Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont)
historic church in Vermont, United States
The Union Meetinghouse (also once known as the Ferrisburg-Vergennes Baptist Church, and now the Ferrisburg Community Church) is a historic church on United States Route 7 in Ferrisburg, Vermont. Built in 1840, it is architecturally an eclectic combination of Federal period design with Gothic Revival features. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Description and history
The Union Meetinghouse is one of the most prominent features of Ferrisburg's small town center, standing facing west at the northeast corner of US 7 and Middlebrook Road. It is a two-story brick building, with a gabled roof and limestone foundation. A two-stage belltower, a replica of the original (destroyed by fire in 1976) rises from the ridgeline, with a belfry featuring ogee-arched louvered openings. The brick of the walls is laid in American bond. The front facade is symmetrical, with two double-door entrances flanking a central tall Gothic-arched window with tracery. The entries are also topped by smaller Gothic windows. Similar windows are found on the building sides.
The public source identifies “Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont)” as historic church in Vermont, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Union, Meetinghouse and Ferrisburg.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont)”, the useful work is to connect “historic church in Vermont, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7885831. Authority coordinates are 44.206, -73.246. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1840, 1978 and 1976.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont) primary sources, Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont) archive and Union research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont)”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Union Meetinghouse (Ferrisburg, Vermont)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.