set back a little bit. It has pilasters on each side and a decorative top part. Inside the church, you'll find rows of the original wooden benches, called pews. The only light inside used to come from old kerosene lamps. The ceiling inside is made of pressed metal and was added in the late 1800s.

A Look at Church History

The Union Church was built in 1851. The church group that used it started way back in 1797. Before this building was made, they met in different places. By the 1840s, New Haven Mills was a busy place for industry. The New Haven River had many sawmills and gristmills along its banks.

Eastman Case, a skilled local builder, constructed the church. Some parts of the church's design were inspired by other churches in the area. Other parts came from building plans published by a famous architect named Asher Benjamin. Many of the old industrial and business buildings in New Haven Mills were destroyed. Fires and floods in the early 1900s caused a lot of damage. This means the Union Church is one of the most important old buildings still standing today.

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