West Fairlee Center Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Fairlee Center Church
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3870 Middlebrook Rd., West Fairlee, Vermont |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1855 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| MPS | Religious Buildings, Sites and Structures in Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000662 |
| Added to NRHP | June 21, 2002 |
The West Fairlee Center Church is a very old and important church building. You can find it in West Fairlee, Vermont. It was built in 1855. This church is a great example of Greek Revival style architecture. This style was popular in the 1800s and looks like ancient Greek temples.
The church is also special because of its connection to Nathaniel Niles. He was an important local minister, a large landowner, and a politician. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This list includes buildings that are important to American history.
What the Church Looks Like
The West Fairlee Center Church stands out in the small village of West Fairlee Center. It is located where Middlebrook and Bear Notch Roads meet. The church is a one-story building made of wood. It has a pointed metal roof and its outside walls are covered with wooden boards called clapboards.
On top of the roof, there is a tall tower. The bottom part of the tower has a decorative edge. Above that is an eight-sided bell tower with openings for sound. This part has flat, narrow columns on its corners. The very top of the tower is a steeple. The original steeple was replaced in 1973.
The front of the church has three sections. There are flat, narrow columns on the corners that go up to a decorative band. Above this is a triangular shape, like the front of a Greek temple. There are two doors on the front, with a window in the middle. Each door has flat columns and a decorative top, with a smaller window above it.
Inside the church, there is a small entry area under a balcony. The balcony has a ceiling made of pressed tin. It is held up by square columns with angled edges. The main room where people sit has plaster walls with wooden panels along the bottom. Its ceiling is also made of pressed tin. The long wooden benches, called pews, are the original ones from when the church was built. The area where the speaker stands, called the pulpit, is also original. The organ in the church was added in 1893.
History of the Church
The town of West Fairlee became its own town in 1797. Before that, it was part of Fairlee. One reason for the split was a disagreement between two big landowners, Colonel Isaac Morey and Nathaniel Niles. Nathaniel Niles owned a lot of land in West Fairlee. He often competed with Morey to be elected to the state government.
In the early days, before the first church was built, people who followed the Congregational faith would meet at Nathaniel Niles' house. His house is still standing nearby today. The first church was built in 1811. The church building you see today was built in 1855. It was needed because more and more people were moving to the town.
The church was built in what was then the center of the town. This area was important for business and community life. However, later in the 1800s, a new town center grew up. This happened because of local mining operations.
See also
