Vergennes Congregational Church Records

The Vergennes Congregational Church was officially established on September 17, 1793 by Rev. C.M. Smith of Sharon, who had been sent as a missionary from Connecticut to the Northern Infant settlements in Vermont. He framed the articles of Christian Faith and Covenant of the Church. As early as 1790, a small group hired a minister to serve for a short period, but no regular meetings were held until 1792 when Daniel Clark Sanders agreed to serve. Sanders, who was ordained in 1794, returned to the Church from 1793 until 1799 when he accepted the presidency of the University of Vermont. John Hough served as a minister for five years from 1807 until Alexander Lovell came in 1812. Lovell, who served until 1835, saw the erection of a meeting house in 1834. Other ministers who served during this century included: Harvey Leavitt (1836-1860), Calvin Pease (1861), George B. Spalding (1861-1864), H.A.P. Torrey (1865-1868), Horace P.V. Bogue (1869-1872), William P. Aiken (1873-1876), George E. Hall (1877-1884) and A.A. Robertson who was installed in 1884. [See H.P. Smith, History of Addison County Vermont, Syracuse, N.Y., 1886, pp. 696-697.]

In the great revivals of 1835-1836, some 300 conversions took place out of a population of 1,000, and of these 176 joined the church. Because of the rivalry among the sponsors of these revivals, some members were dismissed from the church for having attended a camp meeting not sponsored by their own flock. [Burlington Free Press, Dec. 10, 1868, p.19. Article also in Reference File.]