Stowe Community Church was
built in 1863 and became a single non-denominational congregation in 1920 by uniting local Baptist, Congregationalist, Methodist, and Universalist groups. Located on Main Street in Stowe, Vermont, it features a 170-foot white spire and is one of the most photographed buildings in the United States. [
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Building and Architecture
- Construction Year: Built in 1863 by the Universalist Society in the New England Colonial style.
- The Spire: Rises over 170 feet; rumor says it was built flat on the ground and raised with ropes and blocks without changes.
- Pipe Organ: Contains a historic Simmons tracker pipe organ built in Boston in 1863.
- Design: Rumored to copy structural lines from the work of English architect Sir Christopher Wren. [1, 2, 3]
- Early Worship: Town services began in an 1818 meeting house on the same site.
- The Merger: Formed officially in 1920 (with roots starting around 1918) when four groups—Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, and Universalists—joined together.
- Status: Became one of the very first non-denominational churches in the United States.
- Historic Status: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [1, 2, 3, 4]