Post Mills in Thetford in Orange County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)
Post Mills Church
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 3, 2024
1. Post Mills Church Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1818.
Location. 43° 53.243′ N, 72° 15.102′ W. Marker is in Thetford, Vermont, in Orange County. It is in Post Mills. It is on Vermont Route 244 east of Robinson Hill Road, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 449 VT-244, Fairlee VT 05045, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Vermont’s Connecticut River Valley and in the Green Mountains. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Peabody Library (approx. half a mile away); Nathaniel Niles (approx. 4.1 miles away); Camp Farnsworth (approx. 4.3 miles away); Thetford Academy (approx. 5 miles away); Furnace Flat (approx. 5.4 miles away); Samuel Morey (approx. 5½ miles away); The Samuel Morey Memorial Bridge (approx. 5.7 miles away in New Hampshire); The Ridge (approx. 5.9 miles away in New Hampshire). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thetford.
Regarding Post Mills Church. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
ThePost Mills Church, built in 1818 and remodelled in 1855 features Greek Revival style corner pilasters, a tall setback tower with open belfry, and an unusual frieze in the entablature made out of the doors of the original box pews. Inside the interior is noteworthy for its 1887 tempera paint ceiling stencilling and the reproduction of the wall stencilling that had been painted over in 1959. The church was built as a joint effort of the Congregational and Baptist societies, was funded through subscription, built on privately purchased land, and was supported through the sale of pews and donations. It served residents of Post Mills and nearby West Fairlee.
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After at least two years of planning, on April 17, 1818, the two denominations: Baptist and Congregationalist, jointly began construction of the Post Mills meeting house on land that had been purchased by Capt. E. S. Dodge and Capt. Phineas Kimball from Oramel Hinckley.
[I]n 1865, the Baptist Society was unable to "support preaching" due to a loss of members, and a year later a united brotherhood was developed so that the Baptist Society sold their title to the property to the Congregational Society for $200.
In 1855 the Post Mills Church was remodeled by West Fairlee craftsman, Hiram Powell, who was paid $1038.00 for his services. The floor was raised, the side galleries removed, the box pews werereplaced with open bench-like pews, and a stage platform was built to replace the original pulpit that had been ten or twelve feet high, reaching nearly up to the galleries.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 3, 20242. Post Mills Church MarkerIt is now known as Post Mills Congregational Church.
Also see . . . Post Mills Church (PDF). National Register of Historic Places nomination for the church, which was listed in 1992. (Prepared by Ann S. Cousins; via National park Service) (Submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 183 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 20, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
