Vermontville Chapel and Academy facts for kids
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Vermontville Chapel and Academy
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The Vermontville Academy, August 2014
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 106 N. Main St. Vermontville, Michigan |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1844 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000610 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 7, 1972 |
The Vermontville Academy is a special old building in Vermontville, Michigan. You can find it at 106 North Main Street. This building is also known as the First Congregational Chapel. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This list helps protect buildings that are important to history. Today, the Vermontville Academy is home to the Vermontville Historical Museum. It teaches people all about the town's past.
Contents
What is the History of the Vermontville Academy?
The first people to settle in Vermontville came from Vermont in 1836. They called themselves the Union Colony. These early settlers needed a place for their children to learn.
How Did Education Begin in Vermontville?
School classes first started in a private home in 1838. Later that same year, they built a simple schoolhouse out of logs. As more families moved to the village, the population grew.
Building the Academy and Chapel
By 1843, the town needed a bigger building. A group was formed to build a place that could be both a school (an academy) and a church. People in the community donated money to help build it.
The building was finished in 1844. It had an upper floor for the academy and a lower floor for the chapel. It was first built a short distance from where it stands today. The Vermontville Academical Association managed the building.
How Was the Building Used Over Time?
In 1851, the lower floor was fully set up as a church. Religious services were held there. In 1853, a general store even opened on the first floor! The building also served as the town's main meeting hall.
However, in 1864, a new Congregational church was built nearby. Because of this, religious services stopped at the Academy building.
The Academy Becomes a Union School
A few years later, the academy joined with the public schools. It became a "Union School" and was used for classes. But in 1869, the school district decided to build a new brick schoolhouse. The old academy building was no longer needed for classes.
Moving and Remodeling the Building
After being empty for a short time, the building was moved to its current spot. It was then remodeled for new uses. The first floor was used for prayer and social meetings. The upper floor became a place for plays and performances.
In the early 1900s, the building was updated again. The kitchen was made bigger, and the upper floor became a dining room.
The Academy Becomes a Museum
In 1965, the Vermontville Historical Society was created. This group wanted to save the town's history. In 1966, they got permission from the First Congregational Church, which still owned the building, to turn it into a museum.
The building officially opened to the public as the Vermontville Historical Museum in 1967. In the 1970s and 1980s, the building was carefully repaired and improved to keep it in good condition.
What Does the Vermontville Academy Look Like?
The Vermontville Academy is a rectangular building with two stories. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, called a gable roof. The outside is covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboards. It sits on a low foundation.
The building is about 40 feet long and 30 feet wide. The main door is on one end of the building. The windows are "12-over-12 double hung" units. This means each window has two sashes, and each sash has 12 small panes of glass. Inside, each floor has a small entry area (vestibule). The rest of the space is an open room, like an auditorium.
Who Are Some Famous People From the Academy?
- Homer G. Barber (1830–1909) was a student here. He later became a state senator in Michigan.
