Old First Congregational Church of Bennington | |
Location | 1 Monument Circle, Bennington, Vermont |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°53′0″N73°12′48″W / 42.88333°N 73.21333°W |
Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
Built | 1805 |
Architect | Lavius Fillmore |
Architectural style | Georgian, Federal |
Part of | Old Bennington Historic District (ID84000030) |
NRHP reference No. | 73000186 [1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | April 24, 1973 |
Designated CP | October 4, 1984 |
The First Congregational Church of Bennington, also known as the Old First Church, is a historic church in Old Bennington, Vermont. The congregation was organized in 1762 and the current meeting house was built in 1805. [2] The building, one of the state's best examples of Federal period religious architecture, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. [1]
The Old First Church occupies a prominent position facing the green in the center of Old Bennington, at the junction of Monument Avenue and Church Lane near the southern end of the green. It is a two-story rectangular wood-frame structure, with a projecting entry vestibule and multi-stage tower. The gabled roof has a modillioned eave, and the exterior is finished in wooden clapboards with quoined corners. The entry vestibule is also gabled, with two round-arch entrances flanking a larger central entrance, which is topped by a rounded transom and gable. The second level of the vestibule has a large Palladian window with broken pediment above, and there is a half-round window in the pediment above. The tower has pilastered corners, with a smaller Palladian window in the first stage, an open second stage octagonal belfry, and an octagonal cupola at the top. [3]
The church congregation was organized in 1762, and its first meetinghouse was built in 1766. Due to increased participation, this building, with a seating capacity of six hundred fifty, was built in 1805, funded by the sale of pews and local levies. It was designed by builder Lavius Fillmore, who apparently borrowed heavily from Plate 35 of Asher Benjamin's The Country Builder's Assistant. [3]
The adjacent cemetery Old Bennington Cemetery, also known as Old First Church Cemetery or Old First Congregational Church Cemetery, was designated by the Vermont legislature as "Vermont's Sacred Acre". [4]
It is the burial site of poet Robert Frost.
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The First Congregational Church and Meetinghouse, also known as the Church of Christ and the Townshend Church, is a historic church at 34 Common Road in Townshend, Vermont. Built in 1790 and restyled in 1840, it is one of the oldest church buildings in continuous use in the state. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002; the congregation was established in 1777, and is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.
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Williston Congregational Church is a historic church in the center of Williston Village on United States Route 2 in Williston, Vermont. Built in 1832 and the interior restyled in 1860, this brick church is a fine local example of Gothic Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
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The Clarendon Congregational Church is a historic church building at 298 Middle Road in Clarendon, Vermont. Built in 1824 and modified with Gothic features in the 1880s, it is a well-preserved 19th-century brick church. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The present minister is Rev. Bill Kingsley.
Sudbury Congregational Church, also known as the Sudbury Meetinghouse, is a historic church and town hall at 2702 Vermont Route 30 in Sudbury, Vermont. When it was built in 1807, it was a nearly exact replica of Plate 33 in Asher Benjamin's 1805 Country Builders Assistant. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
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