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| Rev. Ann Hockridge and
Church Trustee/Deacon Kate Piper pose beside the flourishing Memory Garden, a
celebratory project Piper began planting three years ago in the historic village
of Lower Waterford. |
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| Workers for Robert Morgan
Steeple & Building Restoration, Littleton, NH, replaced the old sills and
repaired the foundation of the 153-year-old church in May of 2014. |
On Sunday, July 9, the
Lower Waterford Congregational Church will publicly dedicate a Memory Garden that honors those
for whom the town held special meaning.
Descendants
of 18th- and 19th-century families who settled the nearly
40-square-mile municipality as well as newcomers attracted by the natural
beauty of the Connecticut River hill town are expected to come, some from as
far away as Florida. The event is open to the public.
To
date, 60 individuals or families have names carved in red brick. In neat rows,
they share an elevated, semicircular floral bed with three seasons of colorful
perennials. The garden is located next to the church’s Maple Street foundation.
“This
truly is Isaiah-worthy to ‘enlarge the place of thy tent’,” said Pastor Ann
Hockridge, quoting from the Old Testament. “We’re deeply grateful to Kate Piper
for undertaking this project and for the research assistance of Waterford
Historical Society member Beth Kanell.”
Mini
biographies will be shared in a commemorative program. They include a former
pastor who ministered to the needs of Lower Waterford, East Saint Johnsbury,
and East Concord; a son who gave his life for his country during the Vietnam
War; dairy farmers, summer residents, a blacksmith, a postmistress, teachers, a
photographer, an author, a veterinarian, a retired geologist who served on the
town’s Planning Commission, a Select Board member, residents of the forgotten
village of Upper Waterford, and an avid snowmobiler whose trails through town
are still used.
Funds
raised from the purchase of the memorial bricks help with the enormous restoration
needs of the 153-year-old building. A successful community drive in 2012
brought in $24,000 in donations that were subsequently used to repair 19th-century support beams at both the rear and Maple Street sides of the church.
“It’s
the kind of work you can’t see,” Piper explained, “but necessary for holding up
the building. A church member then
gifted us with money to paint the building’s exterior.
“But
not the steeple,” she added. “It was leaking and needed repair, and that now is
done.”
Trustee/Deacon Norrine Williams said, “We’re looking for an angel, or two, to help
us get the steeple painted and this time install solar-powered lights so
travelers on I 93 and Route 18 can use it again as a beacon when they’re
driving at night.”
A
devastating fire in 1859 leveled the 22-year-old meetinghouse built on what
was once the crossroads corner of Lower Waterford Road and Maple Street. A
covered bridge at the foot of Maple Street connected this section of Caledonia
County to New Hampshire.
Repurposing
timber and pews from Deacon Abial Richardson’s 1818 meetinghouse on Old Country
Road South near Mad Brook, the edifice was built in the Greek Revival style and
dedicated on January 11, 1860. A
portrait of the pioneer settler from Royalston, MA, is on view in the church
foyer along with notable Waterford artifacts that were once on display in the
Fairbanks Museum, and items from the Upper Waterford church that was
de-accessioned in 1954 prior to Moore Dam’s construction.
Until
1957, when the new elementary school opened, Town Meeting took place in the
Lower Waterford church’s lower level while the sanctuary hosted 8th grade
graduation ceremonies from the town’s 14 district schoolhouses.
The
work of postcard and Hallmark greeting cards photographer Winston Pote of
Lancaster, NH, brought the Congregational Church and the village of Lower Waterford
international recognition in the decades after World War II.
Following
the 10 a.m. worship service, Pastor Hockridge is scheduled to offer a blessing
of the garden at 11:30 a.m. It will be followed by a light lunch for all who
attend.
Financial gifts to help
meet the Lower Waterford church’s need to restore the sanctuary interior,
install a composting toilet on the lower level, and add insulation can be mailed
to P.O. Box 111, Lower Waterford, VT 05848.
Yoked
with Third Congregational Church on Route 2 in East St. Johnsbury, the two houses
of worship share a presence on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Lower-WaterfordThird-Congregational-Church
POSTSCRIPT: Here is the July 9, 2017, gathering for the blessing of the garden. What a lovely and loving day! Photo by Helen C. Pike.
