St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (Montgomery, Vermont)

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
Location VT 118, Montgomery, Vermont
Coordinates 44°54′6.2″N 72°38′25.8″W / 44.901722°N 72.640500°W / 44.901722; -72.640500Coordinates: 44°54′6.2″N 72°38′25.8″W / 44.901722°N 72.640500°W / 44.901722; -72.640500
Area 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built 1835 (1835)
Architectural style Gothic Revival
NRHP Reference # 88001467[1]
Added to NRHP October 1, 1988

The former St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church is a historic church building located on Vermont Route 118 in Montgomery, Vermont in the United States. Its congregation was formed in 1821 as Union Episcopal Church and church construction began in 1833 and was completed in 1835, when it was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. John Henry Hopkins, first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. In 1897 its name was changed to St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church. Since being deconsecrated in 1974 it has been owned by the Montgomery Historical Society and is now known as Pratt Hall.[2] On October 1, 1988, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1] The building is a prominent early example of Gothic Revival architecture in the state.


Description and history

Pratt Hall stsands in the village of Montgomery, just southwest of its triangular common on the northwest side of Vermont 118. It is a single-story wood frame structure, with a gabled roof, clapboarded exterior, and square tower. The tower projects from the otherwise unadorned front facade, with a Gothic-arched entrance at the base, with narrow lancet-arch windows on the sides, and an oculus window above the entrance. The second stage houses the belfry, and is separated from the clock stage by a cornice. The tower is topped by a crenellated parapet. The interior contains elaborate woodwork in the Gothic style.[3]

Montgomery's Episcopal congregation was one of the first in the town, and this was its first church building, erected 1832-35 on land purchased in 1829. The church is one of Vermont's oldest examples of Gothic Revival architecture, its construction begun not long after completion of its first documented example in Arlington. Originally a union church (shared by multiple congregations), it soon became home solely to the Episcopalians. Its congregation in decline, services were reduced to summer-only in 1927.[3]

In 1972 the diocese decided that the building was no longer safe for use and was going to demolish it. The Montgomery Historical Society, however, was able to buy it in 1974 and has restored and maintained it since then.[2] In addition to using Pratt Hall for its own meetings, the society makes it available for others to use as a venue for weddings, small concerts, talks, or other gatherings.[2][4] The society named the building in honor of its founder, Lawrence Pratt, who was the driving force in the building's rescue from destruction.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 http://www.montgomeryhistoricalsociety.org/mhspratt.htm
  3. 1 2 3 Rogan Faith (1988). "NRHP nomination for St. Bartholomew'ss Episcopal Church" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-11-21. with photos from 1988
  4. ↑ http://www.montgomeryhistoricalsociety.org/pratthall.htm
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