About Waterbury Congregational Church
Our History
The town of Waterbury, Vermont was settled over 250 years ago, in 1763. By 1801, the Congregational Church had organized, although without a building of its own. In 1823, the group hired the Carpenter brothers and began construction of the White Meeting House on land purchased from Amasa Pride. In 1824, the White Meeting House Society was formed, and the building was completed and dedicated.
The building has changed a great deal over its 200-year history: a first addition in 1857; gothic detailing in 1860 and stained glass in 1890; a finished basement in 1892; the organ and choir loft in 1901; a new chapel and Sunday school in 1940; carillon bells in the steeple tower in 1950; a replaced organ in 1976; and a major renovation in 2003 that added office, classroom, and restroom space. In 2014–15, the sanctuary received new ceilings, carpets, lighting, and an electronic organ.
History buffs will find several display cases throughout the building: a communion set given in memory of Eliza Carpenter Wells; a World War II honor roll listing veterans who served from this community; founding documents in the library; and a model of the church as it was originally built.
Weathering the Floods
As floods have played a defining role in Waterbury’s history, the White Meeting House has played an important role in the town’s recovery from them. After the disastrous flood of November 1927, the church’s dining room and kitchen were opened for weeks to serve meals to the community — including a heartwarming Thanksgiving dinner cooked by the good people of Burlington. Nearly a century later, after Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, the congregation gathered again to worship and rebuild.
Our Pastor
The Reverend Peter Plagge lives in the village with his family. Peter studied at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he learned to think of himself as a public theologian — asking how, in our daily lives, we reflect the grace of God. What does grace mean when neighbors go without three square meals? What are our basic responsibilities to one another in an age of global communication, conflict, and fear of the other? What is church, these days, anyway?
What Is Church?
We find that church is really a few things at once. There’s the worship part, where we gather to reflect on our world and our place in it. There’s the “doing” part, where we take on projects that make a positive difference around us. And there’s the fellowship part, where we build real relationships with real people.