Peacham Congregational Church

The Olde Meeting House

This church is a visual representationof the heritage of Peacham, Vermont

History - The Olde Meeting House Celebrates its 215th Anniversary in 2021

The Olde Meeting House was built in 1806. The master builder was Edward Clark. To raise money to build the building, the Congregational Society held a public "vendue" or auction and sold pews. They raised $5,594. The church was built from local trees with axes, and oxen to drag the logs to the sawmill where they were cut into logs. Stones for the foundation came from the rocks and boulders that had to be removed from the fields.*

The original building was erected across the street from the where the Peacham VFD building currently stands (across from the Peacham Cemetery). In 1844, the building was moved to its current location with the use of oxen and logs to roll it down the hill.
*Meeting House Minutes by Lorna Quimby

The Preservation Fund

The Preservation Fund was created to ensure the long-term maintenance of The Olde Meeting House and Organ. Maintained by the Vermont Community Foundation, a portion of this fund is dedicated to the operating expenses of the building annually. We are grateful to the generous donors who have helped to establish this critical fund to care for these treasured resources. To include a gift to The Preservation Fund in your estate plans, please contact us .

Support the Preservation Fund

Peacham - A National Historic Village District

The town of Peacham was first settled in 1776, partly as a consequence of the construction of the Bayley-Hazen Military Road during the American Revolutionary War. In the Peacham Corner area that became the town center, that road, now the major north-south route through the town, skirted around a hill on which the early town center was laid out. This included The Olde Meeting House, completed 1806), cemetery (established 1811), and the Peacham Academy, one of the region's first secondary schools (founded 1797, closed in 1971). The church was moved down the hill a ways in 1844, and the academy's early buildings no longer stand, although later buildings have been converted to housing). Growth in the village came to a virtual standstill with the outbreak of the American Civil War, which drained the community of significant parts of its population. The result is a little-altered mid-19th century hill village, which was largely bypassed by the architectural styles of the late 19th century.*

*Wikipedia

The Bridge Committee

The Bridge Committee is a group of church members and community members who work together to raise awareness of the history and legacy of the Olde Meeting House. We focus on efforts to write grants and raise revenues to support the costs for heating oil, building maintenance, and utilities. The Olde Meeting House is utilized by many organizations and residents of the town and we have a shared goal to help to protect and preserve this wonderful building. If you have an interest in serving or assisting the Bridge Committee, please email us.

Bridge Committee

The Olde Meeting House is an historic landmark with a rich history. Historic buildings of this nature require extensive maintenance and care. To assist with the long-term maintenance and preservation of The Olde Meeting House, a group of concerned citizens along with church members have developed a “Bridge Committee” to assist in raising awareness and funds to bolster and share in the maintenance of the Olde Meeting House. This building is utilized by residents and organizations throughout Peacham and we should all share in the responsibility to maintain it.

The Bridge Committee has set an annual goal to raise $15,000 for operating expenses. We hope to do so through solicitation of tax-deductible donations (via the church as a 501(c)3 non-profit). Funds raised will be restricted to paying for the annual operating expenses of the building.

Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support the Bridge Committee