First Congregational Church (The Old First Church)

Description

The Old First Church was gathered in 1762 by Bennington’s earliest settlers and is recognized as, the first Protestant church in what is now Vermont. Much of the early history of Vermont took place in and around the first meetinghouse, (built in 1763, no longer standing) and the present church, dedicated in 1806. As a result, the Vermont Legislature, in 1935, designated the church as “Vermont’s Colonial Shrine” and the adjacent cemetery as “Vermont’s Sacred Acre”.

After an extensive restoration effort last century the building stands much as it did during its dedication when first dedicated in 1806. The church is considered one of the most beautiful examples of early colonial church architecture. The cemetery adjacent to the church contains the graves of many of the citizens who contributed so much to the founding of Bennington and Vermont. It also contains the graves of Robert Frost and approximately 75 Revolutionary War patriots as well as British and Hessian soldiers killed in the Battle of Bennington. The site of Ethan Allen’s Bennington home is on the border of the cemetery.