West Haven Baptist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Haven Baptist Church
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 48 Book Rd., West Haven, Vermont |
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| Area | 0.7 acres (0.28 ha) |
| Built | 1831 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Religious Buildings, Sites and Structures in Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000161 |
| Added to NRHP | March 13, 2007 |
The West Haven Baptist Church is a very old and special church located at 48 Book Road in West Haven, Vermont. It was built way back in 1831! This church is a great example of two cool building styles: Federal and Gothic. Inside, it has a Victorian look. Because it's so important and historic, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Contents
Exploring the Church Building
The West Haven Baptist Church stands in an open field. You can find it on the west side of Book Road. It's just south of where Book Road meets Main Road. Main Road is the main street that goes east and west through this quiet, country area.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is a single-story building. It's made of wood and has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding. This is a type of overlapping wooden board. The church sits on a strong foundation made of stone.
A small entrance area sticks out from the front of the church. This part also has a gabled roof. The main door is in the middle of this entrance. On each side of the door, you'll see windows with a special Gothic arch shape.
The Church Tower
Above the entrance, a short, square tower rises up. It looks like it's sitting right where the main church building and the entrance meet. The top part of the tower has openings with slats. This is called a louvered belfry. It's where the church bell would be. The very top of the tower is flat.
Inside the Church
When you step inside the entrance, you'll see walls covered in beadboard. This is wood paneling with decorative grooves. The main part of the church, called the sanctuary, has different wood paneling. The bottom part of the walls has vertical matchboard. Above a decorative chair rail, the walls have horizontal matchboard. You can also see cool stencil designs on the walls.
A Look Back in Time
The West Haven Baptist Church was built in 1831. It was built for a group of people who formed a church in 1803. This makes it one of the oldest Baptist churches in Vermont!
Changes Over the Years
The church building has been updated a few times.
- In 1854, the church was renovated. This is when the Gothic arched windows were added. You can see these windows on the sides of the church too. Fancy Gothic decorations were probably added to the tower at this time.
- In 1886, more changes were made inside. The area where the preacher stands (the pulpit) and where the choir sings (the choir loft) were likely updated.
- In 1927, some of the fancy Gothic parts on the tower were probably removed.
Today, the church is only used for services during the summer. This is because it doesn't have a heating system.
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