The Addison Community Baptist Church is a historic church building at 4970

Vermont Route 22A Vermont Route 22A (VT 22A) is a state highway in western Vermont, United States. It is the northward continuation of New York State Route 22A. Its southern end is at the New York state line in Fair Haven and its northern end is ...

in the village center of

Addison, Vermont Addison is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,365. History Addison was chartered on October 14, 1761. Benning Wentworth named the town Addison after poet Joseph Addison. Geography Ac ...

. Built in 1816 and restyled in 1849, it is one of Vermont's oldest Baptist churches, and a good local example of

Greek Revival architecture Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1978 as Addison Baptist Church.

Description and history

The Addison Community Baptist Church stands just south of Addison Town Hall, on the west side of Vermont Route 22A just south of its junction with

Vermont Route 17 Vermont Route 17 (VT 17) is a state highway in western Vermont in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the New York (state), New York state line in Addison, Vermont, Addison, where it connects to New York State R ...

. It is a single-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. It is three bays wide and three deep, the bays of the front and sides articulated by pilasters. An entablature encircles the building below the roof line, and a square tower rises through the front of the roof. It has a plain first stage in which the front facade includes a panel with the building's construction date. It is topped by an entablature and cornice, above which the smaller belfry stage rises. It is also square, with pilastered corners, entablature and louvered openings. An octagonal steeple rises above the belfry, terminating in a spire. The front facade is relatively plain, with unwindowed side bays flanking a projecting central bay. The main entrance is recessed in that bay, where a pair of sash windows are mounted above the doorway. The interior retains original

box pew A box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th centuries. History in England Before the rise of Protestantism, seating was not customary in c ...

s. Federal style columns that originally supported the gallery are now used as supports in the basement, where the vestry is located. with Addison's Baptist congregation was organized in 1797, and organized the construction of this building in 1816. In 1849 the building underwent a major restyling, at which time its Greek Revival features were added. Alterations since then have been limited: the building has been fitted with electricity and modern plumbing, and an ell was added to the rear in 1962.

References

{{NRHP in Addison County, Vermont Baptist churches in Vermont Churches completed in 1816 19th-century Baptist churches in the United States Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont Buildings and structures in Addison, Vermont Churches in Addison County, Vermont 1816 establishments in Vermont National Register of Historic Places in Addison County, Vermont

Description and history

See also

References