Richmond Congregational Church
Statement of Significance
Statement of Significance
The Richmond Congregational Church, built in 1903, is significant as an example of how the Colonial Revival style came to be applied to church architecture in Vermont. Designed by the prominent Vermont architect Walter R. B. Willcox, this wooden church provides an intriguing example of that architect's eclectic and innovative approach to working with the Colonial Revival style. Because of this association with Willcox, who was one of the few professionally trained architects working in northern Vermont at the turn of the century, and because of its unusual design, this church satisfies eligibility requirements set forth for religious properties under Criteria Consideration A. At the same time, this church meets National Register Criterion C in the area of Architecture, being a singular example of this kind of structure in Vermont, and being one of the few Vermont churches designed by Walter Willcox. It is being nominated under the Multiple Property Submission for "Religious Buildings, Sites, and Structures in Vermont."
Congregationalism has long had an important impact on the Richmond community. The First Congregational Church was organized on September 24, 1801, by two Connecticut missionaries, Rev. Jeremiah Hallock and Rev. Jedediah Bushnell. At first consisting of only thirteen members, the Congregational community grew slowly, and eventually twenty nine Congregationalists joined with a number of Baptists, Universalists, "Christians," and Methodists as proprietors of the Richmond Meeting House ( this National Historic Landmark, constructed in 1813, is now known as the Old Round Church). During the 1820s the congregation languished, but in 1833 a ten day revival meeting, presided over by Rev. Elihu B. Baxter, reinvigorated religious life throughout the region. In 1836 the First Congregational Society of Richmond was formed in order to support preaching activities. It was this organization, together with the First Congregational Church of Richmond, which in 1850 sponsored the building of the first separate house of worship for Congregationalists on the present church site.
By 1903, the costs associated with repairing the old church made its replacement seem desirable to many church members. It was decided therefore that a new, larger structure should be built to take the place of the 1850 structure. Plans were made to hire an architect and builders, as well as to sell off some church land between the church and the parsonage in order to help pay for it (eventually this land was to become Church Street). The result was the construction of the present church, which was designed by Walter Willcox and built by Nichols and Parker of Essex Junction, Vermont. The church was officially dedicated on September 14, 1904.
Significantly, the building of this structure corresponded with a period of prosperity for Richmond, generated in large part by the advent of the Richmond Underwear Company in 1900. The Richmond Underwear Company had come to Richmond at the behest of local officials and business leaders, who provided the company with financial incentives in the hope of fostering economic opportunity. The resulting industrial expansion brought about by the new factory (which itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places) in turn generated other forms of construction, as the company built a variety of dwellings (including a forty person boarding house) in order to accommodate its work force. By 1904, over 20% of the buildings located in Richmond's downtown business district were of recent construction, these having been constructed only within the last five years.
The Richmond Congregational Church was designed by one of the few professionally-trained architects working in Vermont at the turn of the century. Walter R. B. Willcox (1869-1947) was a Burlington, Vermont, native who was trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania. A great admirer of the so-called Jacobethan style, Willcox was also interested in the Beaux Arts and Colonial Revival styles. During a twelve year period (1895-1907), Willcox came to design some of the most significant architecture in the city of Burlington. Despite the fact that he enjoyed success in Vermont, in 1907 Willcox moved to Seattle, where he established a successful firm, and became active in municipal affairs and city planning. In 1922, he was appointed chairman of the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, where (ironically) he developed an architectural philosophy which in many ways rejected the formalism inherent in the traditional Beaux-Arts educational philosophy that he had been trained in.
Willcox designed a number of residences and commercial structures in Burlington, including the Edmunds High School (1899), the Fletcher Free (Carnegie) Library (1902), John Dewey Hall (1902) at the University of Vermont, and the H. O. Wheeler School (1904-05). The Fletcher Free Library is constructed in the Beaux Arts style, while the Edmunds High School, the H. O. Wheeler School, and John Dewey Hall are all Colonial Revival in style. Although Colonial Revival in inspiration, the Richmond Congregational Church is not a straightforward example of the style. Despite its Palladian windows, rectangular, double-hung sashes, and a cornice decorated with dentils, the irregular cruciform design of the church, its use of shingles and clapboards, and the unusual placing of its bell tower long resulted in the building being misclassified as Queen Anne.
The church has seen a number of additions and alterations throughout the twentieth century. By 1911 a Colonial Revival style porch had been added to the original structure, adjacent to the bell tower. In 1940 the dining room was enlarged, while major renovations to the downstairs area occurred from 1956 to 1958. The greatest change to the original structure came in 1984, with the construction of a new addition. This addition, designed by Donald Albertson of Burlington, is a two section office extension. It is four bays long and two stories high (its first story corresponding to the exposed basement level of the church proper). This addition was designed to match the architectural style of the church, and in fact does so successfully. It provides space for a number of activities, including a day care center.
Despite alterations, the church remains a noteworthy example of the Colonial Revival Style. The cross-shaped religious core of the church is largely untouched, and the stained glass windows of the transepts are intact. The original clapboards have been covered by cream colored vinyl siding, but the green shingles of the upper story remain. Inside the nave, the original trusses have been reinforced by a metal cross beam and supporting pillars (ca. 1971). These are encased in wood and were designed to blend in as much as possible with the original work. While not pristine, the Richmond Congregational Church still retains in large part the appearance of the original structure. It provides an interesting example of how the Colonial Revival style could be applied in an unusual way, while providing a rare look at how Walter Willcox designed for church architecture.