[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8243-8244]
[From the U.S. 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

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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 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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