[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 80 (Friday, June 7, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4015-S4016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RICHMOND ROUND CHURCH 200TH ANNIVERSARY
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, Vermont boasts a number of historical
treasures, and among them is the Round Church in Richmond, which this
year celebrates its 200th anniversary.
The Old Round Church earned a national historic landmark distinction
from the National Park Service in 1996. Because of the church's history
and its long-held status as meeting place and community center, it has
come to be recognized as a symbol of the rich history woven through so
many Vermont towns.
This year the Richmond Round Church, known to many as the Old Round
Church, will celebrate its bicentennial with a series of concerts and
community events. The sense of community boasted by the Old Round
Church is rooted partially in the history of the church's
establishment. Initially conceived by settlers seeking a local meeting
place, their plan to erect the Round Church faltered with reluctance
from the town of Richmond to supply the land need to construct the
building. Two local men, however, volunteered the land, and in 1813
construction of the church was completed. It has since grown to become
a renowned symbol for its historical significance but also for its
representation of the community values that are so cherished across
Vermont.
Over the past two centuries, it has served as a meeting place, a
venue for local activities, and even a popular location for weddings.
Generations of Vermonters have visited the Old Round Church, and as a
young boy growing up in Montpelier, I remember visiting the church with
my parents, and brother and sister. Today, volunteers routinely help
preserve the church's history by volunteering to help clean, maintain,
and repair its structure. It remains as central to the community as it
ever has in its 200 year history.
In honor of the 200th anniversary of the Richmond Round Church, I ask
that an article published in the Burlington Free Press on May 26, 2013,
``Richmond Round Church Turns 200, Celebrations Abound,'' be printed
into the Congressional Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From The Burlington Free Press, May 26, 2013]
Richmond Round Church Turns 200, Celebrations Abound
Richmond--It started with an argument.
In 1796 settlers of this small town in the foothills of the
Green Mountains wanted to build a local meeting house, or at
least some of them did. Then as now, democracy did not always
come easily. The committees tasked with finding a location
found it difficult to agree and fickle townspeople voted down
the whole idea in 1811.
Absent the good will of two local men who offered to donate
land to the cause, free and clear, the foundation for
Richmond's iconic Round Church might never have been laid.
But donate they did, and this year the white clapboard
building that sits serenely in the heart of Richmond turns
200. The birthday is being celebrated all summer with
concerts and special events culminating the weekend of Aug.
9, 10 and 11.
Fans of the church say it symbolizes the spirit of the
town.
``Well, I think this represents what's best about
Richmond,'' said Fran Thomas, president of the Richmond
Historical Society. ``It was built as a community church and
meeting house. To me it's what's best about Richmond, that
community aspect.''
The shape of the 16-sided church and meeting house is
believed to be unique in the United States. It has survived
floods, blizzards and other onslaughts--attacks by powder
post beetles, dry rot and restless youths who carved their
initials into the wooden box pews as early as 1912.
Built to last
According to ``The Richmond Round Church, 1813-2013,'' a
history written by Harriet W. Riggs and Martha Turner and
published by the Richmond Historical Society, the box pews
were designed to help retain heat. Families brought heated
soap stones or small metal boxes of burning coals to help
stay warm inside. A stone and box are on display at the back
of the church, along with other artifacts.
Miraculously, the church never burned down despite
considerable threat from wood stoves that were added to the
building at some point and according to local lore stuffed
full starting several days before gatherings and then left
unattended as the structure heated up. Pipes from the stoves
snaked
[[Page S4016]]
precariously aloft the pews, posing another hazard.
The stoves are idle now and the piping was pulled down
decades ago. These days the Richmond Historical Society
manages and maintains the town-owned structure under a 40-
year agreement that expires in 2016.
Town meeting ceased to be held at the church in 1974 on the
advice of the fire marshal and structural engineers who
advised the roof could cave under a heavy snow storm. (Town
meeting now takes place at Camels Hump Middle School.) The
five Protestant denominations that sold pew space to fund the
construction 200 years ago no longer hold Sunday services at
the church.
But the structure and its surrounding green continue to
serve as a visual centerpiece and active venue for weddings,
tours, concerts and other events.
Maintaining history
Volunteers do everything from washing the 12-over-12
mullioned windows to writing grants to booking weddings to
monitoring the steady stream of repairs needed to keep the
church upright. Major structural work took place in the late
1970s and early 1980s, with the historical society leading
the charge. More recently, workers have restored the
foundation and replaced rotting beams and clapboard at the
back of the church. Some day friends of the church would like
to build in a bathroom, but for now a lilac-landscaped port-
o-let out back serves the purpose.
Repairing broken panes of glass is a regular task and in
this as in other work, effort is made to stay historically
accurate. Glass from old windows donated to the church is
used whenever possible.
``We have a stockpile of wavy glass to repair the broken
windows,'' Thomas explained.
All the effort to maintain the church is well worth it,
said Thomas as she showed a reporter around the space
recently.
The building today is unheated and there are no plans to
add a modern heat source. That means use of the Round Church
is seasonal, with events taking place from April to October,
with a few exceptions such as an annual December carol sing.
Occasionally a wedding is scheduled in November or
December. ``But we have to make sure the bride and groom
realize how cold it's going to be,'' said Thomas.
One couple literally got cold feet and moved their wedding
on a few days notice after visiting the church and realizing
how chilly their vows would be.
The shape of the church has long been a subject of
speculation. Some say the circular shape was chosen to ward
off the devil because he could not hide in the corners of the
church.
Thomas doubts the devil drove the architectural plans. The
more likely story is that head carpenter William Rhodes
appreciated the circular design of an addition to the meeting
house in his hometown of Claremont, N.H. and wanted to copy
the idea.
``To me, that makes the most sense,'' Thomas said. ``It's
not the most interesting, but it makes the most sense.''
Snatches of the surrounding scenery can be viewed from
inside the church--green mountainside, sloping lawn, flood
plain field and the red metal truss bridge spanning the
Winooski River. The church sits slightly uphill, which saved
it from the great flood of 1927 and Tropical Storm Irene,
although the latter turned the lower green into a lake.
Taking care of the building is much more involved than some
people might guess, said Thomas. But Richmond would not be
Richmond without it, she said.
``It's our claim to fame, I guess.''
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